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After the pick up at your hotel the drive will start until
reaching Liberia and following the panamerican highway toward the Lagarto River.
From there you will start a bumpy ride to the get to the continental divide
where Monteverde is located.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve traverses the Tilarán Mountain Range, which is part of the Continental Divide. The area has been most appropriately named Monteverde, “Green Mountain”, since that is what travellers find at the end of the hour and 30-minutes ride up a long and steep gravel road that winds up the mountain range due northeast of the Panamerican Highway. The Preserve is a 5,000 hectare wildlife sanctuary, with plentiful tree, bird and insect life. The unique geographic, topographic and climatic conditions in the Preserve have resulted in a surprisingly high level of biodiversity. The Four Life Zones found in the Preserve are home to more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 500 species of butterflies,120 reptile and amphibian species, 2,500 plant species (among them 420 different types of orchids and 200 fern species), 500 species of trees and thousands of insect species. Among the 400 species of birds, some of the best known species are: The Quetzal, the Bird Bell, the Black Turkey Bird, the Mot-Mot, the Orange-bellied Trogon, and the Bare-neck Umbrella Bird. Among the mammals are found the Collared Wild Pig, the Small Deer, the Margay, the Spider and Howler Monkey, the Coatimundi, the Kinkajou, the Olingo, the Agouti and the Paca, the Two-toed Sloth, the Armadillo and the Weasel. The Preserve is part of a block of protected areas, both private as well as public, that share borders. On the eastern side, and part of its northern and southern boundary, the Preserve limits with a protected area known as Bosque Eterno de los Niños, (Children´s Eternal Forest). At the entrance to the Preserve, the elevation is 1,500 meters
(4,900 ft). The high point on the Continental Divide is a place known as La
Ventana (The Window) at an altitude of 1,560 meters (5,115 ft.). The highest
point in the Preserve is the Cerro Los Amigos, at an altitude of 1,842 meters
(6,042 ft.). The lowest point is the Valley of Peñas Blancas at 800 meters
(2,624 ft).
The Preserve is located on the Pacific Watershed of the Tilarán Mountain Range. This area experiences a wet or rainy and a dry season. During the dry season, the country experiences high tourist numbers. This season runs from December through April, while the rainy season occurs from May to November. The rainiest months are June, September and October. Temperatures vary year-round from 45 to 75 F (10 to 25 C) and the months of December and January are the coldest months. From December to March the climate is windy and cloudy, and frequently there are light rain showers. The climate changes rapidly and ocassionally turns cold and humid. In contrast, the Atlantic Watershed, to the east of the Preserve, has a very short and less pronounced dry season than the Pacific side. The Pacific Watershed gets some 2500 milimeters (100 inches) of rain per year, while on the Atlantic side, rainfall may reach 6,000 milimeters (240 inches). Visitors must bring with them rain gear, strong walking shoes, warm clothes, and be prepared to wear raincoats part of the time.
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