Monteverde region


Near Monteverde, there are mid-elevation nature reserves on both slopes of the Tilarán mountain range. We visited three locations: La Calandria on the Pacific slope, San Gerardo Field Station on the Atlantic slope, and Santa Elena Reserve, a cloud forest habitat above San Gerardo.

top image: Columnea sp., aka the flying goldfish plant, a striking epiphyte common at San Gerardo and Santa Elena. Photo taken by Courtney Holvey

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looking SW from porch at La Calandria Lodge; Gulf of Nicoya visible in the distance

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five of Costa Rica's cat species live in or pass through the Monteverde region; this footprint appears to be an ocelot's

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Tomas, the master frog finder on our night hikes

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close up of Tomas's white-bellied stream frog 

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bridge over the Rio Caño Negro

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hanging out at the Rio Caño Negro

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Omar and Cruz checking out the cavity in a strangler fig

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Jake in another strangler fig

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some trees at San Gerardo had spendid buttresses

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shady second-floor porch at San Gerardo 

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studying fruit traits in the evening 

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after analyzing the fruits, we tried eating the ones we could

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comfy seat on a moss-covered liana

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with annual rainfall close to 4 meters, fallen leaves decompose pretty quickly

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We had lovely views of Arenal Volcano on our hike back to Santa Elena