Monteverde rainforest located in the province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica is a major tourist hotspot in the country and one that is visited mainly by ecotourists. The majority of the visitors to this Costa Rican rainforest are attracted to the area by the biodiversity of the various regions of the park.
Many indigenous artifacts have been discovered in the area, which suggests the forest was once inhabited by the Clovis Indians. During the first 20 or 30 years of the 1900's the rainforest was inhabited mostly by Creoles. These Creoles were living in the area and working in the nearby gold mines.
Monteverde was founded by a group of Quakers from the United States in the 1950's. These Quakers immigrated to Costa Rica due to the Korean War and the desire to live in a peaceful quiet area, where they could live off the land. Ever since this time, a national reserve was established there and has become a necessary tourist visit for foreigners and locals alike.
In the last few years, improvements in roads and infrastructure have made Monteverde rainforest one of the most visited tourist destinations in Costa Rica. Estimates say that over 250,000 tourists visit the park each year. Recently Costa Rica nominated Monteverde as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. There are many hotels in the nearby towns and camping is also available with reservations.
