Day Hiking Monteverde
We woke up early to meet our guide Olman, and caravanned to the Curi-Cancha Reserve where we met up with some other folks in our day hike party. Pulling up we met them in the parking lot. Charles and Glenna West are from Montana and were enjoying a break from the cold weather. They were very friendly and we enjoyed their company. We paid an access fee and made our way to the entrance. Click here for directions and information about the reserve.
Like the Monteverde night walk, there were a handful of guides all preparing their groups to go in. At the entrance, Olman had us gather around and he gave us some history on the area, and what we could expect to see through our hike. Of course, it is all up to chance whether you see everything you want to see, and he was sure to remind us. It’s like the old saying, ‘buy a kite and the wind doesn’t blow for a month.’
Fortunately for us, we saw everything we wanted to see and more:
Strangler ficus tree. It was so big you could walk inside!
This was the first guy we saw. A group of wild turkeys nesting.
Look at how big this agave was!
Looking West towards the Pacific, you can see the Gulf of Nicoya and the Nicoya Peninsula in the background.
After seeing a few different types of birds and insects, suddenly there was a commotion. Olman had received a message from some of the other guides in the park. They had spotted the holy grail of birds for bird watchers all over the world: the Resplendent Quetzal. We rushed over to the area it was spotted, and found ourselves in a group of people that were more excited than a bingo hall that only needed their ‘Oh’s.’
The guides said there was a female, but she was difficult to see. We got to see the female, but unfortunately due to the wind and leaves, I was not able to get a good shot of her. I was pretty happy with at least having seen one… but wait… what just flew and settled on that nearby branch?
Male Resplendent Quetzal coming to court his sweetie pie.
After some moving around I was finally able to get a somewhat clear shot of the female:
Spotted this Agouti in a clearing.
Can you see us? Who WHO!
The rain forest is very symbiotic. Mini orchids growing on another larger plant.
On the way out, this white nosed coati crossed our path.
The day hike was more enjoyable than the night hike, only because it was easier to navigate and see animals. If you’re going to go, they are both worth the time. I can’t say enough good things about our guide Olman Gonzalez. If you are in Monteverde and are looking for a nature tour guide, he is the person to talk to. For booking information contatct: olman@traveldealscr.com
After we left the reserve, we saw a coffee shop on the way back towards town, and couldn’t resist. It was a good move. Stella’s Coffee Shop is highly recommended–It was one of our favorite stops. There were tropical birds being fed in the back courtyard. I did not want to leave.
The only thing better than the coffee was the view.
After getting a snack at Stella’s, we were deciding whether we should go home and take a nap or try to go on another adventure. On the drive home, we hit a fork in the road:
Monteverde butterfly garden to the left, home to the right.
We chose left!
