Mountains Create Diverse Habitats
l Caribbean Lowlands lMountains l Southwest Pacific l NW Pacific l Central Pacific l Central Valley - San Jose l
The Mountains are the main geographical features responsible for the diversity of climates and regions you may experience during your Costa Rica tour..
The mountains act as barriers to winds carrying moisture from the Caribbean. The lower eastern slopes are wettest, and the northwestern slopes driest. The cooler mountain ecosystems contain a variety of plants and animals not found at lower elevations, and are fascinating environments in themselves. This diversity is the reason ecotourism in Costa Rica is so rewarding.
The mountain ecosystems can be divided into three zones based on elevation. Low or Middle Mountains from 2200 to 6000 feet, High Elevation Mountains from 6000 to around 10,500 feet, and High Mountain Tops from about 10,500 feet to the tallest mountain, Chirripó Grande, at 12,530 feet above sea level.
Middle Mountains and the Cloud Forests
Cloud forests occur in the middle mountains. The forests are so named because much of their moisture comes directly from fog due to frequent cloud cover. Included in any Costa Rica cloudforest tour, these areas are a delight to hike with comfortably cool temperatures mostly in the 60's °F.
Cloud forests are a rare type of rainforest: less than 3% of all rainforests are categorized as cloud forests. Bathed in frequent mists that moisten and fertilize the foliage, these forests develop dense mats of small plants that cover the tree trunks and branches of most large trees. These small plants include orchids, bromeliads, ferns and mosses. Perhaps the most beautiful cloud forest in the world can be found in the mountains of Costa Rica at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. These forests are the permanent or seasonal home to a variety of fascinating wildlife, including olingos, three wattled bellbirds, resplendent quetzals, chlorophonias, and emerald toucanets. High Elevation Mountains
The high elevation mountains are colder and contain much flora and fauna closely related to species of northern areas. In these forests are found members of the blueberry family, oak trees, and acorn woodpeckers, as well as a variety of plants and colorful birds of tropical origin such as the flame-colored tanager and sulfur-winged parakeet. Temperatures are mostly in the upper 50's and 60's °F during the day and down to the 40's at night. Small farms in the area include dairying, production of apples and black berries, and cold ponds are often stocked with rainbow trout to sell to local restaurants and supermarkets. High Mountain Tops The High Mountain Tops offer brilliant morning sunshine in the crisp thin air, and stunning vistas. While sunny mornings may be comfortably warm in the 70's, clouds and rain can move in quickly with strong winds by mid-day and temperatures may plummet 20 degrees or more, with freezing temperatures at night in December and January. Near the peaks the landscape is dominated by dwarf plants and rugged rocky outcrops. No monkeys will be found here, but an interesting high mountain fauna including green spiny lizards, sooty robins, volcano juncos and tiny volcano hummingbirds thrive under these challenging conditions. Excellent examples of these habitats can be easily driven to at Irazú Volcano National Park and along the Pan American highway south from the capital of San José in the Cerro de la Muerte mountain range, or by taking a challenging but rewarding hike in the mountains of Chirripó National Park.
l Caribbean Lowlands lMountains l Southwest Pacific l NW Pacific l Central Pacific l Central Valley - San Jose l
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