Five kilometres north of Santa Elena town, this 310-hectare reserve sits higher than Monteverde itself — around 1,700 metres — and the forest is correspondingly mistier and damper. It is run by the Santa Elena High School as a community project, and the entrance fees fund local education.
The trails are well-built and noticeably less crowded than Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, which is the main reason to come. On a clear day the upper loop, called Caño Negro, has a viewpoint that looks across to the Arenal volcano. Wildlife is similar — quetzals, hummingbirds, toucans, monkeys — although you will not see quite as many other people, which is half the point.