Monteverde · Things to do

A cable car up to the ridge, then bridges or a zipline back down. Better in cloud than you would expect.

Several hundred orchid species in a small garden in Santa Elena, some the size of a fingernail and shown through a magnifier.

Rides along the farm tracks between the reserves, with the Gulf of Nicoya below when the cloud lifts. Two to three hours.

Separate enclosures for different habitats with a guided introduction to the insects as well as the butterflies. Best mid-morning on a sunny day.

One of the largest private reserves in the country, funded by school children abroad since the 1980s. The Bajo del Tigre gate is the accessible entrance.