2017 has been named as the year of sustainable tourism for development by the United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). In recognition of Costa Rica’s pioneering work in this field, the country’s President, Luis Guillermo Solís, has been appointed as special ambassador to the UNWTO.
This tiny Central American country’s place as a world leader in sustainability was acknowledged in the recent Channel 4 series, Escape to Costa Rica. Over three episodes science writer and explorer Gaia Vince travelled the length and breadth of the country to learn about Costa Rica’s commitment to protecting its rich biodiversity, developing a model for sustainable tourism and developing renewable energy having set its sights on becoming carbon neutral by 2021.
Home to the greatest density of species in the world, Costa Rica is a global leader in environmental protection. More than a quarter of the country is protected and classed as National Parks, Wildlife Areas and Biological Reserves ensuring that this remains a real wildlife haven. Not only is it home to panthers, sloths and toucans but there are some 95,000 registered species equivalent to approximately 5% of all known species in the world. Over the past six years, a new species of wildlife has been discovered on average every 2.5 days in this Central American country.
The protection of Costa Rica’s wildlife and diverse natural environment is at the heart of the country’s pioneering model for sustainable tourism – the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST). Launched in 1996, CST categorises companies based on the degree to which they adhere to sustainable practices in their use of natural and cultural resources, improvement of the quality of life of neighbouring communities and economic success which contributes to other national development programs.
Four of the best eco – experiences in Costa Rica
Watch nesting turtles at Tortuguero – home to the endangered Green Sea Turtle:
Tortuguero National Park was established to protect four species of endangered turtles that spawn on the country’s Caribbean coast and is today one of the country’s most important conservation sites. Many endangered species such as jaguars, tapirs and monkeys also rely on the park’s protected status for survival. In fact, Tortuguero is home to 13 of the country’s 16 endangered species and the most important nesting site of the endangered green turtle in the Western Hemisphere.
Accessible only by boat or small plane, from mid-June until the end of October, Tortuguero’s 5 kilometres of protected shoreline see thousands of green sea turtles lay their eggs alongside other nests dug by giant leatherback, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. Visitor numbers are strictly limited, but it is possible to visit the beaches with a specialist guide at night to watch the turtles laying their eggs. At daybreak, visitors can return to the beaches to see the eggs hatch and watch baby turtles take their maiden journey to the sea.
Where to stay: Set amongst lush vegetation and boasting 55 spacious jungle rooms, Evergreen Lodge, located in the Tortuguero National Park, offers a one night package from £180 per person. The package also includes a guided wildlife boat tour of the canals of Tortuguero National Park, all meals, accommodation and transportation to and from San José to Tortuguero. Between June and October Evergreen Lodge can also organise a guided night time sea turtle nesting tours from £27.
Stay with an indigenous community and learn how to make chocolate:
A visit to an indigenous village offers a unique and authentic insight into Costa Rica’s cultural life. For generations the Bribri community have lived around the River Yorkin near the Panama border on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast. Setting off from Puerto Viejo, the journey to the Bribri community travels upstream by canoe, through tropical forest to reach the Yorkin Indigenous Reserve. Offering a warm welcome, the Bribri community will demonstrate how chocolate is made in its purest form, how medicinal plants are used as an intrinsic part of their culture and how they live from day to day.
Rickshaw Travel’s Bamboo Boat the Bribri Village package includes basic accommodation in an original Bribri cabaña with palm leaf roof, meals, transfer from Puerto Viejo, canoe tour of the village, plantations and an English speaking guide.
Adrenalin hits and a rainforest luxury eco-lodge at the Pacuare River:
Winding through dense Costa Rican rainforest from the Talamanca Mountains to the Caribbean Sea, the Pacuare River is set in a gorge surrounded by walls of thick greenery. Surrounded by primary rainforest reserves, the Pacuare River region is a haven for wildlife lovers. Sloths, toucans, parrots, colourful birds, monkeys, ocelots, and jaguars populate the rainforest on the river banks and can be spotted here.
What’s more, with rapids, natural pools and waterfalls, the Pacuare River is rated as the best place in Costa Rica for white-water rafting. Perfect for all levels of white-water adventurer, the Pacuare contains class II to class V rapids. Adrenalin junkies can spend a day adventuring down the river or choose an overnight rafting trip and enjoy an incredible eco-experience in this remote and untouched rainforest.
Where to stay: The Pacuare Lodge is a remote, back-to-nature eco-stay which offers plenty of pampering perks. With sole access to the lodge by river rafting, this lodge offers adventure before you even arrive! The lodge is located on a private reserve that forms part of the largest network of protected areas in Central America, covering more than 1.2 million acres of tropical wilderness. This boutique lodge offers luxury suites and villas that are electricity-free so that guests can have a true back-to-nature, digital detox. The lodge offers guests a huge number of activities from canopy tours, canyoning creeks, kayaking and hikes to indigenous communities as well as spa treatments and exquisite dining.
An all-inclusive three-day, two-night Pacuare Adventure package starts from £644 per person based on double occupancy. The package includes transport to and from San José including rafting with a guide and equipment in and out of the lodge. Three daily meals are included as is a guided hike to a waterfall and a sustainability tour. www.pacuarelodge.com
The Osa Peninsula – the most biologically intense place on earth:
A world premier rainforest destination, the Osa Peninsula has been named the most biologically intense place on earth by National Geographic. The Osa Peninsula boasts lush primary rainforest, untouched scenery, secluded beaches and an abundance of wildlife.
The main attraction of the Osa Peninsula is the Corcovado National Park. Truly a nature lover’s paradise, the park has the largest lowland rainforest in Central America and contains 2.5% of the planet’s total animal species. It is home to one of the largest populations of scarlet macaws in Costa Rica, four species of monkey, four species of turtle, peccaries, red-eyed tree frogs, harpy eagles and a very small number of endangered jaguars and pumas.
Visitors to the area can hike through virgin rainforest to pristine waterfalls, share the cool early morning air with the hundreds of bird species that inhabit the peninsula, kayak through the mangroves, dive at Drake’s bay and swim and snorkel off secluded beaches in the turquoise waters of the Golfo Dulce.
Where to stay: Set in a private nature reserve spread over 1,000 acres, Lapa Rios Lodge is the ultimate boutique eco-resort with a mission to protect habitat through local school education and community involvement. In 2003 Lapa Rios became the first hotel in Costa Rica to receive five-leaf status from the Costa Rica Tourism Board’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism. Its 17 private bungalows line three ridges overlooking the pristine point where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean. More than a luxurious eco lodge, Lapa Rios is a model ecotourism project, recognised internationally with multiple social and environmental awards.
The Lapa Rios Experience package starts from £558 per night for two people in an ocean-view bungalow and includes all onsite meals and non-alcoholic drinks, a selection of on-site tours and transfers to and from Puerto Jimenez. www.laparios.com
