Monteverde means ‘Green Mountain’ in English, and truly does live up to its name. Mist-clad and cloud-peppered, this vast area of evergreen ticks over to a cacophonous medley of snorting ground hogs, the croak of golden toads, plumed quetzals, the creak of suspended rope bridges that disappear into the endless fog of canopies, swinging monkeys and curious tapirs. Not for nothing has it risen to become arguably the number one ecotourism destination in Costa Rica! Monteverde tour guides today lead more than 70,000 people a year to the wild and untouched altitudes of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, with its displays of blooming orchids, otherworldly animal life and vine-clad virgin forest beset by the damp air that forever rises from the coast. Nearby, the quaint and charming village of Santa Elena offers the perfect base, with collections of backpacker hostels and newer hotels, while organic homestays and farm-to-table restaurants belie the earthy and environmentally aware character of the locals and their lifestyle.