I’ve heard plenty of talk of dream vacations to Costa Rica, but I had no idea how eco-friendly the country was until I started researching. There is a wealth of cost-friendly eco lodges in Costa Rica.
The top 11 cost-friendly eco lodges in Costa Rica
With so many lodges to pick from, it’s difficult to pick the best, but I did the research and am happy to show you the top 11 cost-friendly eco lodges in Costa Rica.
Background on Eco-Friendliness in Costa Rica
A quick search for eco-friendly lodges on the Internet uncovers page after page of information on the country’s efforts to preserve the environment.
Costa Rica takes their environment seriously. They’re in the top 30 most eco-friendly countries and probably the most eco-friendly country in Latin America.
Leaders in the country have taken a number of steps to earn and maintain their eco-friendly status. This includes:
- 30% of the country is designated as national park or reserve land
- 95% of energy comes from renewable resources
- Pledge to become a carbon-neutral country by 2021
The efforts to be eco-friendly don’t stop with the country’s leaders; people and businesses around Costa Rica contribute as well. Here’s a look at how they do this:
- Electricity is charged on a sliding scale, the less energy you consume, the lower your rate
- Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
- Many businesses donate to local conservation projects
- Massive reforestation program that involves planting millions of trees every year
- Development of alternative energies such as hydroelectric and wind
- Oil drilling and open-pit mining are banned
- Landowners who designate part of their land as a reserve or wildlife refuge are rewarded financially
Top Eco-friendly Hotels in Costa Rica
With Costa Rica’s diverse landscape, choosing the best place to visit boils down to what you’re looking for. You can choose from cloud forests, coastlines, active volcanoes, or rainforests.
So, now that you know how Costa Rica earned their eco-friendly status, dive in and take a look at these eco-friendly lodges. We’ll start with the very affordable lodges and move to the more expensive ones since we probably all define “cost-friendly” a bit differently.
Being eco-friendly is so important to these lodges that you’ll actually find a separate tab on almost every one of their websites talking about how they help reduce their carbon footprint on the environment. This makes Costa Rica a very desirable ecotourism destination.
If you check out their sites, look for menu options referencing “sustainability,” “responsible tourism,” or “ecotourism.” If you are curious about what all of it means for the country, you can check out some ecotourism benefits in that article. For now, I’ll share some of that information with you.
1. Selva Bananito Lodge and Preserve
The Selva Bananito Lodge and Preserve is located in the upper Bananito River Watershed in the Province of Limon. The lodge has 11 cabins. They all have solar-heated warm water, large decks, and two hammocks for an afternoon “siesta.” Rates here start at $75. Of course, the rate you’ll pay depends on the size of your accommodations and what season you’re visiting.
The eco friendliness of this lodge started as soon as they started building. Over 80% of the lodge is made from wood obtained from “second hand” wood or wood discarded from trees already cut for another purpose.
Some of the other ways the Selva Bananito Eco Lodge practices sustainable tourism are the following:
- Heating water with solar energy
- Recycling
- Not using noisy or polluting generators
- Declared 2,000 acres of their property as a private, biological reserve
- Established a non-profit foundation focused on watershed protection and educational programs
- Large part of shopping done at local markets
- Built cabins in an area already altered by humans rather than destroy new land
2. Celeste Mountain Lodge
The Celeste Mountain Lodge is located in the National Park Volcano Tenorio with views of two volcanoes, and all 18 of the lodge’s rooms have views of the volcanoes.
You won’t find TVs here in the hopes that guests will be encouraged to explore nature. There is a WiFi general area if you need some connection to the outside world. Rates for this lodge start at just under $88.
Just like the other lodge, this one uses many of the same practices to remain eco-friendly.
- Use of recycled material
- Use of eco-friendly building materials like coconut fiber
- The building is set on posts for minimum land movement
- Hot water heated by solar panels
- Almost 600 feet of residual water drainage made from recycled tire pieces
- Reducing energy and light use by smart lighting management, training staff, and making conservation suggestions to guests
- Economical showers
- Biodegradable soaps, detergents, and plastic garbage bags
- Reforestation (planting more native tree species)
- No unnecessary noise, music, engines, or lighting
3. Hotel Quelitales
The Hotel Quelitales is an upscale hotel located in the mountains of Cartago. This hotel is an excellent choice for visitors who are interested in bird watching. It’s located close to Tapanti National Park, which puts it in very close proximity to hundreds of birds.
The hotel has five suites, one junior suite, and four bungalows.
In an effort to encourage exploration of nature and lessen their impact on the environment, the hotel does not offer TV, but you do have WiFi. The rooms are also not air conditioned, but with an average high of 82 degrees in the area, you should be fine. The hotel also farms most of its food on its property. Rates start at $95 a night.
4. Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel
The Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel is located on the Tamarindo Bay, less than 2,000 feet from the beach. An interesting note about this hotel is that it’s only open to guests over 18 years old.
The hotel has a variety of rooms ranging from standard rooms to suites. They all include air conditioning and TV, and your stay includes a complimentary buffet breakfast and use of bikes, boogie boards, and snorkel gear. Rates start at $110 a night.
Here’s a look at how this hotel practices being eco-friendly:
- Recycled plastic decking around the pool
- White reflective roofing over all structures
- UV lighting throughout the property
- Organic kitchen scraps turned into compost to fertilize hotel garden
- Encourages recycling
- Biodegradable bath products and laundry detergent
- Showers stocked with locally made and chemical-free beauty products
- Assist with animal rescue efforts in the area
5. Finca Luna Nueva
At Finca Luna Nueva, they pride themselves on providing visitors with their very own paradise and making the environment a living classroom.
Two main ways Finca Luna Nueva maintains its sustainability is its location in the rainforest and by running its very own farm. The lodge started farming organically in 1994. You can check it all out on a farm tour during your stay.
On their farm, the lodge grows its own food and practices regenerative agriculture. This means they produce food and also regenerate soil and work to reverse climate change.
6. Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge
The Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge also participates in the certificate for sustainable tourism program. The lodge points out that the location of the lodge itself makes it eco-friendly. It’s located in the middle of a forest untouched by construction and surrounded by National Parks. In fact, the nearest village is an hour drive away.
The lodge has six bungalows, all with floor to ceiling glass windows. Each bungalow also has a terrace or garden. These bungalows do come with TVs. Rates start at $114.
Here’s a look at some of the other ways the Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge maintains its status as an eco lodge:
- Gets water by gravity, not energy
- Water is heated by solar panels on the roof and stored in tanks for future use
- Most towels and sheets are dried in the open air
- Bacteria are applied to septic tanks to break down organic residues and keep them clean
- Ethanol for heating is taken from sugar cane waste
- Biodegradable shampoos, soaps, laundry detergents, cleaning materials, and dishwasher soaps
- Produce their own fertilizer with worms
- Laundry has a “green roof” with ferns, bromeliads, and orchids growing on it
- Participate in recycling
- More natural light rather than electricity
- Trails and main road are cleaned once a month
- Run their own organic herb garden
7. Rio Perdido Hotel & Thermal River
The Rio Perdido Hotel & Thermal River is located in the San Bernardo Lowlands where two rivers, the Rio Blanco and the Rio Perdido, meet. It’s made up of 30 forest bungalows in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province.
The bungalows are connected to the main hotel as well as hiking trails. They include WiFi and a flat-screen TV. Rates start at just under $180.
The preservation efforts by this lodge began as soon as the land for the lodge was discovered. The area had been lived on long ago, but after a bridge connecting it to the roadway had fallen, it was disconnected.
Shattered ceramic and other artifacts were found throughout the area. The developers of the lodge along with the National Museum of Costa Rica worked together to gather and categorize the pieces.
The developers worked to keep all service elements in one building when they built to reduce the land use. They also used paths to get around that already existed rather than clear more forest.
The hotel also works to hire only locals. In fact, 90% of their team is from the local area. They also work in the community to improve education, economic growth, and the environment.
8. Costa Rica Tree House Lodge
The Costa Rica Tree House Lodge was started in 1998 and is located on 10 acres of oceanfront property on Punta Uva beach in the province of Limon.
The lodge has five tree houses as well as their newest addition, a school bus lodge. Each house and the bus have air conditioning and a kitchen. Rates for the Tree House Lodge start at $200. Th
The Costa Rica Tree House Lodge is also certified in sustainable tourism by the Costa Rica Tourism Board. Here’s a look at how the lodge practices sustainability.
- Gets water by gravity
- Water is heated by solar panels on the roof, then stored in tanks for future use
- Bacteria applied to septic tanks to break down organic residues and maintain cleanliness
- Uses biodegradable laundry detergent
- Wastewater cleaned with water lilies
- Produces its own organic fertilizer with worms
- No use of insecticides or pesticides
- No use of animal feeders
- Recycle waste into different categories including glass, paper, and carton; plastic bottles; plastic bags; cans; chemical waste; organic waste for compost; organic rest waste, and general rest waste
- Trail lights kept low to minimize the impact on nature
- Uses more natural light than electricity
- Supports local, small businesses as much as possible
9. Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort
The Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort is located in the Manuel Antonio National Park and is the area’s only actual beachfront resort.
The resort has 38 luxury suites and guest rooms on its 11 acres. The rooms all have air conditioning, TVs, and WiFi. Rates start at $400 and include breakfast, a minibar in your room, boogie boards and surfboards and surf lessons if requested, movie nights, tortilla making classes, bracelet making classes, and yoga classes.
The resort practices sustainability with a no plastic policy, running its very own hydroponic vegetable garden, and encouraging recycling.
10. Pacuare Lodge
The Pacuare Lodge is designated as one of the most unique lodges in the world by National Geographic. The eco-friendly lodge has 20 suites and sits on the banks of the Pacuare River.
The suites offer terraces, outdoor showers, and hammocks. The lodge uses a combination of electric lights as well as candles to light their villas. In fact, the little electricity Pacuare Lodge uses is generated by a turbine in a nearby stream.
Rates start at $492, but that includes transportation to and from the airport, professional guides, meals, and up to two experiences per day during your stay.
An interesting note for the Pacuare Lodge, you’ll actually be taken to the lodge by 4X4 or whitewater rafting.
The sustainability efforts of the Pacuare Lodge started when the lodge was built. Developers didn’t cut down any trees to accommodate the lodge and lumber for the buildings came from a reforestation project.
The Lodge has bought 840 acres of rainforest in an effort to protect the area. In fact, no visitors are allowed in this protected area
Pacuare Lodge uses biodegradable bath products, water is heated by solar panels, and any wastewater flows into septic systems to avoid polluting the river. They also support local schools, and 95% of their staff is local.
11. Lapa Rios
Lapas Rios is a lodge with 17 bungalows located in the midst of 1,000 acres of rainforest on the Osa Peninsula. It’s also ranked by National Geographic as one of the most unique lodges of the world.
The bungalows here are open air with screens, not uncommon in Costa Rica. They have outdoor rain showers, hammocks, and lounges. The lodge doesn’t have air conditioning or TVs and offers WiFi in a small central area.
Rates are much higher at this lodge, starting at $850 a night. This includes three meals a day, non-alcoholic drinks, and any guides tours.
Lapa Rios efforts to be eco-friendly start with their mission, which they describe as “demonstrating that responsible tourism can be profitable and therefore a successful vehicle for ensuring wilderness preservation.”
Beyond that, the lodge supports various wildcat conservation programs by donating cameras and other video equipment and allowing researchers to use their property to study the animals.
The lodge also uses biodegradable products, heats water through solar panels, runs its own vegetable garden, has a no plastic policy, supports local education and community activities, and hires only local staff.
Driving in Costa Rica
The million dollar question on many people’s minds when visiting Costa Rica is, “Is it safe to drive in Costa Rica?” The answer is yes but use caution.
Although the country has driving laws, including speed limits and passing restrictions, things can still get pretty crazy fast.
The tropical climate and the country’s lack of resources mean the condition of their roads is pretty poor. Rain and heat cause potholes and washouts more often than you’ve probably ever experience in the United States. The mountain terrain also generates lots of fog and makes it pretty hard to see.
The best approach is to drive slow and keep your eye out for everything. Just because there are laws doesn’t mean people obey them. People drive fast, they pass when they’re not supposed to, and pedestrians pop up everywhere.
It’s also a good idea to install a navigation system on your phone. Street signs are sorely lacking in Costa Rica, so it will make getting around much easier if the GPS is doing it for you.
Being in a new country can be difficult to navigate both on the road and in the culture. You will surely have questions like how much to tip when traveling, or where’s the best place to eat? The best thing to do is talk to the locals.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to fully enjoy your vacation in Costa Rica at one of the cost-friendly eco lodges we talked about above. Check out cheap flights to Costa Rica when you are ready to embark on this amazing adventure!