Eco-travel in Costa Rica: Costa Rica is the ideal spot for a genuinely eco-travel experience. The country is filled with beautiful nature parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and trails. Embark on a genuine slice of eco-paradise by staying at one of the best eco hotels Costa Rica has to offer. They don’t just protect the environment; they also support nearby communities.
1. Finca Rosa Blanca
The groundbreaking Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation. is the creation of a family whose roots run deep in Costa Rica. Sylvia and Glenn Jampol bought the property back in the 1980s intending to create a special place where they could raise their children. The result is a symphony of nature with an eco-chic feel to every part of this hotel, which was once the highest-ranking member of Costa Rica’s Sustainable Tourism Certification Program.
The property has evolved into a luxurious boutique inn with two villas and 13 rooms, all of which feature kitchenettes. Each room is unique, decorated with pieces of art from the owner’s private collection. Each has a sizable bathroom with a bathtub pool that receives natural spring water. The most amazing part of the room, though, is that everyone has a breathtaking view over the pristine Costa Rican jungle.
2. A Luxurious Eco-Retreat in Costa Rica
When it comes to reducing their carbon footprint, Finca Rosa Blanca has few equals. The property is solar-powered, all waste products are composted and the organic coffee is grown without chemicals. It also has a strict no-plastics policy and recycles as much as possible. In addition, the resort is working hard to promote diversity among the staff.
The hotel is surrounded by four volcanoes, national parks, cascading waterfalls, and rushing rivers. There is something to do for everyone here, from the onsite coffee tours where guests can learn how to discern the different roasts during a post-tour cupping. The more adventurous can enjoy whitewater rafting, canopy tours, and excursions up some of the active volcanoes.
The hotel offers many onsite activities. It is best known for its incredible day trips that allow visitors to explore the surrounding natural beauty and culture of Costa Rica. Some of the most popular include horseback riding through the valleys, walking up to the top of the iconic Poas Volcano and exploring the cloud forests and biological rainforest reserves. The hotel is also the perfect base for trips to nearby cities and towns for shopping, eating, and taking in the sights.
3. Rio Perdido
Rio Perdido (“Lost River”) is a one-of-a-kind hotel that blends wellness and adventure in a unique setting. This off-the-beaten-path eco-lodge is set in a remote area of northern Costa Rica on a 600-acre private nature reserve. This intimate eco-lodge is reached by a dramatic footbridge and features three thermal mineral swimming pools. The restaurant is committed to sourcing local ingredients and the rooms are free-standing bungalows nestled in trees with views of the tropical dry forest.
Guests can swim in the natural hot springs and a mile-long thermal gorge that cuts through this stunning reserve. The hotel also has miles of hiking trails and mountain biking, along with a spa focusing on yoga and volcanic mud treatments. The property is a great place for families, couples, and solo travellers who want to relax and explore.
This eco-friendly hotel is a model for sustainable tourism, with an on-site greenhouse and reforestation efforts. Its solar panels provide a large portion of the hotel’s energy and water is supplied by rainwater, which is collected in cisterns for reuse. Additionally, the resort focuses on minimizing waste and recycling through education programs and staff training.
4. A Thrilling Adventure Destination in Costa Rica
The resort is home to an abundance of wildlife, including white-faced capuchin monkeys and scarlet macaws. It also has a butterfly garden and several hiking and nature trails. Guests can also learn about the country’s rich culture through cooking classes and guided tours.
A family-owned and operated resort. This sustainable hotel is dedicated to protecting its ecosystem while offering a relaxing and comfortable vacation for guests. It uses biodegradable and organic products, has a strict water conservation policy, and encourages guests to help with conservation efforts by participating in tree-planting activities. The hotel also uses a green roof system that helps reduce its environmental footprint.
This Costa Rican hotel and nature preserve is a model for sustainable travel and biodiversity conservation. The property is home to a wide range of species, including howlers and monkeys, iguanas, hummingbirds, and birds of prey. Guests can hike the property’s trails, and relax on the beach or by the pool. Enjoy an authentic meal at the resort’s restaurant.
5. Rancho Margot
Located near Arenal Volcano and Monteverde National Park, this holistic sanctuary offers peace, tranquility, and learning for mindful travellers. While this hotel isn’t the best Costa Rica eco-travel destination for nature lovers looking for a lot of outdoor activities. It has an amazing array of other offerings and is a true model of a sustainable and self-sufficient resort.
It was the first carbon-negative company in the country in 2012. All energy for the property is generated on-site through hydroelectricity and solar panels. They have an impressive recycling program that transforms waste into furniture, soaps, electricity, and compost. And they have a full-scale permaculture farm that produces food, flowers, medicinal plants, and more. All of this, along with a staff of 50 locals, helps to make Rancho Margot a truly sustainable and regenerative eco-lodge.
A former Burger King executive, Juan Sostheim, founded this retreat to demonstrate. Living off the grid is not only possible but also practical for large-scale communities. And he has succeeded in a big way. In addition to its deluxe bungalows and organic gardens. The property boasts two natural rock pools that flow with pure spring water. An outdoor playground for kids is equipped with swings, slides, and a teeter-totter.
6. A Sustainable Eco-Lodge in Costa Rica
The resort also has an on-site animal rescue and reintegration centre. They take in injured and rescued wildlife that would otherwise die in captivity. Then they work to get them healthy enough to be released back into the wild.
Sostheim and his family have worked tirelessly to make this an eco-friendly place where they can share the beauty of the natural surroundings with others. They are committed to preserving and protecting the environment. Culture and communities they offer to visitors and they believe that the best way to do so is by working with locals.
Guests at Rancho Margot can explore the rainforest on one of the many trails that run through the property. Or they can go high up in the canopy on a zip-line or skywalk and enjoy the spectacular views. The hotel also supports the local economy through its tour and activity programs that allow travellers to learn about the sustainable and regenerative work being done at the Rancho.
7. La Rosa Blanca
The hotel is situated above the central valley of Costa Rica in Santa Barbara de Heredia and offers an elegant. Quietly retreat away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s exclusive and in-depth coffee tour of their organic sustainable farm, as well as the free sustainability tour of the hotel and the coffee farm, where they will learn all about the many aspects of the Costa Rican Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST).
The rooms at Finca Rosa Blanca are quirky, fun, and comfortable, with one of the master suites being set into a tower overlooking the volcanoes above and the coffee plantations below. The décor is somewhat Gaudi-esque, with white stucco arches and colourful murals. But it is very tasty, and the staff is delightfully attentive.
8. Eco Travel Costa Rica Features:
In addition to the CST, the property has won numerous other environmentally friendly awards. Accolades include the Blue Ecological Flags awarded by the government, which include carbon mitigation. Water use reduction and community water use training. All the water throughout the resort is heated using super-efficient solar thermal panels so fuel consumption for heating the water on cloudy days and nights is virtually nil.
There is also an emphasis on reducing waste in the restaurant. Instead of plastic straws, they serve drinks with small-diameter bamboo shoots, which are reusable and very sustainable. The hotel is very proud of its onsite organic garden, which provides all the ingredients for the restaurants.
The hotel offers an extensive range of activities, including hiking tours into the Braulio Carillo National Park Cloud Forest. Visiting the nearby coffee museum and experiencing local country life by horseback touring to the base of Barva Volcano. The hotel is also known for its certified naturalist guide who can take guests on bird-watching walks around the hotel grounds as well as out into the surrounding area to experience the wildlife and nature of this beautiful region.
Other than the hotel’s tour offerings, they can also arrange personalised guided tours to other local attractions, which include the colonial town of Barba and the pristine waterfall gardens of La Paz.
