The Monteverde area, 184km northwest of San José and due north of Puntarenas, is the sole reason for many travelers to come to Costa Rica. Several private reserves adjoining Monteverde and neighboring Santa Elena, including the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, protect some of the last remaining primary cloud forest. In 1951 a group of 44 US Quakers, some of whom had been sentenced to jail time, exiled themselves to this town, protesting the peacetime draft before the Korean War. The group set aside a section of its land for the benefit of the entire community. In 1972, this watershed was expanded and made into the now-famous reserve. With its mystical cloud forests now carefully protected, Monteverde is in no danger of losing its title as Costa Rica's primary tourist attraction. Luckily, conscientious locals and a set of specialists---biologists, planners, and educators---are also committed to controlling tourism's effects on the area. Hotels in Monteverde |
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