Because of its humidity and latitude, the entire city of Monteverde can disappear in a second under a massive cloud cover. Founded by Quakers in 1951, the city boasts the best in Costa Rican creatures. Follow your Tour Director by horseback through the meandering streets (there are only one or two) of the city. Observe a proud display of howler monkeys, revered quetzals and native frogs in the dense cover of the cloud forest.

Soar through the treetops for the unmatched close-up of the New World's best wildlife refuge. Harness yourself to cables that run between platforms high in the trees, then step into thin air and zip from tree to tree. Experience a true bird-eye view from your new aerial perspective.

Join a licensed, professional local guide on a four-hour tour of Costa Rica’s cloud forest. Upon entering the park, look up and say hello to (don’t shake hands with) the raccoon-like creatures that hang out on the visitor center’s roof. Throughout your walk, you are shielded from the sun by web-like moss and thousands of vines hanging down from the branches of tall trees. Hike across the Continental Divide (a 5,000-foot altitude), and learn about the flora and fauna native to this humid and dark forest. Follow your guide on a search for some of the 850 bird species in Costa Rica.

Step back in time as you explore Monteverde on horseback, following time-worn trails through the mountains as you breathe in the mists of the rainforest.

Rrribbit. Venture into the cloud forest at night for an amphibious symphony. Most of Costa Rica’s famous frogs are nocturnal, making this evening walk a great opportunity to both hear and see the colorful creatures. The tiny Tink Frog, often no more than an inch long, is making the metallic clanging noise you hear (hence its name), while the flashes of red you see might be the Red-Eyed Tree Frog hopping from leaf to leaf. Get up close and personal with 25 other species at the frog pond, where crayola-perfect reds, greens, yellows, and blues mark the inhabitants. Just watch which plants you stand under -- mistletoe is also native to Costa Rica, and not every frog will turn into a prince!

Glide along the still waters reflecting the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano and the surrounding rolling hills. Lake Arenal, the country's largest, is also among its most scenic, and the area has become popular area to kayak, windsurf, sail, fish, and hike.

Hike down through the lush rainforest alongside the La Fortuna waterfalls, which cascade down a stunning 240 feet. Finish the day with a swim in the still pool at the bottom of the falls.

In the early 80s, Costa Rica's leatherback sea turtle population started facing serious threats to its survival. Increased development along the coast brought more people in contact with nesting turtles, which can disturb the turtles' breeding cycle, and the lights from nearby cities and towns can confuse hatchlings and make them move away from the water rather than toward it. Human foot traffic can also unwittingly crush eggs or destroy nests. Most dangerously, poachers snatch eggs for the black market. Work with a non-profit conservation group to help decrease poaching, track the turtles, relocate any nests that are in danger from humans or erosion.