“Eco-tourism” is a buzz word for places where the natural environment is a major attraction for tourists. Costa Rica was very early into the eco-tourism game recognizing that their natural resources could be translated into tourist dollars. Over 27% of Costa Rica is designated as national park, biological reserve, wildlife refuge or other category of protected areas. No other country in the world even comes close to this. This small Central American country offers up somewhere between 500,000 and a million species of plants and animals. Among them there are about 2,000 species of orchids, over 200 species of mammals, about 850 species of birds, hundreds of thousands of species of insects and thousands of species of moths and butterflies. Add in a lot of virgin rainforest, pristine beaches and some mountains and you have a recipe for paradise.
There are those in Costa Rica who have taken eco-tourism and added “sustainability” into the mix. Sustainability is the practice of protecting and making an effort to regenerate the natural environment by using business practices that are mindful and respectful of local communities. Buzzwords fly around freely in the tourism business, and I wasn’t all that sure just what sustainability really meant. On a recent trip to Costa Rica my eyes were opened wide…and I was amazed at what is possible. I found out that Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, an organization based in San Jose, Costa Rica truly embraces sustainability as a core concept in their operations. They currently manage several resorts in different regions of Costa Rica. I had the pleasure of staying at three of them.
Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn
After a direct 5 ½ hour Air Canada flight from Toronto to San Jose Finca Rosa Blanca (www.fincarosablanca.com) was the closest and our first destination. After a twenty minute drive through a fairly busy and populated area we arrived at a sublime, tranquil place that seemed worlds away from the bustle of Costa Rica’s capital city. The goal here is to exist in harmony with nature …to use and reuse where possible, to conserve and to save, to waste nothing. It sounds frugal doesn’t it? But nothing seems frugal at Finca Rosa Blanca.
Eleven rooms are located in the main house whose feature is a unique central fireplace painted by a local artist. The rooms, all different, are luxurious and full of whimsy. My room (La Vaille) was breathtaking…fresh flowers, lots of wood, tiles, field stone flooring, and featured a colourful mural that washed across the entire wall depicting the flora and fauna of the Central Valley. It was a local artist’s handiwork. The view from my balcony was of wisps of white as cotton-balls clouds, powder blue skies and the jewel tone colours of the rainforest. This picture was created by the most skilled artist of all… Mother Nature. Everything else pales in comparison.
Sustainability is what Rosa Blanca is all about. Every decision made hinges on the impact to the environment. Rosa Blanca’s green practices ensure that nothing goes to waste. Methods go from the not surprising practice of composting all vegetable and fruit scraps from the restaurant to more innovative ways such as using worn out sheets and towels as cleaning rags. The sheets are cotton. The towels are made from bamboo fibres. Low-flow toilets and solar-powered faucets are found in all guest rooms. Spa products are 100% organic and locally produced. Even the mattresses are made from recycled and organic materials. Even the furniture uses recycled material. For example, in the bar features a unique glass-topped coffee table with a base made from the branches of a coffee tree. The Inn is an organic coffee farm where no agrochemicals, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides are used. Rather, the rich compost from vermiculture (worm beds) and organic refuse go back into the soil to improve its vitality.
At the gift boutique, “Eco-jewellery” made from recycled pull-tabs from pop cans woven with colourful remnants of fabric to create necklaces, bracelets, earrings and belts is a hot seller. You’d never guess it all started out on a pop can. Visitors not only purchase a unique piece of jewellery, but they can feel good about where the money goes. The proceeds go back into the community to support various environmental education projects.
And all this in the lap of luxury.
A Night in the Jungle
The bamboo wood of my room’s terrace sits high above the rainforest at the top of the canopy. I’m eye level with the tips of papaya, banana and palm trees. The backdrop beyond the vegetation is the ocean and is framed by the mountainous landscape of the Osa Peninsula. There isn’t a human sound, just the faint pounding of surf and the twittering of birds. Every now and then howler monkeys bellow out to one another. The only movement is the occasional rustle of leaves thanks to the soft breeze coming off the ocean. A hammock bleached white from the sun hangs limp on the balcony. It’s begging for a body to fill it. I can’t resist. As I sling myself into it, the soft brushed canvas envelopes me. I dismiss any notions of reading or writing and give myself up to the moment. Where am I? In paradise and it’s called Lapa Rios.
Lapa Rios Rainforest Ecolodge (www.laparios.com) is in an isolated wilderness setting in a private nature reserve. It spreads across over 1,000 acres of lowland tropical rainforest where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean. Not easily accessible by land, it is a 1-hour flight from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez. There is no television, no Internet, no phone and no dinner music in the restaurant. Instead, the music you hear depends on the sounds of the rainforest at night, the crickets, the cicadas, the kinkajous. It’s the rise and fall of the ocean’s waves that lull you to sleep.
Electricity at Lapa Rios is generated by solar panels. The bed linens and guest towels are line-dried in the 100% humidity of the rain forest. No electric dryers here. Coca-Cola is served from recyclable glass bottles, something that was impossible to find in Costa Rica until Lapa Rios organized support from other hotels. Other than the tote bags and hats made from knitted strips of plastic grocery bags (who knew?) by indigenous people for sale in the gift shop, you won’t see much plastic here. The swimming pool (it’s gorgeous) uses no chemicals. Bacteria and algae are kept under control through copper/silver ionization.
The food is as gourmet as anything I have tasted anywhere. But, it isn’t a fancy schmancy French trained chef who is turning out the culinary delights. Instead, eight locals are responsible for the meals. That they are all men is remarkable because in this culture, kitchen work is perceived to be women’s work. However, these men left their farms or villages to learn how to cook at Lapa Rios. The meals are a fusion of Costa Rican traditional dishes with contemporary creations, all using seasonal and local ingredients as much as possible.
Activities range from just soaking up the jungle’s ambiance to getting involved with nature. Birding, hiking, learning about the marine biology of the Golfo Dulce and many other “nature” tours are offered. When you are tired, you can wind down with a Yoga session or a massage.
Lapa Rios illustrates that a forest left standing is worth more than one cut down.
Arenas Del Mar
Next stop is Arenas Del Mar, located adjacent to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast. Arenas Del Mar caters to those who are looking for more than just another high end resort. There are 38 guest rooms set in seven three-story buildings. The place has everything you’d expect in a five star hotel, including spa services, TV, Internet, telephone and more. But, here luxury is enjoyed while adhering to strategies that leave little impact on the environment. The buildings were constructed to fit around existing trees. You can barely see the resort from the air. Roof tiles are made from discarded plastic bags from the banana industry. The landscaping around the resort uses only native species of trees and plants. Composting creates organic soil for the gardens. Water is heated with solar panels and grey water is reused for irrigation. Soap is made from the kitchen’s used cooking oil. Drinking straws are made from thin strips of bamboo instead of plastic straws. Thicker pieces of bamboo are fashioned into refillable liquid soap and shampoo dispensers. And that’s the short list.
Though in very different settings, all 3 resorts share the same philosophy…to offer products and services that leave little impact on earth. Typically full to capacity, these places are doing something right in appealing to a segment of the buying public that is growing, a demographic group who want to feel good about where their money goes and to know that the environment is protected too. We could learn a lot from them.