A cloud forest forms where warm tropical air rises and cools into mist along mountain slopes.
This mist condenses on leaves, mosses, and roots, creating constant moisture — a process called horizontal precipitation.
It is this continuous drizzle from the clouds that allows thousands of species to survive in Monteverde.
Global tropical cloud forests represent only about 0.26% of Earth’s surface, yet it holds a disproportionate share of life — a living laboratory of evolution, climate, and adaptation.
Learn about its flora
The Forest That Sustains Life
The Monteverde Cloud Forest is not a myth of mist — it’s a measurable climate system that the world can still protect.
It regulates temperature, captures water, and sustains entire communities across Costa Rica’s Pacific and Caribbean slopes.
Every drop that forms in its mist becomes part of rivers, crops, and cities far beyond the mountains.
Its importance extends globally — as a carbon sink, a climate stabilizer, and a source of scientific knowledge that helps humanity face change.
The Monteverde Cloud Forest acts as a natural engine for life.
Its constant mist nourishes the vegetation, feeds rivers, and sustains ecosystems far beyond the forest itself. By capturing moisture directly from the clouds — a process known as horizontal precipitation — it produces clean water that flows into Guacimal and Peñas Blancas watersheds.
These waters help supply the communities in the Monteverde canton and contribute to renewable energy production through the Peñas Blancas hydroelectric plant.
The forest captures moisture and channels it into clean, reliable water for surrounding regions and three key watersheds.
Home to more than 3,000 plant species, including over 450 orchids, and over 400+ bird species, such as the Resplendent Quetzal and Three-wattled Bellbird.
Through dense vegetation and organic soils, the forest stores carbon and stabilizes local and regional temperatures.
It provides science, education, and inspiration for communities across Costa Rica and the world.
“When you protect a cloud forest, you protect life itself.”
Every drop of mist in Monteverde carries life.
The forest’s constant humidity transforms air into habitat — nurturing thousands of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Orchids, bromeliads, and mosses weave the canopy into a green tapestry, capturing water from the clouds.
Within it, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and countless invertebrates thrive, each part of a delicate balance sustained by the forest’s breath. Together, they form the living heartbeat of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.
Discover how the forest’s plants capture water from the sky and sustain entire ecosystems.
Meet the creatures that give the cloud forest its color, sound, and movement, bringing the landscape to life.
Cloud forests exist within the narrowest of climate windows.
Just a few degrees of warming can lift the cloud base higher, leaving the forest dry and its species vulnerable.
Monteverde remains one of the few places where this balance still holds — a living example of resilience through protection and science.
Rising temperatures alter humidity, rainfall, and the height of the cloud layer. These subtle shifts affect every species that depends on mist for survival.
Non-native plants and animals compete for nutrients and space, displacing endemic species and changing soil and water dynamics.
Growing demand for clean water from nearby communities reduces the flow that sustains downstream ecosystems. The forest’s natural storage system is under increasing pressure.
Even responsible tourism must be carefully managed. Visitor limits, established through scientific studies, help ensure that nature comes first.
Protecting Monteverde means protecting one of the last functioning cloud forests on Earth.
Your visit, your donation, or your shared story can support climate research, ranger patrols, and education programs that safeguard the forest for generations to come.
