Excursion Trip to Monteverde

The History of Monteverde

 A three and a half hour drive from the capital of San José, Monteverde rises above the horizon, a surprizing change in elevation compared to its surrounding beaches. At 4,600 ft in height, it is one of the shortest, yet most popular, mountains in Costa Rica. A direct translation of "Monteverde" is "green mountain," which perfectly describes the lush rain forests there. 

Monteverde is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in the country, largely due to its history. In the late 1940's, an American Quaker group called the Meeting of Friends in Fairhope refused to enlist in the draft for World War Two. After serving four months in prison for their refusal, the eleven families decided to leave the United States in favor of a place that did not participate in the war. In 1949, they moved to San José because it had good farming land and, most importantly, Costa Rica had just abolished its army. 

Eventually, the Quakers bought 3,500 acres of land and settled in Monteverde. They reserved 1300 acres for wild life and aimed to protect the rain forest's ecosystem. They also built a school, which quickly grew to attract local Costa Rican children as well as international exchange students. This biodiversity and rich education drew in biologists like George and Harriett Powell, who created efforts to halt deforestation and contamination of natural resources in the area. In 1972, the Powells succeeded in their negotiations with local governments to make the area into a nature reserve called the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve. When completed, the reserve covered about 4,940 acres of land, which the Tropical Science Center would maintain. Over the next few decades, conservationists like Wolf Guindon would continue to protect the reserve and the wide variety of species that live there. Today, tourists from around the world visit Monteverde to learn about its rich history, see the unique plants and animals, and try extreme sports like zip lining and bungee jumping. 

My Trip to Monteverde

Our trip to Monteverde lasted two days, most of which was spent in the car. Although the drive was very long, the experience was most definitely worth it! On the first day, we stopped at a small beach on the way, where we bought flavored shaved ice. For the equivalent of $1.65, I bought a pineapple-flavored dessert, complete with sweetened milk and a marshmallow on top. 

When we arrived at Monteverde, we paid $39 to go on the tour of the canopy and its eight large suspension bridges. While the rain and wind made us quite chilly, the view was incredible. That night we ate Mexican food at a local restaurant called Taco Taco before returning to our cabins to dry off and sleep. 

The next morning, we woke up at 6:30am, ate a quick breakfast, and packed up the van. On our way out of town, we stopped at Monteverde Extremo Park (for more info, visit Monteverde Canopy Tour - Monteverde Extremo), where we paid $50 to go on the Monteverde Canopy Tour. The tour included a total of 16 ziplines and a Tarzan Swing high in the rainforest canopy. The staff were all very kind and made an effort to speak to us both in English and in Spanish. While zip lining, we also met three college students who were visiting from Montreal, Canada. They spoke both English and French, and it was very interesting to discuss with them about how similar French is to Spanish. The students stayed later to bungee jump, but we were ready to head home.

Overall, I loved my experience at Monteverde. It was filled with adrenaline and laughter. If you go to Monteverde, I highly suggest trying the zip lines, but be sure to bring a warm raincoat! 

Source: "History of Monteverde and the Quakers" at History of Monteverde (monteverdetours.com).