Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pile-on of life requires lots of water - it typically gets between 5m and 6m of rainfall annu-
ally (yes, that's
meters
!).
Classic rainforest habitats are well represented in the parks of southwestern Costa Rica
or in the mid-elevation portions of the central mountains. Here you will find towering trees
that block out the sky, long, looping vines and many overlapping layers of vegetation.
Large trees often show buttresses - winglike ribs that extend from their trunks for added
structural support. And plants climb atop other plants, fighting for a bit of sunlight. The
most impressive areas of primary forest - a term designating completely untouched land
that has never been disturbed by humans - exist on the Península de Osa.
The tallest tree in the rainforest is usually the ceiba (silk-cotton tree). The most famous
example is a 70m elder in Corcovado.
Cloud Forest
Visiting the unearthly terrain of a cloud forest is a highlight for many visitors; there are
amazing swaths of it in Monteverde, along the Cerro de la Muerte and below the peaks of
Chirripó. In these regions, fog-drenched trees are so thickly coated in mosses, ferns, bro-
meliads and orchids that you can hardly discern their true shapes. These forests are created
when humid trade winds off the Caribbean blow up into the highlands, cool and condense
to form thick, low-hanging clouds. With constant exposure to wind, rain and sun, the trees
here are crooked and stunted.
Cloud forests are widespread at high elevations throughout Costa Rica and any of them
warrant a visit. Be forewarned, however, that in these habitats the term 'rainy season' has
little meaning because it's always dripping wet from the fog - a cloud forest often hovers
around 100% humidity.
