Conditions worsen at Santa Elena Reserve
The day before I hiked Monteverde on a misty gray day, but conditions deteriorated when hiking Santa Elena Reserve. In the small town of Santa Elena the temperature was moderate and the sun even came out from time to time. This changed as we drove uphill to reach the cloud forest reserve.
Check out: Monteverde Rainforest photo essay
We stayed at La Colina Lodge, which is only 1 kilometer away from the Monteverde Cloud Forest. I reached this by foot in a matter of minutes. Santa Elena was at the other end the small community. We walked the 3 or 4 kilometers into town and grabbed a cab from the bus station. It is about 7 kilometers to the gate from town. We decided to cab it there and then walk back. The cab cost $6.00.
As we drove towards the park, we picked up elevation and the partly cloudy day turned into a misty rain. The wind had been blowing ever since we arrived, which is common in the area in December. The rain came down almost horizontally as it was carried down to earth by the strong gales. Fortunately, the wind would not be a big factor when we were hiking Santa Elena.
Santa Elena arrival
We got to the gate, and my friend Paul and I each paid $14.00 for the entrance fee. We got a map and asked the gate keeper for any tips on cool places. He pointed to one place that he said had a good lookout where you could see the Arenal Volcano, and then he added we would not be seeing it today. There was also a small waterfall. Other than that, it is all trees and plants.
