Day 7: Mar 27, 2025
TOUR NOTES: Monteverde’s variable climate and high altitude has produced extreme biodiversity. The area is home to over 100 species of mammals, more than 400 species of birds, thousands of insect and plant species, and the largest number of orchids in the world. This tour includes a gondola ride over the cloud forest, 1.7 miles of zip lining and a walk through the rainforest over a series of bridges and trails! At the end of the tram line you will reach an incredible lookout point where you can view the Nicoya gulf, Arenal volcano, the lake, the mountain range and the cloud forest.
After the canopy zip lining safety talk you will be fitted with your harness, helmet and gloves before setting off along the cables at heights of over 520 ft at 40mph! You will feel like you’re flying as you head into the clouds above the forest.
The walking trails that take you into the cloud forest over 5 hanging bridges, the longest of
which is 984 ft. The trails total slightly over a mile and a half (2.5 km).
OUR DAY: The rainbow this morning seemed promising. All of the above might have been true on a hot clear day, but not so today. Big winds and rain. It wasn’t so bad on the nature walk but pretty rough riding up in the tram to the start of the zip lining. There were no views of anything other than trees below us and fog. One line just disappeared into the mist. On one of the 7 zip lines down, they had us go in pairs so the wind wouldn’t blow us sideways. As cold, wet and windy as it was, it was fantastic zipping down at high speeds. A few stops were a bit hard into the backboards, and a few spots did blow you sideways, but it was great!
At the final tower there were two options for getting down ~ a tight spiral staircase or a modified bungee jump. I figured I may as well jump. My technique was not great so pretty glad I had a helmet.
