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Hello travelers!
We (a botanist and a photographer) will be in CR in March 2020 mostly for vacation.
Wondering if anyone has recommendations on alternative forest hikes to the main ones at Monteverde CF. Such as, in Santa Elena or others within the MVCFP area. Same with Corcovado.Re: FEES, We understand how fees generate revenue and pay for conservation/protection. Good on that.
But both of us will need to access them everyday and almost nightly for five days.
We hear that MVCFP has a $20/dayPP fee. That’s $200 plus evening entry costs as I hear a guide is required. 🙁Does anyone know what fees are required for the alternative CF hikes in that area?
Any intel on accessing forests for self-guided hikes at night to see nocturnal understory fauna?SAME with Corcovado: Any alternatives to the main entrance and daily / nightly Fees?
And, footwear is recommended for cloud forests and lowland forests?
Thank you!
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Hello Dave!
Excellent questions! 🙂
To start with the Monteverde area, as botanists and photographers, you picked a great destination to visit. Fortunately, you don’t need a guide for most daytime visits to Monteverde-area reserves/preserves, so you can certainly save money by touring each yourself. Exceptions to this general rule include early morning bird-watching tours and night tours, both of which require a guide for safety reasons and because they award access to reserves/preserves outside of normal operating hours.
Examples of some reserves/preserves in the Monteverde area other than the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve include the Santa Elena Biological Reserve, Reserva Curi-Cancha, Valle Escondido, Bajo del Tigre (a public sector of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest), Santuario Ecologico, and Aguti Monteverde. Entrance fees apply to all, however, and they usually run about $15 per adult. If you’re looking to save money on the cost of entrance fees, you could consider staying overnight at one or more of them. Some reserves/preserves offer accommodations on-site and award overnight guests with free access to the local trails.
For Corcovado, this is an entirely different story. There have been several changes to Corcovado National Park operations over the past few years and visits nowadays are strictly regulated. Not only do you need a tour guide to explore the park, if you plan to visit for more than one day, you need to book in advance a mini park package (which is typically quite costly) that includes transportation to and from the park, a room at the Sirena ranger station, and meals (you’re not allowed to bring your own food). It is not possible to visit this national park on a whim and without a tour guide, and night tours are not permitted.
For footwear, be sure to bring closed-toe footwear as some attractions won’t allow visitors to enter with Keen-type hiking sandals that have slits that expose parts of the feet. Though dangerous encounters aren’t common, Costa Rica is home to several poisonous species, so it’s best to bring shoes and long pants that fully cover your feet, ankles, and legs. In addition, the reserves/preserves are full of brush, vines, and tree branches, so it’s good to have a reliable set of hiking shoes/boots that you’ll feel study and comfortable walking in.
Pura vida!
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