Cloudbridge Nature Reserve

Cloudbridge Nature Reserve is a private cloudforest reserve adjoining Chirripó National Park, about a kilometre's walk from the main village. It requires no advance permits and charges only a suggested donation, making it the most accessible introduction to the cloud forest ecosystem around San Gerardo.

The trail system covers several kilometres through recovering cloudforest, past waterfalls and stream crossings. The vegetation is dense and dripping; howler monkeys, resplendent quetzals, and many species of hummingbirds have been recorded here. Quetzal sightings are more likely in the avocado-fruiting season (March to June) than at other times of year.

Even for those who are not climbing Chirripó, Cloudbridge alone makes a visit to San Gerardo worthwhile. Plan two to three hours for a thorough walk of the main trails. Rubber boots can be rented in the village if you did not bring waterproof footwear.

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A story
Cloudbridge was purchased by a Canadian couple in 2000 who wanted to protect a degraded stretch of cloudforest on the edge of Chirripó National Park. They have since replanted tens of thousands of native trees and created a trail system that is open to the public on a donation basis. It remains entirely private and non-governmental — an unusual model for conservation that has restored something genuinely wild.

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