Have you seen the t-shirts "I survived the road to Monteverde"? The
road to Monteverde is definitely an experience in non-paved driving, but it is
an experience not to be missed when visiting Costa Rica.
The vistas are incredible, the journey is unforgettable and at the end of the road you are in one of the most unique cloud forests of the world. Sit back, enjoy the view all the way to the Gulf and have a delicious cup of the legendary Cafe' Monteverde.
Take Highway 1 (Pan American Highway) leaving San Jose heading in the direction of Liberia. (Northwest) When you pass the restaurant "Caballo Blanco" (after Recope) you will see the restaurant "Cuenca" (this means "deep valley" in Spanish). This restaurant sits by the Rio Aranjuez. After crossing over the river look immediately for the Sardinal exit. This is the best road to take up to Monteverde because the first 12 kms. are paved. Go to Sardinal, turn left towards Guacimal, at Guacimal take a right heading up to Santa Elena and Monteverde. Depending on the road conditions it can take between two to three hours.
At the entrance to Santa Elena you will need to give the man in the booth (Antonio) 100 colones (about 50 cents) for road improvement.
Go to the sight www.monteverdeinfo.com or click on the map of Monteverde below -
Even if there was enough money to pave the road (which there hasn't been), the general consensus has been until now to keep the road unpaved in an attempt to limit the numbers of tourists to the area and the impact that has on the fragile environment.
Up until the early 1970's there was no way to get to the area in a two wheel drive car without the assistance of a tractor mounted wench. There is constant discussion about paving the roads, pros and cons but at the moment it is still all discussion.
The bellbird is one of
the endangered species that live in the Monteverde region. You can easily
hear the call of the bellbird. Click on the link below to hear the call
now.
The Resplendent Quetzal is probably the most famous bird of Monteverde.
Find out about conservation efforts in the Monteverde region:
| www.fccmonteverde.org |
The rainy season begins is generally between May through November, but September and October are the rainiest months.
The coffee beans require sunshine to help ripen the cherries. As soon as the rainy season is over, the coffee begins to ripen and is harvested. Harvesting is usually over in early March.
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? Electronic Mail :
CoopSanta Elena: coop@cafemonteverde.com
Montana Coffee Traders: rc@coffeetraders.com
TxGrlDesigns
Copyright © 1999 [CoffeeTradersInc]. All rights reserved.
Revised:
11/01/03
