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Sustainable Tourism at Lapa Rios Ecolodge

Set in a private nature reserve spread over 1,000 acres of Central America's last remaining lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica, Lapa Rios Ecolodge overlooks the pristine point where the Golfo Dulce meets the wild Pacific Ocean, making it an ideal destination for travelers from around the world.

Originally, Lapa Rios was built by John and Karen Lewis as a private nature reserve. A Minnesota couple driven by a vision, John and Karen liquidated all their assets to finance the purchase of a large tract of rainforest and to build the small supporting tourism project. Today, Lapa Rios contains 16 private, upscale bungalows with a full service restaurant and maintains a conservation easement elaborated by The Nature Conservancy and Cederena to ensure that this private reserve will be preserved into perpetuity. For the past seventeen years, the privately financed Lapa Rios Ecolodge is more than just a beautiful rainforest hotel or eco resort next to the beach. With almost 60 employees, Lapa Rios is a model ecotourism project that strives to show both its guests, its employees and the surrounding community that “a forest left standing is worth more than one cut down”.

For guests that stay at Lapa Rios, a number of activities focused on the rainforest and the nearby ocean, including rainforest hikes, bird watching, ocean kayaking, horseback riding, catch and release sport fishing and surfing, are offered. Lapa Rios also makes sure to showcase cultural and sustainability activities by hosting a local Costa Rican dance group, offering tours to a nearby local farm, promoting local Costa Rican cuisine and art work and offering a tour that highlights the property«s sustainability efforts. Guests who stay at Lapa Rios have a truly enriching experience, as they learn not only about the rainforest and conservation, but also about local Costa Rican culture and customs.

The Lapa Rios lodge itself is designed to have extremely minimal impact, utlizing only local materials; in fact, only one tree was cut down in its construction! Lapa Rios has, for example, invested extensively in recycling programs, solar panels, planting only native species in its landscape, biogas systems, a non-chlorinated cleaning system for its pool and recently in biodiesel.

Lapa Rios also focuses extensively on education, conservation and community development with its employees and the surrounding area. Lapa Rios works on a yearly basis with nearby Corcovado National Park and other nonprofit conservation organizations, providing necessary funds and materials to those who are taking specific actions to preserve the Osa Peninsula. Lapa Rios only hires Costa Ricans (most of which are from the Osa Peninsula) and, aside from providing a steady job year-round (which is actually quite rare in this part of the country), offers a number of programs to enhance employee education and development, including a reimbursement plan to help employees who wish to continue their studies, nutritional information and much more. Additionally, Lapa Rios built and continues to work with a nearby primary school (Carbonera School) and also organizes educational programs and events with other neighboring primary schools as well.

The fact that Lapa Rios is able to provide such a high level of service coupled with such a huge commitment to sustainability truly sets it apart from the rest. As one of only a handful of hotels to win five leaves from Costa Rica«s renown Certificate for Sustainable Tourism, Lapa Rios stands out as a thriving example of ecotourism and sustainable tourism in Costa Rica.

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