Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
RESERVA SANTA ELENA
Though Monteverde gets all the attention, the misty
Reserva Santa Elena
( 2645-7107,
2645-5390;
www.reservasantaelena.org
; adult/student US$14/7, guided hike US$15; 7am-4pm)
has plenty to recommend it. You can practically hear the epiphyte-draped canopy breath-
ing out humid exhales as water drops onto the leaf litter and mud underfoot. The odd call
of the three-wattled bellbird and the low crescendo of a howler monkey punctuate the
higher-pitched bird chatter. While Monteverde Crowd…er…Cloud Forest entertains almost
200,000 visitors annually, Santa Elena sees fewer than 20,000 tourists each year, which
means its dewy trails through mysteriously veiled forest are usually far quieter.
This cloud forest is slightly higher in elevation than Monteverde's, and as some of the
forest is secondary growth, there are sunnier places for spotting birds and other animals
throughout. There's a stable population of monkey and sloth, many of which can be seen
on the road to the reserve. Unless you're a trained ecologist, the old-growth forest in
Santa Elena will seem fairly similar in appearance to Monteverde.
At 310 hectares, the community-run Santa Elena is much smaller than the other forest.
More than 12km of trails are open for hiking, including four circular trails of varying diffi-
culty and length. Guided hikes depart from the visitors center four times a day (reserva-
tions recommended).
The reserve is about 6km northeast of the village of Santa Elena, but the
reserve office
reserve itself, catch the bus (US$2, 30 minutes, four daily) from the Banco Nacional in
town.
Courses
Centro Panamericano de Idiomas
LANGUAGE COURSE
2265-6306;
www.cpi-edu.com
; week-long classes US$390;
8am-5pm)
Specializes in Spanish-language education, with courses geared toward families, teen-
agers, medical professionals and retirees. For fun: optional dance and cooking classes are
included with your tuition.
