Top 5 things to do with the family in Monteverde

Summer vacations are nearly upon us, and it's time to set the dates for the family getaway. With so many possibilities around the world to take the family, why not choose a small country that is easy to get around; a little corner of the world full of beaches, volcanoes, rainforests, and mountain top retreats like Monteverde and its mystical cloud forest. What are the 5 things to do with your family in Monteverde? Let's start our tropical journey to the mountains!

Costa Rica is all of the above and lots more! Did you know that it is the second happiest country in the Americas, after Canada according to the latest World Happiness Index 2022?  Vacations should be about creating happy memories, so where better than a happy country like Costa Rica? Oh, and yes, it is close by with lots of direct flights from all the major USA and European hubs which is a priority, when traveling with young and young at heart. Fly into the Juan Santamaria International Airport or the Guanacaste International Airport as Monteverde is just about in the middle between both.

Monteverde is a wonderful destination for families and people of all ages as the range of activities in nature is as diverse as the wildlife that inhabits the dense clouds, rainforests, and open skies. Add some great hotels, including the Ficus Sunset Suites, with its spacious, air-filled rooms, excellent location in the heart of Monteverde, and closeness to the best adventures on the mountain top; it is a great hotel for families.

While Monteverde is famous for the extreme adventure possibilities including bungee jumping, there are also fantastic opportunities to enjoy the cloud forest that mixes some adrenaline but lots of fun, like zip-lining, hiking, and walking through the clouds on hanging bridges. It is also a great place to look for and observe the diversity of wildlife that inhabit the Costa Rican forests. Let's check out the 5 best things to do in Monteverde as a family!

1. Zip-lining
   
   Zip-lining is nearly a synonym of Costa Rica, as there are lots of places to fly through the forest canopy and enjoy nature in a whole new way. Monteverde has some great ziplining courses, but the Ficus Sunset Suites’ favorite is Selvatura Adventure Park. This ziplining tour is the only one on the mountain top that is wholly within the cloud forest.
   
   With safety as the number one priority, let the expert guides harness you up and then let yourself go. You will fly to the end of the line with the adrenaline rush included before starting the next one and new excitement. Your ride is through the treetops, so enjoy the views of the forest below and the skies beyond, while experiencing one of the most exciting adventures of your family vacation in Monteverde.
   
   For the lower-level thrill-seekers, safety-focused adventurers, and smaller children, ziplining remains a definite on your “must-do” list. You can fly down the zipline in the company of an expert guide “tandem-style”, so you enjoy the ride while they take care of the rest.

    

2. Hanging Bridges
   
   Another way to truly enjoy the cloud forest canopy treetops is walking through the clouds rather than flying through them. Selvatura Adventure Park has a series of hanging bridges as part of its nature trail that you can leisurely walk along at your own pace.
   
   These state-of-the-art suspension bridges range from 170ft to an incredible 560ft in length and span the open sky with views of the cloud forest below and beyond. An activity for all ages and thoroughly enjoyable for all.
   
   As you cross the eight hanging bridges, take your time to observe birds flying between the trees and feel like you are walking on air through the clouds. This is a memorable time for all the family and offers some fantastic photo opportunities!
    

3. Cloud Forest Walk
   
   After experiencing the cloud forest up in the sky, explore its floor and look up and through the dense vegetation, as the clouds dance between the trees. This is a magical experience and invites you to use your imagination of the underworld of this enchanted forest.
   
   Monteverde has a number of cloud forest walk possibilities including the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest, Curi Cancha Reserve, and the country's largest private reserve, the Children's Eternal Rainforest. Each one has a series of trails that will immerse you in the forest and with lots of wildlife and bird watching included.
   
   Monteverde's Cloud Forest is worth experiencing in many ways. Each one will be unique too, meaning that there is a reserve and a trail for all the family. Ficus Sunset Suites recommends, during your time in Monteverde, to try and visit at least a couple of the reserves. Let the tour desk help you with your decision.
    

4. After-Dark Tour through the cloud forest
   
   If the cloud forest wasn’t magical and mystical enough, why not go and visit it after dark!? Most of the mountain-top animals of Monteverde are nocturnal so if you weren't able to see all your favorite critters during the day, the night tour of the cloud or rainforest is the perfect opportunity for wildlife spotting.
   
   This exciting experience will give you yet another perspective of the forest where your senses are heightened, and animal spotting is the name of the game. Colorful frogs, sleeping bird-balls, statue-like reptiles and hungry mammals searching for dinner are just some of the after-dark stars of the forest that you will come across.
   
   The night tour is a definite favorite for all the family and is well worth taking an afternoon off in preparation for the excitement of the tour. Rest in your spacious room at Ficus Sunset Suites or take a leisurely walk around town so that you are ready and alert for the night tour.
    

5. Wildlife Up Close
   
   Seeing wild animals is always exciting but they don't always appear when we want them too. This is when an animal exhibition comes to the rescue of the animal many times and for the animal-lovers. This is where Selvatura Adventure Park is the place to visit to see those animals you weren't able to spot in the cloud forest while ziplining, walking across the suspension bridges or along the forest trails.
   
   How does a reptile and amphibian exhibition, butterfly garden and a sloth sanctuary sound for some genuine wildlife up close adventures? After a stroll through the beautiful butterfly garden, take a guided tour of the Reptile and Amphibian Exhibition that is made up of a series of terrariums with 360° views so that you can see how each one lives as they would in their natural environment.  Frogs, snakes, and lizards in all shapes, colors and sizes are on view for your observation and joy.
   
   The Sloth Sanctuary is distinctly special, as Selvatura Adventure Park collaborates with the Caribbean Sloth Sanctuary, offering shelter for sloths that are unable to return to their natural habitat. See how these slow-moving, furry tree-dwellers live, eat, care for their young and of course, sleep.
   
   Ficus Sunset Suites is the perfect resting spot during yo ur journey through Monteverde with the family. Monteverde is a perfect family destination for the young and the less-young, for the family thrill-seekers and the go-slow members too. Full of close-to-nature opportunities, sunsets and great food, Monteverde awaits your family visit!