Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Reserva Santa Elena
Slightly less crowded and at a higher elevation than Monteverde, this
is also a good place to spot a quetzal.
MONTEVERDE & AROUND
Monteverde & Santa Elena
Pop 6750
Strung between two lovingly preserved cloud forests, this slim corridor of civilization con-
sists of the Tico (Costa Rican) village of Santa Elena and the Quaker settlement of Mon-
teverde, each with an eponymous cloud-forest reserve. A 1983 feature article in
National
Geographic
described this unique landscape and subsequently billed the area as the place
to view one of Central America's most famous birds - the resplendent quetzal. Suddenly,
hordes of tourists armed with tripods and telephoto lenses started braving Monteverde's
notoriously awful access roads, which came as a huge shock to the then-established
Quaker community. In an effort to stem the tourist flow, local communities lobbied to stop
developers from paving the roads.
It worked - for a while. But the towns grew anyway, attracting tourists as well as new
European and North American residents. Eventually, the lobby to spur development bested
the lobby to limit development. With the paving of the main access road, this precious ex-
periment in sustainable ecotourism will undergo a new set of trials.
The cloud forests around Monteverde and Santa Elena are among Costa Rica's premier
destinations for everyone from budget backpackers to well-heeled retirees. On a good day,
Monteverde is a place where you can be inspired about the possibility of a world in which
organic farming and alternative energy sources are the norm. On a bad day, Monteverde
can feel like Disneyland in Birkenstocks. Take heart in the fact that the local community
continues to fight the good fight to maintain the fragile balance of nature and commerce.
