Suspension Bridges, Sloths, and Butterflies in Monteverde

Monteverde is an attraction of Costa Rica, well known for its cloud forests and the rich diversity in flora and fauna. The region of Monteverde is filled with things to do, beautiful places to visit and unique sites to explore! In the midst of the Monteverde Cloud Forest you can find hanging bridges, sloths, and colorful butterflies that can make your visit to Monteverde a truly unforgettable experience.

The Suspension Bridges of Monteverde

In Monteverde, some of the most popular attractions that you can’t miss are the suspended bridges. A hanging bridge passes over part of the humid forest of the cloud forest, where you can observe some wildlife while walking above the trees. It gives you a great perspective of the environment from up high. It is a great eco-tourism activity full of surprises. You can find some of these bridges just 10 minutes outside of Santa Elena. Some of the popular ones are there located in Mistico hanging bridges, Ecocentro Danaus, and Sky Walk guides tours. Mistico Hanging Bridges: there are eight suspension bridges that cross the lush jungle of Monteverde. The suspended bridges reach up to 500 meters in length and are a great way to explore part of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. This bridge is the longest one in Costa Rica and the highest one in Latin America (97 meters above the ground). From the bridge you can take pictures of the incredible trees, vines and fauna that are around it. The Mistico suspended bridges tours provide several guided tours in different schedules during the day so you can choose which one works with your timeline. Mistico Hanging Bridges are a great layout of this trip to Monteverde.Ecocentro Danaus is one of the top attractions that you can find in Monteverde. It has a path of walkways that connect a series of trails and come into contact with nature and discover immense plants and trees from the cloud forest. Danaus has an interesting phenomenon that is not common in any other place in the world: touchable butterflies — those can be attracted to your arms, neck, or any exposed skin if you remain still or move at a slow pace. You can find different species like Monarchs, Julia Butterflies, and Blue Morphos. When you visit Danaus, you also have access to a suspension bridge that crosses over some of the forest’s trees. Ecocentro Danaus is a great way to explore biodiversity at its finest. Sky Walk Guides Tours: this tour includes two suspended bridges (the longest with a length of 450 meters) plus 679 meters of trails and observation platforms from where you can have an exciting panoramic view of the cloud forest’s woodland. Sky Walk has five lookout points (balconies) for watching birds, insects, and reptiles up close. The staff at Sky Walk are trained professionals with knowledge on local fauna and flora. Sky Walk Guides Tours allow you to appreciate nature in its purest form, while taking stunning pictures.

Sloths in Monteverde

Sloths are one of the most iconic species of Costa Rica and they can be easily spotted in Monteverde. They are quite shy so it might take some patience to spot them! But they are worth it! Sloths are mammals that often live in trees (arboreal animals). In Monteverde you can find both types of sloths: two-fingered sloths (Choloepus didactylus) and three-fingered sloths (Bradypus variegatus). Both species inhabit all areas from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve to surrounding private reserves as well as areas near Santa Elena. Two-fingered sloths often feed on the leaves of Cecropia trees and are usually observed during the mornings or afternoons hanging from one branch or traveling from tree to tree in search for food or shelter or trying to communicate with other sloths. Three-fingered sloths usually live in fig trees or any other big trees where they can find shelter thanks to their very good camouflage with foliage. These animals feed on leaves and occasionally on fruits. Another interesting thing about sloths is that they play a very important role in reforestation as they often might eat fruit when fruits season comes around and spread their seeds in other parts of their range —this is essential for having a natural reforestation process without human intervention.

Butterflies in Monteverde

Monteverde has more than 60 species of butterflies living within it’s cloud forests! In some places they can be found in large groups Butterfly watching becomes very exciting because it’s like a competition amongst yourself or some friends in search for all the varieties of rarities -to find as many species as possible! There are many places where you can find butterflies in Monteverde: Santa Elena Forest Reserve, Curi-Canchi Cloud Forest Reserve, El Estanque Trail among lots more! Butterflies like bird sightings require a lot of patience —the best hours would be during mid-morning when light is adequate to spot them, as well as during late afternoons; always being aware not to disturb them or capture them as this will diminish their numbers in an already fragile ecosystem. But if you’re lucky enough –you can spot some near visitors centers or if you happen to be on El Estanque trail, you can see an odd mix between perfect specimens made out from changes between wet and dry microclimates established by certain vegetation cover—allowing butterfly populations to flourish! These colorful creatures usually move around nectar flowers like orchids that provide them energy fueled by carbohydrates from sugary liquids produced by these flowers through transpiration during hot mornings! The Butterfly Garden is a place where you can go find butterflies in groups and take amazing pictures while learning interesting facts with expert guides who will introduce you to this wonder world! All these enclosures where you visit flora and fauna of Monteverde give you a brief but exciting insight into what’s going on in this part of Costa Rica! From these experiences one could come away with great understanding that safeguarding this protected area is an essential part of any social responsibility when it comes to tourism in Monteverde! Plus it’s exciting just to see all this wonderful wildlife in its natural habitat! We highly recommend booking tours such as Sky Walk Bridges & Butterfly Garden Tour, a full day experience that won’t disappoint, here you’ll be able to traverse multiple suspension bridges across the treetops, watch colorful birds flutter by, see sloths in all their glory as well as witness up close Monarch butterflies feeding from remarkable orchids while taking advantage of undisturbed open spaces full of surprises –and perhaps knowing you’re making a difference when it comes to sustainable tourism, an activity that has been vital for many families who depend on it for their livelihoods!