Curi-Cancha Reserve
The Curi-Cancha Reserve is located in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Created in 1997 from a plot of private land, this reserve extends across 237 acres (96 ha) and helps protect both primary and secondary forests. It’s also one of the area’s best birding sites.
At lower elevations, the Curi-Cancha Reserve covers lowland wet montane forest, while at higher reaches you’ll find premontane cloud forests. The reserve protects a number of impressive bird species, including the resplendent quetzal, orange-bellied trogon, keel-billed toucan, blue-crowned motmot, and blue-throated goldentail. Aside from birds, you may be able to spot armadillos, anteaters, three-toed sloths, coatis, white-faced capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, and tarantulas.
Five trails wind through the reserve. The trails range in length from 1 to 2.2 kilometers and come in close contact with the various plants that inhabit the reserve. Although the trails are well maintained, they can be muddy and slippery after rain, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes if visiting this reserve. There are several excellent viewpoints along the trails.
Some trails pass open, grassy areas that are excellent places to spot animals. Birds often come to the forest’s edge or rest in individual trees that stand rooted in open ground.
This reserve sees far fewer visitors than the Monteverde and Santa Elena reserves. This makes it a pleasant, low-key place to visit.
Curi-Cancha Reserve itineraries from local insiders
Explore hand-picked Curi-Cancha Reserve itineraries designed by local insiders who know every hidden corner. Each trip is completely flexible, customized to your pace, travel style, and budget.
60th birthday jungle adventure
If you like the outside at all, Costa Rica is for you! It truly is a rich coast. The diversity of wildlife is mind blowing. It is spectacular.
Family Time in Costa Rica
Michelle and her family embarked on a multi‑generational adventure in Costa Rica, where mist‑cloaked cloud forests meet surf‑kissed Pacific beaches, offering a vibrant contrast of cool heights and warm tides. Your journey weaves through Monteverde’s canopy zip lines and canyoning thrills, the turquoise Tenorio River’s Class III/IV rapids, and La Leona waterfall’s lush river tubing. Guided by local experts and supported by a comfortable van, your family will soak up Pura Vida hospitality, returning home with shared stories of soaring forests and surf‑side sunsets.
Family Annual Adventure
It's a beautiful country and the rainforest, Arenal volcano, rafting safari and catamaran sail were all wonderful. We learned a lot,laughed a lot, and would go back.
Friends Self Driving Adventure
We really love Costa Rica and will be back. There is something for everyone really.
Honeymoon Through Costa Rica’s Wild Heart
Julie and her partner celebrated their honeymoon exploring Costa Rica’s vibrant ecosystems. From Monteverde’s cloud forest to Arenal’s volcano, they trekked trails, enjoyed a chocolate‑cocoa tour, then relaxed on Manuel Antonio’s beaches before paddling at Damas Estuary. Guides shared local stories and sustainable practices, letting them feel Costa Rica’s warm hospitality and leaving a lasting appreciation for its diverse wildlife and conservation.
Explore Costa Rica Relocation
Pura Vida!!! The people are very friendly the food is amazing the landscape is breathtaking.
When You Explore Together
Don’t miss out on the night tours, as they were a fantastic way to see a lot of wildlife you never see during the day, including many species of frogs, snakes, and birds.
The Most Beautiful Sunsets
We were so impressed with Costa Rica! It is wonderful how much the locals care for the earth!! Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming!! We tell ANYONE who will listen that Costa Rica is the best vacation that we have EVER had.... I (Angela) honestly didn't want to come home... I told my husband that I could live here forever!!!
Experiences in Curi-Cancha Reserve
Explore hand-picked Curi-Cancha Reserve tours and experiences led by local insiders, from wildlife encounters to cultural deep-dives.
Guided Tour Curi-Cancha Reserve
Curi Cancha Reserve Night Walk
Where to stay in Curi-Cancha Reserve
From boutique lodges to luxury resorts, every Curi-Cancha Reserve accommodation is hand-picked by our local insiders for location, comfort, and character.
Hotel Fonda Vela
Hotel Fonda Vela is situated in the gorgeous Tilarán Mountains Range, in the community of Monteverde. Monteverde is renowned for its stunning cloud forests and extreme bio-diversity. Scientists, bird watchers and nature lovers from around the world flock to this enchanted oasis to observe the splendid wildlife and primary cloud forests found amongst the areas exuberant natural beauty.
Belmar Hotel
Hotel Belmar is located in the luscious green mountains of Monteverde. Find yourself surrounded by the beauty of the cloud forest and its variety of wildlife and dense vegetation famous to this area. It is a place unlike no other, attracting eco-travelers and birders from around the world. Monteverde is a multicultural community with a mixture of Ticos, Quakers and foreigners, all contributing to this rich and cultural place.
Cabañas y Jardines Los Pinos
Hotel Cabanas Los Pinos is situated just down the road from the world renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Monteverde is home to hundreds of plants, mammals, insects and birds such as the Resplendent Quetzal and the Emerald Toucanet. This is an amazing eco-tourism destination for those seeking solitude in the beauty of nature. Though tucked away in the mountains, visitors can find all the modern conveniences in Santa Elena such as restaurants, cafes, shops, a supermarket and bank.
Hotel Montana Monteverde
Hotel Montana Monteverde is found in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica amidst the mountain community of Monteverde. Monteverde is a biological masterpiece, home to an incredible primary cloud forest, a rich and diverse plant system as well as an abundance of bird and animal species. This is certainly an ideal destination for nature lovers, biologists and bird watchers longing to be surrounded by pristine beauty and serenity.
Hotel El Establo
Hotel El Establo is a small boutique property set on a quiet hilltop just outside the village of Santa Elena, the gateway to Monteverde’s cloud‑forest reserves in Costa Rica. The hotel occupies a former coffee plantation, and its location offers unobstructed views of the mist‑shrouded mountains that define the region. From the moment guests arrive, the setting conveys a sense of retreat without being isolated; the main road to Monteverde is only a short walk away, and the town’s shops and restaurants are within easy reach.
Trapp Family Lodge
Trapp Family Lodge sits amid the mist‑shrouded cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, just a short drive from the town’s main thoroughfare and the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The property occupies a former dairy farm that once belonged to the von Trapp family, and the historic barns and wooden structures have been adapted to create a modest, family‑run resort that blends rustic charm with modern conveniences.
Hotel Heliconia
Located conveniently in Costa Rica's eco-tourism hub, Hotel Heliconia is a home away from home. The Monteverde area has several charming communities spread out along a rugged dirt road that features endless breathtaking views. Visitors will find a unique mixture of Ticos, Quakers, and foreigners living side by side. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has earned its fame as one of the most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries in the New World tropics and is a must see.
Hotel Cala Lodge Monteverde
The Cala Lodge is located in Monteverde. Set within Costa Rica’s rich central highlands, this area is replete with bountiful rainforests, rolling hills, and a spectacular amount of biodiversity.
Monteverde Country Lodge
Monteverde Country Lodge is situated on the outskirts of the town of Santa Elena, the central hub of the Monteverde region in Costa Rica. The property lies on a gently sloping hill that borders the well‑known Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, placing it within easy reach of the area’s most frequented nature trails and wildlife‑watching sites. The lodge’s address is easily found on local maps, and the main road that leads into town passes directly by the entrance, making arrival straightforward for guests traveling by car or shuttle.
Hotel Los Jardines
Hotel Los Jardines is situated in the mountain town of Monteverde, a charming community connected by a series of dirt roads that contribute to its rustic charm. Monteverde, meaning "Green Mountain', will draw you in with its lush rainforest, rolling green pastures and rich flora and fauna.
Mountain Faro Hotel
This family-run hotel is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood that is a 10-minute walk from the town of Santa Elena. You can quickly get to the cloud forest reserves in the area, where you can see of the most rare birds in the world.
Ficus Sunset Suite
Constructed with rustic style indigenous wood and immersed in tall rainforest trees, the Ficus Sunset Suites is located in the heart of Monteverde. Known for its tropical cloud forest reserves and the Resplendent Quetzal, Monteverde boasts a wealth of ecotourism activities for naturalists and nature lovers looking to experience the local biodiversity.
Flora & fauna in Curi-Cancha Reserve
The wildlife and plant life you might encounter in Curi-Cancha Reserve, from iconic species to the rare finds our local insiders know where to look for.
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Your insider team designs the trip around what you care about, then supports you in-country with private logistics, vetted partners, and concierge help when plans change.
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Insider-led Costa Rica Design & Concierge
Your insider team designs the trip around what you care about, then supports you in-country with private logistics, vetted partners, and concierge help when plans change.
