Archive for eco friendly
Spotlight Costa Rica! Villas Tranquilas, Manuel Antonio
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Villas Tranquilas, located a few minutes from Manuel Antonio National Park and beach, is a lot more than a family friendly, your home away from home, vacation rental. It is a true champion of Ecotourism, Sustainable Tourism and Charitable Tourism.
Built in 2007, this complex of 16 townhouses nestled in the rain forest and believes strongly that lending a helping hand to the community is the essence of true tourism. The villas are ideal for families and large groups to vacation in luxury all that has had minimal impact on the environment while being built.
The owners have also helped rebuild the local community school in the nearby town of Quepos by gathering up donors and investing their time to make sure that the kids don’t lose their school.
The best part you can join in and continue helping the local community by making a difference:
“People don’t really know how to incorporate something like this into their vacation, but when given the opportunity, many people are more that happy to help.”
Contact me for great discounts at the Villas Tranquilas!
But hey, if you don’t believe me, here’s what others had to say:
“What a great place Villas Tranquilas is! My husband, a builder, was so impressed with the quality of construction. We loved the quiet setting after the busy/lively hours in Quepos or Manuel Antonio. Everything was so well thought out and perfect for our family. TIf we return, no doubt we will choose your place again and will recommend it to anyone we know headed that direction.We LOVED the ATV tour! The catamaran was great too, even though we had a bit of a rain issue that afternoon/evening. And, we saw more monkeys behind the condo than in Manuel Antonio park the day we were there! : ) ”
AndI would like to thank you for the wonderful experience we had while in Costa Rica. Everything was perfect, the house was beautiful and clean, we felt like we were at home. The pool was a blessing, being able to lay around and cool off was very refreshing on those hot days!! Kathleen took care of everything, she negociated our activities and even paid deposits then brought us the reciepts right to the house. She made our stay hasle free considering that our spanish was moderate at best. The whole experience exceeded my expectations. Thank you again and please feel free to use us as a reference for future guests.”
Check out more Spotlight Recommendations here!
Costa Rica's Blue River -Rio Celeste
Posted by: | CommentsGuest Post from my blogger friend and mutual Costa Rica Lover, Ann Creed, from Costa Rica Learn.
On the lush forest covered hillsides of Tenorio Volcano in northern Costa Rica, is one of Costa Rica’s most spectacular natural wonders which bewilders locals as well as tourist. It’s the Blue River and its waters are indeed a sky-blue color which is due to chemical reactions between elements coming off the volcano, including calcium carbonate and sulfur.
If you are touring in and around the Arenal Volcano you can purchase a day tour to the Blue River with Sunset Tours. Their office is easily found in La Fortuna right on the town square.
There is hiking involved to get to the Blue River and it is around two hours so be prepared with very good tennis shoes or hiking shoes. And of course you want to go with a guide, not on your own.
On the hike you will see gurgling hot springs and hot mud and a beautiful waterfall that also is a blue color and experience the wonders of the rain forest with it’s colorful song birds.
Bring a rain jacket, bottle water, and good hiking shoes.
Read more of Ann’s resourceful articles from her on-line Costa Rica Travel Guide at www.costaricalearn.com
Nature Lover's Paradise: Unique ecotourism destination
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been working many years as a travel agent specializing in Costa Rica. As a result, now I pretty much know everything about this small yet unique country. The country is now on the forefront of “World Ecotourism”.
If you ask me to find out the special places out there, I would certainly recommend some unique eco-tourism sites for the nature lovers. I would also highly recommend them to every eco-tourist.
Nature Lover’s Paradise: Unique ecotourism destinations
1. Tortuguero Canals: This unique place is on the Caribbean (Atlantic) side of Costa Rica. I have wrote thoroughly about it in my extensive articles on Mawamba Lodge and the Tortuguero Canals. Visit www.costaricalearn.com and search for Tortuguero. You may also find them on the web www.grupomawamba.com
2. Poas Volcano National Park: This place is situated in approximately 15 miles north of Alajuela in the Central Valley. Poas Volcano is inactive at the moment, however, you can cherish the beautiful view you find there. It is a very large and beautiful geyser which, after looking down on it, you can see a large blue-green gurgling of pool of hot steam.
3. Doka Plantation Four Generations Coffee Tour, Costa Rica: If you are at the Poas Volcano area, just drive five miles outside of Alajuela for a must seen site. You can see the place and learn more about coffee. You can see how it is handpicked, processed and packaged according to quality before it is exported. You can taste the different varieties of coffee here to make your decisions, and of course, they give you some of it as a souvenir!
4. Arenal Volcano National Park and Arenal Lake: This place can be touted as one of the best attractions in the world and is a tourist magnet.
5. Rincon de la Vieja National Park: One of the best place a ecotourist can be! It is situated in south western Pacific and is one of the most remote national parks in Costa Rica.
6. Corcovado National Park and Cano Island: This place can be said that one of the best places you can find in all Central America, familiar for its rich wildlife and birds. Corcovado National Park is actually a primary rain forest and has a lot of unusual trees, some with buttress of 4 meters in diameter. I would recommend you to visit the park with a guide because if you are alone, you might easily get lost in the dense and unforgiving forest. You can take a boat ride from the side-places to Cano Island which can remind you about Robinson Crusoe. With beautiful long stretches of unspoiled beaches to stroll upon, it is a day trip from the mainland. The place is uninhabited and you can find a very attractive scenery out there. And trust me, you can never sleep there, I mean, sleep won’t come at all!
Special Interest Tours can be done in 1 or 2 day or 1 day
1. Rancho Margot – Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal: If you want to see all the food growing organically, electricity driven by water powered generators, a unique setting allowing you to seen the beauty of Lake Arenal and a mighty river that runs through the middle of the property, this self sustaining ranch (learning center) is the place for you. This another nature lover’s paradise allows you to have a guided tour of the ranch or horseback rides to the peak with a view of lake Arenal you will never find anywhere else. The ranch also offers several beautiful bungalows for their guest and their food in the restaurant is awesome. You can also find a yoga center on the banks of the river there.
2. Sloth refuge, Aviarios del Caribe: The beautiful place is located around 19 miles south of Limon on the Caribbean coast. This is an excellent place for the treatment for the injured sloths. The injured ones are taken here, then after that, they are nursed back on the wild. Judy and her husband Larry built up this refugee camp and will charge around $25 for a tour. You will be able to see the learning of the baby sloths at the first hand and also will be able to learn about this strange creature’s lifestyle. The main attraction of this place is Buttercup, who was the first to be rescued from the highway when she was only a few months old and thus, the journey of the refugee camp had begun since.
Read more of Ann’s resourceful articles from her on-line Costa Rica Travel Guide at www.costaricalearn.com
Wandering the Osa Peninsula – Costa Rica's Wildlife Gem
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I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into when my husband and I decided to head off to the Osa Peninsula. I had remembered years earlier someone talking about how remote and interesting this area was. That comment stuck in my mind and when we had 3 weeks in Costa Rica with no real plan, we decided that the Osa was the place to be.
We started out by taking a Nature Air flight out of San Jose. I’m a bit squeamish about flying in these small prop planes but when I brought myself to look out the window, the view was fantastic. Though the view from above was beautiful, the “airport” on the peninsula left a little to be desired. Seriously, this little shack was all there was sitting next to the landing strip.
We hitched a ride on the back of a pick up truck and after bouncing down a dirt road for about 40 minutes, we found our guest house. Located just a stone’s throw from the beach, it was definitely out of the way. This forced us to stay away from the main town of Puerto Jimenez and to really unplug for our week-long stay.
During that time we headed into Corcovado National Park. Many people hike through the park over several days, camping along the way. Unfortunately, we were just there for a day but we did manage to see quite a bit of wildlife including…
A white-headed Capuchin monkey
A Tamandua anteater
An iguana (barely visible as it blends in with the tree in this photo)
Trees like this one are common
The landscape is magnificent in this jungle. National Geographic calls Corcovado National Park the “most biologically intense place on Earth” and I can absolutely believe it.
If you do go to the Osa – make sure you plan your trip to avoid the rainy season – otherwise you can find yourself stuck in muddy tracks along the dirt roads, no matter whether you’re traveling by car motorcycle, taxi or truck. Unless you have lots of time to travel overland, consider flying in from San Jose or Liberia and then getting around by one of the many taxis or trucks willing to drive the uneven roads.
Bio
Beth Whitman is the founder and editor of Wanderlust and Lipstick. For more than 22 years, she has been traveling the globe as a contemporary Wanderer: combining her love for travel with volunteer work, adventure trips, travel writing and business. You can also find her on twitter @wanderluster
She is also the author of several books, one which I just recently reviewed: Wanderlust and Lipstick – The Essential Guide or Women Traveling Solo
Costa Rica Wildlife – 5 Truths of the Pacific Spotted Dolphin
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One of the most intelligent mammals of the water is on constant Welcome Committee Watch when you arrive to the southern coastal areas of Costa Rica – Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park and the nearby beaches.
Even though they are plentiful of these amazing animals in this part of the world they are still in danger of becoming extinct every day of their lives.
5 truths about the Pacific Spotted Dolphin
1. Dolphins are social and super playful creatures sometimes gathering in groups of 1,000 or more, especially in offshore populations. Although, groups of a few hundred are more norm.
2. Dolphins can easily swim up to 30 km/h and may speed next to boats, performing acrobatic leaps.
3. Females will have one calf every 2 to 3 years, after an 11½ -month gestation period. And the baby then nurses for 18 months.
4. The normal life expectancy of this animal is up to 45 years, but thousands are killed every year in nets of men fishing for yellow fin tuna. The spotted dolphin’s diet is similar to tuna (ex: squid), and that’s why dolphins are often with them. As a matter of fact, fishermen purposefully follow dolphins to the tuna,subsequently pulling them in with the catch.
5. In Japan 2,000 spotted dolphins are still intentionally killed every year for food.
Ecover Products – The Power of Nature – Product Review
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Living in Central America really limits my ability to buy eco-friendly cleaning products. There just doesn’t seem to be a big enough market here. Yet, some companies, that truly believe in improving our the state of our Earth are working their butts off to get these products in every nook and cranny of the world. I’m not sure how they’re doing in other parts of the world, but I can gladly say they have arrived to Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Naturally, I ran out and tried them out. Yes, they are quite pricey in comparison to local brands, but the difference is remarkable.
Ecover Products have won my vote over and over again.
Thes are the products I’ve chosen as a permenant fixture in my household:
This is an easy to use bathroom cleaner. Normally, whenever I use any cleaners in my bathroom, I have to run out gagging from the chemicals that are in each product. This freshly lime scented product worked well on the grime, and left my bathroom air light and easy to breathe.
It’s chrome friendly with plant based ingredients.
My other favorite product is the Washing Up Liquid Dish washing soap. Normally my skin gets all pruney, and old looking after spending too much time washing the dishes. Not that I like to spend too much time doing it, but sometimes you just have no choice. Plus, dishwashers aren’t really the norm here just yet.
I’ve had many people tell me, don’t use soap, just hot water. I tried that tactic for a while, but it just doesn’t feel like you’re cleaning them. Finally, after finding this product, i feel like I’m washing the dishes in a smooth shower gel. My hands feel soft after working them!
I know that the products are costly, however, if you use a little it goes a long way. And just think of all the great benefits you’re doing to our Mother Earth!
Costa Rica's Expotur – Carbon Neutral!
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EXPOTUR will be hosted at the Conference Center, Ramada Plaza Herradura Hotel, May 13-17/09.
This trade show event has been taking place for the past 25 years where the Costa Rican tourism industry showcases their latest and greatest services and products.
So what’s the big deal this year?
This year the goal is to make it carbon neutral. The Costa Rican Association of Professionals in Tourism (ACOPROT) and the National Fund of Forest Financing (FONAFIFO) have pledged a series of tree-planting events to preserve the rainforest of the country. Plus, there will be a bunch of eco-friendly travel how-to’s seminars given by different organizations such as:
Rainforest Alliance
National Geographic
Organization for Tropical Studies
So swing on over and let’s learn all about sustainable tourism and carbon neutral travel May 13-17 at Ramada Plaza Herradura.
Carnival Time – The Carnival of the Green
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Carnival Time – All Things Eco
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Sustainability Certification Program (CST) for Hotels and Tour Operators of Costa Rica
Posted by: | Comments“The program of Certification for Sustainable Tourism of the Costa Rican Tourist Board is an excellent tool to assist in the sustainable development of the country.”
~ Alvaro Ugalde, Founder of the Costa Rican National Parks System
The system is focused on encouraging businesses to operate and use natural resources in a sustainable fashion, and to encourage the healthy development of the surrounding communities. Not only does it measure turnover rates and employment numbers of the local people, but it looks at how much responsibility is taken by the company as they manage natural, cultural and social resources. The program is intended to balance these basic elements on a local and a national level.
Both tourism and non-tourism related organizations are encouraged to take a pro-active stance and to abstain from destroying natural, social and cultural resources. These are the main factors contributing to Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity and healthy society, and without them, the country would lose its unique and inviting qualities.
The rating system follows these important parameters:
1. Physical-Biological Parameters: Evaluates the interaction between the company and the surrounding habitat including the presence of gardens and natural areas, and protection of the native flora and fauna
2. Hotel Facilities: Evaluates the management policies and the operation systems within the company, its water and energy use, waste management and employee training.
3. Customers: Evaluates the interaction of the company with its clients in terms of how much it allows and invites them to be active contributors to the company’s policies of sustainability.
4. Socio-Economic Environment: Evaluates the interaction of the company with local communities and the population in general.
Plus, all establishments are encouraged to adopt eco-friendly programs for long term improvement:
1. Recycling programs
2. Proper disposal and treatment of waste
3. Implement water and energy saving systems
4. Conserve forests and surrounding green spaces
5. Contribute to reforestation
6. To work with neighboring communities to improve their way of life CST-Ranking-System
The rating system is on a scale of 0 to 5. If a business scores a 1, that means that they have taken the first step towards sustainability and will be re-evaluated later for progress. A level 5 signifies that the establishment is working at the highest level of sustainability.
How does all of this affect you, the consumer?
The price difference is usually negligible between hotels and other businesses that are certified and ones that are not. We encourage you to take a stance and choose a sustainable hotel or tour operator for your next visit to Costa Rica, this way more and more businesses will be encouraged to join in and start working for a more eco-friendly future. Contact us to learn more.
Change is a slow process but with the CST program in place, many Costa Rican companies are working hard to make a significant difference by preserving the natural environment and improving the local communities.
Note: The National Accreditation Commission is comprised of the Costa Rica Tourism Institute, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, the National Institute of Biodiversity, the University of Costa Rica, the Central American Institute of Business Administration, the National Tourism Chamber, the Earth Council and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
