Santa Elena
Travel Advice for Seniors: St Elena
The Monteverde area is a good jumping off point for the Arenal volcano area and the St Elena Cloud Forest Reserve…. both “not to be missed” sights in Costa Rica!
Morning started with a peaceful, yet cloudy boat ride around Arenal Lake with a drop off on the opposite side. The surrounding terrain was not as beautiful as it would’ve been had the sun been out, but hey, it didn’t rain! So, we took the win. As you know, when you’re on holiday, you either go on the tour or stay in the hotel, no matter what the weather!
Next stop was a visit to Rancho Heliconia to hear about the fight against deforestation. I admit that the geography lesson and talk was a bit long and dull, but the lunch that was harvested on site was tasty and was followed by a local traditional dancing performance with was very nice. Loved the colorful flying skirts and the rollicking music, and yes, Mom did have a go at it!
Next up was a tour of the ranch’s coffee and chocolate plantations for a lesson in chocolate and coffee production as well as a tasting. The Don Juan coffee tour was nicely done with lots of posters and charts, however, the chocolate part was a bit informal.
A word on chocolate tasting…the cacao cherries take quite awhile to crush doing it by hand and when finally crushed into a paste, the taste is very bitter. It is said that the higher percentage of pure cacao is healthy, but I had a hard time with the bitterness. They said maximum pure chocolate should be about 70% for the best taste. Mom likes dark chocolate, but I found that I am a milk chocolate girl. Also, a note to self: Eat the chocolate when you buy it. We tried to bring some home for friends, but the humidity in Costa Rica made it taste like it had been refrigerated too long…which may have also been the case.
However, the coffee was very good. Costa Rica is well-known for their coffee, and I brought several bags home for my husband, who is a coffee afficionado. A funny story from the guide: The country of Columbia, which is also well-known for their coffee, mounted a campaign featuring Juan Valdez. You may recall this campaign if you are of a certain age. The word was that the folks in Costa Rica made up a bumper sticker that says, “Juan Valdez drinks Costa Rican coffee” (apparently, there are a lot of people named Juan Valdez in CR!). I understand that there was a lawsuit about it between counties…. Columbia was not amused.
Pro tip on buying coffee to take home: Our guide said that the coffee that she buys in the grocery store is a lot less expensive and is just as good as many of the tourist shops selling specialty coffees. That didn’t keep us from picking up a few bags of coffee at the coffee plantation, but word to the frugal.
Well-caffeinated and ready to go, the Reserva Boxque Nuboso Santa Elena, or the Cloud Forest Reserve, was our first stop on the second day. For us, this was a major attraction of this particular tour as we hadn’t been able to walk through a serious cloud forest before and this one is well known as being outstanding.
First was a walk through the Reserve itself, looking at the rainforest trees and plant species and a little birdwatching. There are four trails in the Reserve for you to choose from. We hiked a shorter trail and then we opted for the Sky Walk afterward. The shorter trail was well marked and on solid surface, part of it was uphill, but it was not strenuous. The Sky Walk trail is more aggressive as you must walk steeply uphill to get to the walkways that span over the rainforest. Parts of the shorter trail are accessible as is the café.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is nearby and is more popular, but the St Elena Reserve was not crowded and was a pleasure to go through. It was great to start at ground level and identify the plants and then move up to the spanning walking bridges over the trees and get the view from above. We were treated to a sunny, but cloudy day, so some of the clouds were low and hanging over the tree tops and we passed through some of them!
The Reserve features 30 species of hummingbirds, orchids and more. You must be fast to see hummingbirds, and we didn’t really have the opportunity, though we did see some orchids and other birdlife and of course, plenty of lizards.
The Sky Walk was the best part. It was a series of nine bridges that spanned quite long lengths of the forest underneath. The walking bridges were substantially built, but there was a limit on how many people could be on them at once, based on their length. I kept waiting for someone to get to the middle and start swaying it, but thankfully everyone was respectful of rules. Yes, I thought it was a little scary, but the views were well worth it. I’d do it again. Of course, Mom, the daredevil and avid zipliner loved it!
Our last stop on the way back to San Jose to catch our flight out was at the Natuwa Wildlife Sanctuary. Their specialty is rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife to be returned to the wild. The sanctuary was very well run and there were many different types of parrots, sloths, monkeys, tapirs and even a leopard. These animals had all been either domesticated and could not be returned to the wild so were permanent residents or had been found injured or abandoned.
The animals were in fairly large enclosures, big enough so that I didn’t feel like we were at a “zoo” but were instead in as best a sanctuary as could be mustered. After having gone on so many safaris and seen wild animals in their habitat, we make it a habit not to frequent standard zoos.
We were disappointed that we didn’t see more wildlife in the wild in Costa Rica. As much time as we spent in rainforests, it seems like we should’ve had a better shot at seeing the local wildlife. However, the animal sanctuary somewhat made up for it.
There were A LOT of parrot species in particular and they were absolutely gorgeous. So many bright colors and sizes! The knowledgeable guide walked us through the sanctuary and laid out the history of many of the animals and reminded us of the importance of not standing behind the tapir for instance…or you will get a big surprise!
Interestingly, there were also a great deal of animals who came by to visit the protected animals that were in cages. It was nice to finally see a sloth, and there were several here in the “free” area, but they were still at the top of the trees and appeared as a big brownish lump. Must’ve been nap time (which I gather is most of the time for them!)
The park was accessible and the walkways were pebbled. Reminder to steer clear of the wild howler monkeys, as they like to swipe cell phones and throw not very nice things at you!
All in all, our trip to Costa Rica was outstanding. We loved the nature-oriented attractions, and the hiking was very manageable. Having been to Peru in the Amazon area, I have to say I found the tropical rainforests in Costa Rica much more pristine, though a lot them had been regrown due to hurricanes.
Most of the hotels were fine but note: There is typically no AC or heat, so if you get a cold night (as we did), you find a fuzzy blanket if one is available and run from the bed to the shower! Also, several of the hotels had walkways that were uphill, one steeply. Just be aware and ask in advance to be put in a room as close to level as possible and on the main floor…close to the reception or restaurant is a plus.
Also, if you’re looking for a foodie trip, this is not your trip. The food was organic, but very basic. Not kidding when I say it was predominantly beans and rice or rice and beans. So, bonus, we got a good work out AND ate healthy food! Would I go back to Costa Rica? Hmm…winter in the US and summer in CR?? Absolutely!
Where we stayed: Heliconia. Individual chalets as well as hotel-like rooms. Chalet decoration and charm. No AC or heat, but they did provide fuzzy blankets and we needed them! Pathways at the resort were very steep uphill to the reception/restaurant and were brick and uneven. We got a golf cart ride on the second day. The rooms near the reception area are fully accessible and the reception/restaurant is right there, however, the rest of the rooms and chalets are down a very steep hill.
How we got there: Bus from La Fortuna, about 3-4 hours. The distance is not great, but the terrain is mountainous and roads may be gravel. This was part of a 9-day small group tour through Costa Rica.
General Accessibility Information: Hotels in larger cities can be fully accessible, with others further out partially accessible. Some tourist attractions are accessible, and some are partially accessible. Specialty tour companies include Wheel the World and Il Viaggio Travel. However, outside of a few parks, accessibility is limited due to uneven surfaces and lack of infrastructure. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
