Costa Rica Northern Region
Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Forest, monkeys, birds, & butterflies
Rain forests, canopy tours, hanging bridges, sky walks, & zip-lines
Lake Arenal, hot springs, lava flow, Santa Elena, & Tilajari
Plants, epiphytes, insects, humming birds, & coatimundi
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Lizard at Tilajari. |
Nature guide Jeff holding a macaw at Tilajari. |
Tours
We use the best tour operators to book all kinds of tours to Costa Rica, including independent tours and packages. If you have a group we can design a tour for your group. Check with us for details or for other information. Please contact us to book your travel. We book travel worldwide. Check out our Special Promotions.
Special Photo Tour
Please contact us if you are interested in a special photo tour of Costa Rica with workshops and instruction in the field with an emphasis on digital photography.
Tilajari
Tilajari is located south of Lake Arenal, and is a possible jumping off point to visit the Arenal Volcano and nearby attractions. However there is much to see at Arenal, and there is an advantage to staying close to the volcano.
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Arenal Volcano erupting at night (picture is |
Inspecting lava from eruptions at Arenal |
Arenal Volcano
One of the most important places to visit in Costa Rica is the Arenal Volcano National Park, which includes the volcano, Lake Arenal, and rain forests. Arenal Volcano has a height of 5,328 feet (1,624 meters) and is the most active volcano in Costa Rica and one of the most active volcanoes in the world. In 1968 there was an eruption that killed about 100 people. Today the volcano is closely monitored by scientists, and if there is any indication of a massive eruption the area would be evacuated.
On one of our trips to Arenal the volcano was erupting about every two hours. You hear an enormous bang, and stuff comes flying out of the top. This is very exciting! The most impressive time to view eruptions of the volcano is after dark. Then you can see big red hot blocks of lava flying out of the top and molten lava going down the sides. The picture above of Arenal Volcano erupting was taken by Jeff Otico, an outstanding naturalist guide and photographer. This picture is a time exposure, and each arc defines the trajectory of a block thrown out of the volcano. Unfortunately, the volcano is sometimes covered by clouds, and then you hear the eruptions but cannot see them. Also, at times the volcano is silent with no eruptions.
A number of hotels in the area have rooms for viewing the volcano. The closest hotel to the volcano is the Arenal Observatory Lodge, which was built for Smithsonian research scientists in 1987 to study the volcano. Scientists from all over the world have gone there to do research on the volcano. The lodge has been greatly expanded since the early days, and it is only about 1 mile (1 1/2 kilometers) from the volcano. Even though it is quite close you need not worry as lava is not thrown towards the lodge. Some of the rooms have big picture windows facing the volcano, and you can lie in bed at night and during an eruption if there is no cloud cover you can view the spectacular show unfolding before you. A picture showing a view of the volcano from a room at the lodge is shown in the web page for hotels. The dining room at the Arenal Observatory Lodge also has a great view of the volcano. If you spend the night in the Arenal Observatory Lodge you will probably wake up to the sounds of howler monkeys in the morning.
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Eco Thermal hot springs with water heated by |
Nature guide Jimmy leading |
There is a nice nature trail through the rain forest that leads to the volcano where you can inspect old lava flows as shown in the picture above. You want to do this with a qualified naturalist guide so you will know where to go and more importantly not to go. Several people walked on the slope of the volcano several years ago and were killed during an eruption. They had gone into an area where they were not supposed to be.
Near the volcano is the man-made Lake Arenal. This is Costa Rica's largest lake, and due to prevalent winds the lake is a popular place for windsurfing. It is also a place that you can fish. If you are going from Arenal to Monteverde you can shorten the trip by going by boat across the lake. The alternative is to be driven around the lake, which takes quite a bit longer.
Hot Springs
Hot spring water, which is water heated by the volcano, is found in a number of places where you can swim or simply rest in the water. Places to consider include the Tabacon Hot Springs and the Eco Thermal Hot Springs. This is a very relaxing way in which we spent an evening.
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Flower seen on nature walk. |
Leaf cutting ants seen on Arenal nature walk. |
Canopy tours
The upper branches of a tree can create a canopy. This is where monkeys, birds, and other wildlife like to hangout. To better see them hanging bridges or sky walks have been erected at tree top level. Canopy tours are fascinating nature walks in a rain forest alternating between paths at ground level and hanging bridges in the tree tops. The Arenal Hanging Bridges tour is great tour for viewing plants, birds, and animals with a naturalist guide. The tour is both interesting and exciting, especially when you encounter monkeys. Below is a picture of a howler monkey that I took from a hanging bridge. If there are no clouds you get a good view of the Arenal Volcano from some of the hanging bridges.
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Arenal hanging bridge. |
Howler monkey seen from the hanging bridge. |
A completely different type of canopy tour is to attach yourself to a zip line and glide through the air from one tree platform to another. Such tours are very popular and quite thrilling to many people. However, a word of caution is in order. Zip-line tours can be dangerous, and a few people have been killed on them in Costa Rica. It is important to realize that the Costa Rican government does not regulate zip-line tours. As a result, we only recommend zip-line tours that meet certain standards verified independently by the ground tour operator in Costa Rica. If you take a zip-line tour you must assume the risk, and it is very important that you follow instructions. Fortunately, the vast majority of people that do zip-line tours experience no problems.
Other things to do
In the Arenal area there are other things to do including horseback riding, white water rafting, kayaking, and rappelling.
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Humming birds at Monteverde. |
Humming birds feed from this |
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
South of Arenal Volcano is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and eruptions from the volcano can be heard there. The private reserve contains rain forests, cloud forests, and transitional forests, and is about 25,000 acres in size. The Continental Divide passes through the reserve, and at this high elevation you will likely need a coat or sweater year around. This is a very popular place to visit.
Founders of Monteverde
Quakers from Alabama immigrated to Monteverde in the early 1950s and founded the private reserve. Costa Rica did not have a military, and the Quakers were conscientious objectors that wanted to avoid service in the U.S. Military. They became dairy farmers, and you can sample local cheese and ice cream at their Cheese Factory.
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Rebecca in front of a big tree in the |
Plant growing on the side of |
What is a cloud forest?
A cloud forest is one type of rain forest. It is defined by Merriam-Webster as a wet tropical mountain forest in which clouds are present. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has a misty climate and is cool and damp the year around. This leads to lush vegetation.
Epiphytes
In the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve there are many species of epiphytes. A epiphyte is defined by Merriam-Webster as a plant that derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and grows on another plant. Epiphytes include orchids, ferns, and bromeliads. The plants in the Monteverde Cloud Forest are big compared to plants that do not grow in the tropics.
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Lady inside a strangler fig |
Nature guide Jeff illustrating the size of a plant |
Lots of plants, birds, and animal life
Within the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve it is reported that there are 2,500 species of plants, 400 species of birds, and 100 species of animals. The bird that attracts people to the Reserve is the resplendent quetzal. These birds have a red breast below green plumage. The male has tail feathers that can be 2 feet (0.6 meters) long. In the Reserve hummingbirds can be seen at feeders or feeding from plants. It is difficult to spot the different plants and wildlife in a rain forest when you do not know where to look or what to look for. As a result, it is much better to be with a trained naturalist guide since the experience will be much more enjoyable.
Day and night tours in the cloud forest
We spent nearly an entire day in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, which is magnificent. There were many things to photograph including a family of howler monkeys high in the trees above us. A very special outing occurred when our guide took us back into the cloud forest after dark. It was much different then than during daytime. Many insects and animals only come out after dark when they are better able to avoid daytime predators. We had a friendly encounter with a coatimundi. Note the picture of the insect below which is shaped like a leaf, and which only a trained eye is likely to spot. It was exciting to be there.
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Nature guide Jeff pointing to an insect that |
Nature guide Jimmy swinging |
Canopy tours
In the Monteverde-Santa Elena area there are a number of hanging bridge or sky walk tours. You can see a long bridge on the Sky Walk tour that we took below. Likewise you will find several zip-line tours. There is a tram that you can ride through the tree tops. The ride is in a two-person carriage that moves on a track.
Other things to do
In the area around Monteverde and Santa Elena There are other things that you can do. You can visit butterfly gardens, hummingbird gardens, serpentariums, exhibits of amphibians and insects, and go horseback riding. Late in the day look for the beautiful sunsets over the western lowlands and the Gulf of Nicoya.
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Sky Walk at tree top level |
The sun setting at Monteverde. Looking |
Photo of erupting volcano by Jeff Otico. Remaining photos by Sunny Breeding. We sell prints and images.
