Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | |
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Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde | |
![]() Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | |
Map of Costa Rica | |
Location | Puntarenas and Alajuela, Costa Rica |
Nearest city | Monteverde |
Coordinates | 10°18′09″N 84°47′44″W / 10.30250°N 84.79556°W |
Area | 10,500 ha (26,000 acres) |
Established | 1973 |
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Spanish: Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde) is a Costa Rican reserve located along the Cordillera de Tilarán within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces. Named after the nearby town of Monteverde and founded in 1972,[1] the Reserve consists of over 10,500 hectares (26,000 acres) of cloud forest. It draws roughly 70,000 visitors a year. The reserve consists of 6 ecological zones, 90% of which are virgin forest.[2] A high biodiversity area, consisting of over 2,500 plant species (including the most orchid species in a single place), 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn both scientists and tourists alike.