Monteverde, northwest of San Jose, is both a major tourist attraction and an amazing place to learn about the country's nature and culture.
The best approach to one of my favorite areas of Costa Rica, Monteverde, is to come from San José — but even that road can be difficult, especially in the rainy season. If you plan to drive to Monteverde on your own, you absolutely must have a four wheel drive vehicle. Once you leave the highway, the roads to Monteverde are steep dirt roads, often with lots of potholes. Specialty vehicle rentals are expensive but in this case necessary.
Another choice is to buy a package and let someone else do the driving. It takes several hours to drive to Monteverde from San Jose so you should plan on staying at least one night. Two nights would be ideal.
Monteverde’s Quaker Community
The name Monteverde refers to two different things: the Quaker community of Monteverde as well as the adjacent cloud preserve. The history of the community is interesting and bears repeating. Back in the early 1950’s some Quakers from the state of Alabama were jailed for refusing to register for the draft in the U.S. and decided to move to a more peaceful country whose military policy coincided with their Pacifist beliefs. Costa Rica, having no army, fit the bill. There were 44 original settlers from 11 different families. Some flew to San José while others drove from Alabama, a three-month journey. Eventually they settled in the Monteverde area where land was cheap and plentiful. They supported themselves through dairy farming and cheese production. Today their modern factory supplies cheese to all of Costa Rica. The Quakers have been instrumental in keeping Monteverde and the surrounding area in its pristine state. They are respectful of the land and its fragility.
There are several art galleries and craft centers to visit in Monteverde as well as the cheese factory, called La LecherÃa. The Hummingbird Gallery (see Costa Rica’s Defining Moment) is a must-see. Being completely surrounded by buzzing hummingbirds is one of Monteverde’s fun experiences. You can also arrange for horseback riding and guided wildlife walks. Because of the Quaker heritage English is widely understood in this area. There are several lodges in the Monteverde area as well as in the nearby town of Santa Elena. Most will sell out during the busy winter and summer season. You can reserve these properties on a room only basis as well as on a package basis. We recommend you reserve ahead.
Monteverde’s Cloud Forest Preserve
This privately owned and operated cloud preserve is the major attraction of Monteverde. You can hike it on your own – there are several trails – or you can hire a guide for a half day or more. Guides run about $15 for a half day and we recommend going with a guide (Guides are not included with entrance fee). The cloud forest is a very misty place and it is hard to see wildlife. The guide can point out things you would ordinarily miss on your own. Other special tours may be offered or can be arranged upon request, such as night tours of the preserve or birding tours. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded at Monteverde, including the resplendent quetzal. There is a limit to the number of people who can enter the preserve at one time. During the busy season we recommend you arrive as soon as possible after the opening time of 7:00am. Admission is about $13.00 with discounts for students and children. Children ages 10 and under are admitted without a fee. For more information contact Monteverde Info (506/645-7070). [Editor’s Note: The cloud preserve can be muddy and wet so bring raingear and boots.]
Volcan Arenal National Park
Located a few miles west of the town of Fortuna, this national park contains one of the most active volcanoes in Central America, the Arenal Volcano. There are only a few visitors services at the park; the main attraction is viewing the smoldering or fiery volcano, especially at night.
If the volcano is active, you will be able to see the eruptions from outside the park. Day Tours are available to see the volcano and often include other activities available in the surrounding area. This is an all-day trip from Monteverde.
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hope you all like it!
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Amy's Bakery- http://www.amysbread.com
Junior's in Times Square- http://www.juniorscheesecake.com
The Ambassador Theater (Chicago)- http://www.ambassadortheater.com
Al Hirschfeld Theater- http://www.hirschfeldtheater.org
I was the same way. I had my Bat Mitzvah on top of Masadah and was complaining of the heat. I didn't truly recognize what an amazing place I was in. I was fortunate enough to return last summer and had the time of my life. I look forward to seeing your post for when you get to return. I wish you all the best!
one of my all time favorite vacations.
This was one of the best trips I have ever been on.
I am ecstatic that I was able to participate in learning my heritage, history, and my parents past.
My trip to Africa was really an extraordinary experience, and I fell in love with the country Nigeria. I am so happy that my father allowed me to see my heritage and my family.
Truly humbling
I hope you enjoy learning about my experiences in Paris, France!
Thank you so much for this information. Multi-generational travel is an area that I am interested in, but it is not easy to navigate various ages, levels of mobility and interests. These tips are super useful!
This was seriously such a life-changing trip for me. I got to see a whole other way that people live life. It really opened my eyes and made me EVEN MORE eager to learn German and to adopt a more frugal lifestyle.
My experience with traveling to a foreign nation, in the form of a blog.
Going on that trip was the best thing I have done in my life. I learned so much, and experienced many different things, such as food, culture, and people. It was a great opportunity for me, and I highly advise others to travel as well. You will not be disappointed.
I recommend this or a similar trip for any future paleontologists. I have since been to the Field Museum in Chicago and the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and am pleased to have visited all the major paleontological museums in North America.
I hope you have fun on your trips, too!
This is my submission to the young travel writer scholarship
My trip to South Africa transformed my life. I grew closer to my best friend, as well as experience a culture very different from my own. As a result, my knowledge of the world has grown.
I quite enjoy I can feel the passion.
I hope you enjoy the lessons i learned over seas in Spain! I know I will take them with me as I move forward in life. Thank you for reading!
-Rebecca Krivitsky
enjoy my story, i pray it will reveal a new cultural avenue while still providing a humorous tale
This trip was truly life changing. It was the first time I realized that there is a whole other world outside the United States!
Thank you very much for your post! I love it very much! I will bring my family to Florida soon!
Thanks and support
Here is the website documenting my trip: http://madisongoestonewyork.blog.com/
My time in El Salvador changed my life. It is my dream that one day I will be able to return there. I can honestly tell you that my love for the people in El Salvador has remained with me. And I hope the best for that nation.
The summer of my sophmore year in high school I spent a week in El Salvador. This one week changed my life. As I volunteered in El Salvador I gained an amazing view of different cultures and life styles. I developed a love for El Salvador and its people. And my memories there will remain with me through out my life. It is my dream that one day I will be able to return their and give more of my time to those amazing people.
My freshman year of high school I spent a week of my summer in El Salvador. It was a remarkable week that literally changed my outlook on life. I have a huge heart for the people of El Salvador and the country itself. It is my dream that one day I will be able to go back.
My amazing trip
It was definitely a trip to remember that I'd do any day! 🙂
A trip to remember that I'd do again any day
It was a trip to remember. Every spect of it was interesting and something I would do again!
I enjoy traviling with my family and creating new memories.
I enjoy traviling and spending time with my family.
– By Ciara Bri'd Frisbie
Thank you for reading my essay.
-Nathan Shaw
Thank you for taking the time to read my essay I really appreciate it.
-Nathan Shaw.
This trip was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. From the Great Wall to the hospitals of Beijing, I learned so much about myself and other cultures.
I just love traveling. Disney World is my favourite destination. Above all 10 sposts are my favourite. I would love to visit all that destination.
Reading this story has been a stroll down memory lane. I stayed at the Diplomat as a little girl in the 1970's, and still remember how impressed I was with it. So glad to hear that the resort has bounced back to its original glory.
I am very glad to know that Disney Cruise Line is taking health so seriously, yet making cleanliness palatable for kids. These suggestions are also great for air travel, another germy breeding ground. Thanks for the info!
My family loves Cancun, and we have had good stays at the Oasis and the Sol Melia and the Sheraton too. Nice to see a new list of recommendations from you. Thanks
This is a really fun outing, but if you can't get out to the countryside, just visit one of those urban tree sellers. A lot of them in the northeast are staffed by college kids from Canada, who take a break, get into a rental trailer and drive it south, then re-sell trees they have bought on consignment to pay for the next semester.
I always ask (nicely) and I always get (with a smile), the extra boughs that they take off to make the trees look even all around. With some ribbon, maybe the wire from a coat hanger and lots of creativity, it's easy to get the kids helping you turn old boughts into beautiful wreaths for around the house.
Love the photos in this article!
Thanks for having this contest; my family loves Snowmass and it would be great to go back there. We took our son when he was about 7 and it was a great learning adventure for all of us. The instructors are terrific and we had fun, but it's not something we could afford to do right now.
Thanks for giving us another chance to go back!
When Jean Carlisle of Menomonie, Wisconsin heard she won a family of four Galapagos Adventure Cruise, she wrote us:
"YES YES YES!!!!!!!! THIS IS MY DREAM DREAM DREAM VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN you tell I’m excited??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"A Galapagos vacation has always been on my DREAM list!!…add it to a cruise vacation makes it even more special. I accept!!!"
Jean explained that she'd enjoyed playing along the scavenger hunt but was anxious about the random drawing for a winner.
"I didn’t sleep well last night because I was so excited!! LOL I entered the contest because I had seen many publications and shows on national geographic on the Galapagos Islands and always thought that would be a place I’d like to visit. I was first drawn to the beautiful pictures on the website and when I saw the contest, I knew that I just had to enter and would love to win!
"I’d like to thank TakingtheKids.com, TravelingMom.com and Family Travel Forum for this once in a life opportunity!! We are excited to make arrangements and show off photos when we return!"
So glad it's helpful to you with your teens, I've already given the Primland brochure to my own mom and her girlfriend who want to tour the Blue Ridge Parkway and look at the Appalachian handcrafts. This is a great base for lots of exploration. If you go, I know you'll enjoy it!
This sounds like a real find and perfect for my own family. I ma always looking for resorts that will work as destinations with lots to do for my two teens, and Primland sounds excellent. Thanks for spreading the word!
Thanks so much for sharing your dreams about the Galapagos; that's the way we all felt when we learned that the terrific Lindblad team wanted to work on this project. so excited to know that someone's dream will reallyl come true! And a 6th grader is the perfect travel companion.
Don't forget to post your a link to your comment here :
http://www.travelingmom.com/freebies/contests/3917-galapagos-giveaway-contest-entries.html
so you're sure to be recorded as an entry into the grand prize drawing. Hope to see you on Twitter too @familytravel4um @travelingmoms @takingthekids @LindbladEXP
If there are no comments on our blog, does this mean that our blog has been rejected, or that it has not been reviewed yet? thanks!
As noted, thanks to your enthusiasm, there are several thousand posts to read, so the judges will be done by mid October. Check back after that to see your status!
I tried following the steps above for finding out about the scholarship judging, but I'm still lost. Does it show up at the bottom of your blog? Or is it just off to the side when you have the option of clicking on your blog? Like, is it next to the name of your blog, the date it was published and then the word scholarship with either a yes or no? Thanks!
Crystal – you get an email