Costa Rica

The happiest country in the world reveals its zest for quality living with eco-luxe resorts, agricultural sustainability and a market for voluntourism.

ECO-CHIC GUIDE

Editor’s LetterI arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica fresh from Manhattan, and quickly realized that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore...

I found myself in a country committed to the highest quality of life with sustainability bursting at every seam and a budding market for tourists to explore and enjoy.

Through an expertly organized package from Hands Up Holidays, I embarked on a new kind of vacation- the GOOD vacation in which you are both a tourist and a volunteer, known as voluntourism.

From organic coffee plantation tours, to rafting into remote eco-lodges and a non-toxic spa treatment or two... Costa Rica is the perfect eco-luxe getaway.

Join me on my eco-adventure and become inspired to take your own!

Greta Eagan

Finca Rosa BlancaSanta Barbara, Herediawww.fincarosablanca.com

Organic Coffee Plantation & Inn

Finca Rosa Blanca gives you a sense of comfort the instant you arrive. Master suites are situated off a main house and provide a dual sense of community and privacy.

Welcome home...

With 42 acres to nurture and harvest just about 200 bags of organic shade grown coffee annually, the plantation is finding new ways to share it’s sustainable story and support their production with tours.

Bet The Farm

Pacuare LodgeAdventuras Natruales

Remote eco-lodge escape...

A down to earth paradise that may be the secret to Costa Rica’s highly ranked happiness.

Adventuras Naturales is exactly what the name suggests. There is no way around the adventure part either. The eco-lodge is so remote, you have to white water raft into it. With class one and two rapids, the guides maneuver the raft well enough to secure confidence and dowse you with a wave or two for fun.

The lodge itself is a beautiful escape into the middle of nowhere. Lush vegetation surrounds the main lodge and adds privacy to the scattered guests houses situated throughout the property. The climate is so agreeable, even in the rainy season, that the buildings don’t have walls or windows. Instead they are open frame structures with tightly stapled netting for walls. Dense plants provide privacy and and create a intimate sense of indoor outdoor without boundaries.

Pacuare Lodge

El Silencio

Santa Barbara, Heredia

High up in Costa Rica’s cloud forest, El Silencio takes relaxation to an elevated level. With just 16 suites to offer, the lodge is truly intimate with staff that cater to every need with a almost familial touch.

Lodge & Spa

Each guest house has its own gas stove, while the main lodge boasts two spectacular rock fireplaces that almost always host a crackling fire.

Olga, a native, opens her home to tourists to invite them to learn how to make tortillas and when successful grins openly, announcing that a woman who can make a tortilla is ready for marriage. Her teenage daughter giggles in the background.

Costa Ricans are known for their high spirits and at El Silencio there is no shortage!

Eco-concierges are accessible and informative, providing guests with information about the surrounding eco-systems, as well as El Silencio’s commitment to conserve and accommodate to the natural resources and community.

NayaraSanta Barbara, Heredia

Researching where to stay for luxury accommodations in Costa Rica, Arenal Nayara comes up at the top of the list. Situated at the base of one of Costa Rica’s nine active volcanos and surrounded by notorious hot springs, Nayara is a destination not to be missed.

Punta IslitaSanta Barbara, Heredia

It may take an all terrain vehicle that can cross roads that turn into rivers, or a private plane to find your way to Punta Islita, but it is well worth it. The remote resort is the perfect getaway with style!

The local community exchange and integration with the resort is truly special, and as a guest a sense of pride wells up inside at having chosen to stay at such a cool place.