This ecotourism jewel in the crown of Costa Rica’s ecotourism portfolio came about due to an interesting convergence of events. A group of Quakers and pacifists from Alabama who objected to the US’s war efforts came to Costa Rica in the 1940’s mainly inspired by the country’s recent abolition of the army.
They searched for an ideal location for their community and found 3,500 acres of fertile land in a cool climate ideal for agriculture and dairy farming. After dividing up the land between families, they placed about a third of it in a reserve , which they named The Watershed Property, conservation visionaries from the beginning of their adventure.
On May 16th, 1951, the group decided to name their new community “Monteverde”, the green mountain, inspired by the lush vegetation of the area, and the rest of the immigrants started arriving by land, sea and air.
Monteverde is an extremely important representative of biodiversity. The reserve boasts cloud forests where varied wildlife and fauna coexist. This includes 100 mammal species ranging from sloths to jaguars, 400 bird species including the endangered Quetzal and over 2,500 plant species.
During your stay at El Establo Mountain Hotel, make sure you make a stop at the Historica Monteverde history museum which opened its doors in June 2015 and displays photos and artefacts of the settlers of the area who helped built it into what it is today.
Article by Katie Widdowson
