Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
SUSTAINABILITY
1 Stay in an eco-lodge
The first step to sustainable travel? Book yourself into an eco-lodge, preferably one with a Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (CST). They exist in harmony with their surroundings and offer low-impact adventures galore. Near Corcovado National Park, Lapa Rios Lodge is surrounded by primary forest – which puts waterfall hikes, birdwatching safaris and whale-watching right on your doorstep. But the southeast has a wealth of award-winning accommodation: visitors to the Luna Lodge, Tiskita Jungle Lodge, Playa Cativo Lodge or Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge – to name just a few – will find themselves enjoying the balance of comfort with lush wilderness; while you’re in the Golfo Dulce, Playa Nicuesa makes a fine base for kayaking, snorkelling and dolphin-watching.
On the east coast, Selva Bananito Lodge offers horse-riding, treeplanting and even gyrocopter experiences, while Rio Tropicales in Limon is perfect for white-water rafting on the nearby Pacuare River.
Approaching the northern border, at Hotel Capitán Suizo in Tamarindo, you can spy macaws, snorkel and watch whales while at Laguna del Lagarto Rainforest Lodge, near the Rio San Carlos, you can spy critically
endangered great green macaws in their natural habitat.
2 Volunteer your time
Whether it’s for a few days or an entire fortnight, volunteering can make a real difference – and Costa Rica has a wealth of wildlife-focused projects.
Las Pumas Rescue Centre offers rewarding volunteering programmes for wildlife – especially big cat – enthusiasts. Located just outside Cañas, the centre rescues and rehabilitates animals, providing care in their natural habitats. The centre offers volunteering positions for people interested in learning about the conservation of wildlife for a minimum stay of one and a half months. There’s never more than eight volunteers at the centre at one time, so you need to be prepared to get your hands dirty.
3 Eat at an eco-farm
There are many places you can visit in Costa Rica to see how farmers use natural remedies instead of chemicals to protect their crops. For example, Costa Rican farmers will plant a colourful flower they know certain pests don’t like instead of spraying their crops with pesticides.
You can see this in action at the Finca Educativa Don Juan. You can visit for the day or spend a night or two. You will get a tour of the farm and be treated to a feast of locally grown vegetables, beans and homemade salsas.
Or try Hacienda El Viejo, which offers mangrove tours and gives you the chance to infuse your own rum.
4 Protect the wild
Conservation projects dedicated to protecting the country’s diverse flora and fauna can be found all over Costa
Rica. And since many of them rely on money from visitors, the best way you can offer support is by going to see them.
The Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (Also known as Zooave) in Alajuela is just one example, and has spent over 30 years rehabilitating animals. Visit to see over 125 species including sloths, jaguar and pumas. Meanwhile, the Fundecodes volunteer programme aids flora research in six areas across the north-west’s Tempisque Conservation Area.
Visit Pacuare Reserve on Costa Rica’s east coast and join in with a walk of the coastline during turtle nesting and hatching season to help protect leatherback turtles – you can even assist with the morning count of new hatchlings.
5 Take the pledge
Costa Rica is serious about protecting the environment and it wants to make sure its visitors are, too. The Pura Vida Pledge is a four-step plan that ensures more sustainable travelling.
Step one is to choose accommodation and tour operators that have a Certification of Sustainable Tourism (CST). Step two is all about carbon offsetting. So be sure to check your carbon footprint (fonafifo.go.cr/en/calculadora). The third step is volunteering. Step four is quite simply about respecting the environment – so ensure you leave no trace.