December 8th, 2012

Today was the last day in Santa Elena. We decided to walk up early to do the things we didn’t get to do in the last three days.We went on one of the horse back riding tours. Horseback riding is truly one of the best ways to experience Monteverde’s astounding wilderness, as you can cover several miles in a few hours.

Monteverde’s plains have an average temperature of 64°f, is green all year long and offers endless mountain views. The daytime horse trips,take place within an exclusive 139-hectare (343-acre) farm, whose quiet trails and amazing views make for a memorable and pleasant experience. We had the opportunity to spot toucans, bellbirds and parrots, as well as monkeys, sloths and agouti. We passed  mountains and canyons, rode through primary and secondary forest, and spotted the Gulf of Nicoya in the distance.

We went on the 8 A.M tour which only costed us $60 for 4 hours. It literally had the best weather. After that we took a trip to the butterfly garden known locally as Mariposario. It is located between the town of Santa Elena and the Monteverde reserve. The Butterfly Garden is comprised of four climate-controlled butterfly gardens, a medicinal plant garden, a biodiversity center, and a live leafcutter ant colony. Each of the four butterfly gardens represents a different Costa Rican habitat.

The garden was founded in 1989 by biologist Jim Wolfe and his wife Marta with the goal of educating visitors about Costa Rica’s native insect and butterfly populations. They have been hand-raising butterflies and other insects for the past sixteen years, and have a wealth of knowledge about these fragile creatures. Unlike other gardens that buy their chrysalides, all of the butterflies in the garden are bred on the premises. We had an up-close and personal experience with the creatures and learned about their breeding and feeding habits.

We were lucky to we went in the afternoon because they are most active between 10 A.M and 3 P.M.  We stayed at the butterfly garden for awhile and then headed to the frog pond.  Some of the frogs and toads on hand include the colorful poison arrow frog, crowned frog, marine toad, cane toad, leopard frog, hourglass frog, and the famous red-eyed tree frog.The Monteverde Frog Pond is committed to educating its visitors on both the beauty and bounty of frogs, as well as the threats they currently face around the world.Frogs and toads are currently undergoing a massive global decline. Part of the proceeds from the ticket sales goes to conservation and research efforts.  The frog pond was quite enjoyable and we left to the Monteverde Cheese cake factor for a nice dinner.

We walked around after dinner and waited for the perfect time to take one of Monteverdes famous night tours. When we got there they gave of a flashlight, an animal identification-card and led  through the trail.The card explained the various creatures we were likely to see, and  helped us spot and recognize the various animals, insects and amphibians within the reserve. We saw snakes, spiders (most notably, hole-dwelling tarantulas), blue-crowned mot mots, agoutis, porcupines, and tree frogs. The night was wonderful and it was the best way to end our stay at Santa Elena.