We left La Fortuna early and set out for our next destination – Monteverde. On the way, we stopped at the Rio Celeste reserve, where two rivers meet and create an interesting hydrological phenomenon. At the rivers’ confluence, the water’s pH changes, causing crystalline mineral particles carried by one of the rivers to grow very large and reflect light in a way that gives the water a unique turquoise hue. It was very beautiful! The forest that the river flows through is also stunning, and here too, we were lucky enough to see a cute eyelash viper.
The river confluence
An underwater spring welling up
We had lunch at a nearby restaurant, distracted by the birds who came to feed in the bird feeding station right outside our window…
In the afternoon, we arrived in Monteverde – a town founded by American pacifist Quakers. After some community members refused to enlist during WWII and were imprisoned, the community decided to move to a place without an army, and they found this mountain in Costa Rica. They were pleased that reserves would be established above their settlement to ensure a clean water supply for themselves and their cattle, which provided their livelihood. In recent years, ecotourism has replaced dairy farming as the main source of income in the area.
We reserved a cabin at an ecological farm close to the Monteverde reserve, a little outside the town. Just as soon as we parked in the farm, the rain clouds were setting in on the valley, as befitting the cloud-forest reputation, and it started raining lightly. The nice guy who came to meet us said it was the first rain in two days… He showed us into a spacious cabin with huge windows looking out at the forest. In the fridge, many fresh eggs, excellent milk from the farm, and fine fruit juice were waiting for us. We immediately like the place!
Family Trips 