Monteverde

Monteverde needs 2 days: crossing the hanging bridges of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, home to the resplendent quetzal, on one, and a zipline circuit over the forest canopy on the other. December-April is best, with less mist. It's mid-to-high priced, geared toward scientific ecotourism. Its reserve, protected since 1972 on the initiative of American Quakers settled in the area, is home to over 2,500 plant species and 400 bird species in a cloud forest ecosystem that exists on only 1% of the planet's land surface.