If you’re on this page, chances are you’ve done a google search of Costa Rica. Were you surprised to see all the information about eco-tourism and sustainability pop up? You shouldn’t be.
Protecting their natural resources is a really big deal to a tico (Costa Rican). The government made some mistakes in the past. When they realized what was happening and how it was affecting the land, they dedicated themselves to rebuilding and putting in place practices that would prevent it from happening again.
Since then, the country has been working hard towards a goal of sustainability. They recognize that the country’s natural resources are their greatest gift and that they have a responsibility to protect it and nurture it.
A Culture of Caring and Conservation
Let’s hit some highlights. The Global Green Economy Index ranks countries based on “leadership & climate change, efficiency sectors, markets & investment and the environment.” In 2018 Costa Rica ranked 14 out of 130 countries world wide. (Global Green Economy Index, 2018)
Also, in 2018 Costa Rica’s President announced a plan to become the world’s first decarbonized country!
They also realize that sharing the beauty and biodiversity of Costa Rica with people around the world is a step in the right direction when it comes to world-wide sustainability. Once you have stood under the enormous canopy of a tree that’s been here for hundreds of years… a tree that’s so large, four people can barely wrap their arms around it… one that maintains an entire ecosystem in its branches… it’s impossible not to understand the importance of those trees to the planet.
That’s one of the reasons they have made great strides to reforest the country. In fact, in 2016 50% of Costa Rica’s landmass was covered by forest!
Costa Rica’s ecotourism industry is helping travelers from all around the world to make a connection to our planet, and to understand how all the minute pieces of the ecological puzzle work together to keep the planet healthy.
Everything from the smallest insect to the huge humpback whale has a part to play, and here in Costa Rica, you can discover and learn about so much of the world’s biodiversity. The beauty of it is, exploring is so much FUN.
Sustainable Hotels and Costa Rica
While Monteverde is near and dear to my heart (and for good reason!), it is but one small piece of Costa Rica’s ecotourism. Several hotels in the area, and around the country, maintain sustainable practices in an effort to minimize their effect on the environment around them.
Here is a fun fact! According to the Borgen Project, in 2019 more than 99% of Costa Rica’s energy came from renewable sources! 67.5 % was hydro powered!
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While the government works to bring water services to the most remote rural areas, hotel owners all across Costa Rica are stepping up to put sustainable practices in place and ensure that the groundwater stays clean and fresh (Costa Rica has some of the cleanest, most delicious drinking water I’ve ever tasted.) Ecotourism is leading the way to a better future.
Many hotels are putting in their own kitchen gardens to provide fresh produce, fruit and herbs to their guests. What can’t be grown on site is often locally-sourced. Not only is the food fresher and more delicious, but it was grown with care using natural methods and brought to your table with minimal use of fossil fuels, or packaging.
Ordering in small quantities as needed also reduces waste, although in many cases, unused produce is used to feed local animals.
A Monteverde Perspective
And throughout one of my favorite little mountain towns you can see this care.
In Monteverde, we are blessed to have a Quaker community which makes many delicious items like artisanal cheeses, and various dairy products made with recipes handed down through generations. All were founded based on sustainable, community-supporting products.
Obviously you have the raw acreage of protected preserves and wildlife areas, but this attention to sustainable detail continues on through every aspect of green hotels, restaurants, and tour providers.
Many sustainable hotels are harnessing the power of the sun to reduce their carbon footprint.
In some cases, it's as simple as water tanks on the roof, allowing the water to be heated naturally, in other’s it means outfitting the rooftop with solar panels. Low-tech or high, the end result is the same, a better future with less dependence on fossil fuels.
Our friends at the Ocotea Hotel (and with Ocotea tours) are a big leader here in embracing the heart of ecotourism… with solar panels to heat water for the guests and an extensive on-site recycling procedure.
Adventures in Nature
But changing the world doesn’t just mean recycling and not wasting energy. It means education and enjoyment of nature too, and all throughout Costa Rica you can see that spirit.
And obviously, teaching people about the natural world and it’s biodiversity requires getting them out in it! In Costa Rica there are so many ways to get into nature, it’s literally mind-boggling. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… no matter what type of adventure you’re into, you can find it here! (okay… well, maybe not snow…)
Costa Rica has tours for every taste and speed and budget… whatever your level of ‘daring’ may be.
You like to cook? Great! Visit a local home and learn authentic Costa Rican cuisine from a Tico! Do you want to go to the market to buy the ingredients? Most communities have a weekly Feria or market full of fresh produce, home baked goodies, herbs and spices, cheese and even fresh or cured meats.
Do you want to go to the farm and pick it yourself? You can do that too! Speaking of farms, you can choose from cocoa, coffee, dairy, sheep, cattle or horse farms. Gather up the ingredients you need, or simply stay and explore. You can even milk a cow and make your own cheese! Horseback riding is one of my favorite pastimes!
If you’d rather see more exotic animals, There are wildlife sanctuaries galore. Some of them specialize-like The Sloth Sanctuary which provides some really fun tours!
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There are butterfly conservatories, and even a serpentarium. You really don’t need to go to a sanctuary to see wildlife in Costa Rica though, there are dozens of national parks, including the three cloud forest preserves I mentioned in a previous post. There are wildlife preserves, and hiking trails galore… and that’s not even touching on the marine perspective.
A Water-Walk on the Wild Side?
Once you bring water into the equation, everything changes once more. Do you want to explore fresh water rivers? You can! Would you rather kayak or white water raft? Maybe you prefer to wade out into that stream and go fly fishing? Yup… you can do that too!
If you don’t want to stay inland, head for some salt water! Inshore fishing? Offshore fishing, scuba diving, sailing, snorkelling, and whale watching are all available. There are even tours that show you how coral reefs are being preserved!
Something for Everyone to Immerse in Nature
There is everything from ATV-ing to rock climbing. If you don’t want to climb UP the rock? Repel down a waterfall instead! Walk through the mists of the canopy on hanging bridges far above the valley floor or, if you don’t feel like walking, you can hop on a zipline and glide through it instead.
I almost forgot the volcanos! There are 6 active and 61 extinct volcanoes to explore as well. Ever heard of a Tarzan swing? I hadn’t, and I’m not brave enough to try it… but it’s there if you want it! If that's not exciting enough you can jump off a cliff into a pool, go spelunking or paraglide.
If these kinds of activities are too adventurous you can enjoy a round of golf or go birdwatching. Hop on a boat and cruise the mangroves looking for crocodiles. Or simply stroll the beach, at certain times of year, you can even watch conservationists releasing baby turtles into the surf!
And finally, you can even visit one of the many indigenous villages and learn about the traditional Costa Rican lifestyle, and that takes us right back to cooking where we started.
Explore, Appreciate, Understand and Support!
The bottom line here is that learning about nature can be a lot of fun, and while you’re galloping, ziping or swinging past it, it’s impossible not to appreciate the amazing plants and animals that share the planet with us. Many of those creatures are endangered. They need our help to survive, and the best way to preserve their way of life (and our own) is to understand how we all fit together on the planet.
Plus, ecotourism brings money into the local economy and into the hands of people who are doing their part to nurture the land and the many animals that live on it. It’s a win-win situation for all of us, whether we have 2 legs, 4 legs, no legs, way-too-many legs, or fins!
Regardless of how you interact with nature, or what method you use to get into it, learning about our world and seeing first-hand the beauty and the majesty of it is an experience that’s really hard to describe. It reminds us that we are one small part of a very big, very complex machine and we all have to work together to maintain the balance
I love the fact that my new home is so diverse, and has such an amazing variety of things to do. I plan to explore as much of it as I can while I’m here. I hope you do the same!
Pura Vida for now!
References
https://dualcitizeninc.com/global-green-economy-index/
https://borgenproject.org/10-facts-about-renewable-energy-in-costa-rica/
Image Credit goes to:
Man in the forest: Photo by juan mendez from Pexels
Playa de Piratas: Photo by Courtney Hall on Unsplash
Man cutting herbs:Photo by ThisIsEngineering from Pexels
Canopy Tour: Selvatura Canopy Tour.
Humpback Whale:Photo by Andre Estevez from Pexels
Baby Turtle: Photo by Los Muertos Crew from Pexels
Coral reef and Fish: Photo by Saad Alaiyadhi from Pexels
