Monteverde is the mountainous region of Costa Rica north west of San José. Since it has no airport, the only way to get to Monteverde is a four drive from San José. But Monteverde, meaning ‘Green Mountain’ in Spanish, is certainly worth the effort. In Monteverde you have the chance to admire one of Costa Rica’s most interesting microclimates the cloud forest. Monteverde has a landscape of green hills and clouds that come in at the end of the afternoon, just before sunset, often cover their peaks. Impressive to watch and after that to retreat and find a warm place in front of a fire place that many hotels higher up in the hills offer. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve stretches out over a vast area and consists of eight different ecological zones and has a fascinating wildlife. You have to be more interested in the quetzal than in a vibrating nightlife to truly appreciate this part of Costa Rica, but Monteverde has more to offer than its 400 species of birds and 100 different species of mammals. Monteverde is home the canopy tours in Costa Rica. The hills of Monteverde provide a perfect condition for adventurous an more calm version of this type of entertainment. Canopy refers to the tops of the tall tropical trees that often offer a complete eco-system, a unique experience in Costa Rica. You can chose to zip from tree to tree in Monteverde, hanging in a mountain climbing harness to which a roller is attached, or for a version where the tree tops are connected by hanging bridges. The place in Monteverde that offers it all is Selvatura Park. Looking for an adrenaline surge in Costa Rica, take their zip line tour of 15 cables. If you want to take your time to observe the wildlife of Monteverde Costa Rica, with or without a guide, opt for the treetop walk. Almost 2 miles of trails guide you trough different levels of the cloud forest of Monteverde and you find eight bridges up to more than 550 foot and to more than 200 foot high. Selvatura in Monteverde has one of the world’s biggest butterfly garden with fifty-plus species of butterflies, a hummingbird station, special for the 14 different species of cloud forest species of Monteverde and an educational center. So coming to Monteverde Selvatura is definitely a good choice. But there are more options in Monteverde. There is Monteverde’s Reserva Sendero Tranquilo, a 200-acre private reserve where you can take small, private guided tours. Bird fanatics should visit the Birds Sanctuary with more than four miles of trails offering the best of Costa Rica’s wildlife and flora. If you were not able to shoot the perfect picture in Monteverde of your favorite animal you should pay a visit to ‘The Hummingbird Gallery’, owned by the Frogden couple that spent their life taking photographs of Costa Rica’s tantalizing wildlife and have spectacular images for sale. But make sure you don’t leave Monteverde before paying a visit to the CASEM cooperation that sells beautiful clothing and artifacts. Remember that every colon or dollar you spend here benefits the local community of Monteverde. Since Monteverde is Costa Rica’s region of dairy cattle, you can’t leave this region after tasting its good cheeses. In the Monteverde Cheese Factory you can chose from more than a dozen different cheeses. Monteverde in Costa Rica stimulates all your senses and you can’t say you know the country without a visit to this magnificent region.