Monteverde, a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, lays claim to some of the best kept cloud forest in the entire country and is a paradise for bird watchers. Several nature preserves have sprung up to make sure this stays the case.

Because of the beauty of the area, it is only natural that Monteverde (Spanish for 'green mountain') has become a major part of the Costa Rican tourist trail - despite the notoriously bad roads leading up to and through it.

Founded by Quakers evading the draft for the Korean War in 1949-50, it still retains a North American feel yet is less of a town than a spread of dwellings couched off the main through-road. It was chosen by its founding fathers for its cool climate in aid of dairy farming. The town is now moving towards eco-tourism as a more sustainable income source.

There are many types of animals including howler and white faced monkeys, non-venomous and venomous snakes, frogs and toads, and thousands of beautiful birds.

A thriving tourism industry has grown amidst this all to accommodate nature-lovers of all ages and stages. Activities include Sky Trek, horse riding and mountain biking and there is ample accommodation for visiting tourists.

Quakers still form a considerable population alongside the native 'Ticos' - in fact, they run a medium-sized bilingual school. There are two currently two main Quaker families - the Guindons and the Rockwells.