GreenSpot.Travel Blog » Costa Rica

Our Favorite Hotel of the Week

GreenSpot.travel — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:24:40 +0000

“Serenity and peace combined with stunning natural beauty” are the words that have been used to describe the setting of this eco resort.

Spot: Jicaro Island Ecolodge

Location: Granada Isletas, Nicaragua

The Good Stuff: Set on a private tropical island with only 9 two-story casitas, Jicaro Ecolodge is an upscale nature resort. An ideal setting for a variety of travelers who want to experience adventures, romance, and rejuvenation.

What We Love: A secluded island getaway, Jicaro is the perfect upscale alternative to hotels and resorts in downtown Granada.

Green Cred: Water is heated with solar panels; focus on reduce, recycle, reuse; all staff are from the local area and food and other products such as food and furnishings are sourced locally as well. Use of organic and biodegradable soaps, cleaning detergents and spa products; Chlorine free systems to clean water in the pool, Energy efficient lighting and illumination throughout the island.

Monkey Poo in the Shower?

GreenSpot.travel — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:02:59 +0000

Shady trees make the best beach umbrellas. Nestled among trees and lush vegetation on the secluded Santa Teresa Beach on the western coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, we found ourselves at Latitude 10. Sustainability is just given equal weight here as comfort and relaxation. We drove from the Arenal Area, through the long thin town of Puntarenas. A lazy ride on the ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya, and finally an adventurously bumpy road towards Montezuma and past Mal Pais got us here to Santa Teresa Beach. The total length of the trip was around 6 and a half hours (we didn’t time our arrival at the ferry just right, being in no hurry, and we stopped and ate at a favorite restaurant at Hotel Tambor Tropical in Tambor).

It was dark by the time we got to the road that runs up the coast through the little surf towns here. Surfers returning from their wavy day gave us a tropical welcome as we were looking for a sign for our hotel… Guess what? Latitude 10 is a Costa Rica beach hotel, very much a boutique property, striving to be as sustainable as possible. Low-key hominess in a beach-luxury atmosphere is also a goal. So there are no signs at all along the road. It’s a move that warms our hearts, as the overabundance of signs in some areas of Costa Rica and other tourism destinations detracts markedly from the experience. It did take us a little longer to get here, since basically the only way to find the hotel with the naked eye at night is to know where it is. Or get here during the day so you can see the small sign in the entrance. Our solution for arriving at night – stop at a friendly looking clapboard house and ask the locals how to get there. Two minutes later and we were here.

The beach right in front of the hotel has a soft strip of sand and then is rocky as you move out toward the ocean, creating some inviting pools with all kinds of marine life. An ideal beach scenario for the young kids with us. Just two hundred yards down the beach is the wide expanse of sand known as Mal Pais, with a sprinkling of surfers and surf wannabe’s. Or just as inviting for those of us who love to run on the beach. Low tide lets you run for miles.

The area gets a little more crowded when Costa Rica surfing really kicks in after the middle of November. But on a glorious August day, there was just the ride balance of sun, surf, scenery and local beach scene flavor. After working up a lather running in the sun, there was an interesting surprise in the open-air shower of our huge bathroom.

Latitude 10 has done a wonderful job designing gigantic bathrooms for each of the detached units here. Instead of looking up at a white ceiling while showering, you look up at the canopy of the tropical forest. This does, however, create some unexpected housekeeping challenges. My post-run shower had to wait a few minutes while the attentive staff got the astonishingly large amount of Howler monkey scat cleaned out of the shower floor. Pretty sure it was the large male leader of the troupe, and as he swung by he decided to leave us that little gift to remind us that we’re in his domain.

Back inside our suite sitting on our private balcony facing the ocean, just a few yards from the beach, the friendly lizards, iguanas and some other rainforest insects stared at us curiously. With the high tide’s waves crashing on the rocky beach outside, feeling very much a part of the surrounding environment, I picked up the little hotel manual (printed on recycled paper).

Is Latitude 10 for you!? Read the four following hotel highlights below and decide for yourselves.

- Latitude 10 casitas are tucked amongst the native vegetation, the wooden structures have shades but no windows.

-There are no locks on the doors

- There’s no a/c

- The bathrooms are completely open-air with large hot water showers and gardens (and regular wildlife visits)

Overall my take is that it has an upscale feeling, but is not overdone.

Top Ten Enviromental Travel Blogs

GreenSpot.travel — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:17:51 +0000

GreenSpot.travel’s blog is where you have the opportunity to share your travel endeavors in your voice, where we talk about your local experiences in the places we travel, like being part of a local soccer match, or learning how to make authentic tortillas at a local’s home. All of the fun conversations we have were just recognized with an award for one of the best environmental travel blogs out there.

Full Retirement Age Group off to Costa Rica.

GreenSpot.travel — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:34:15 +0000

As I describe amazing trips that I have taken to Costa Rica, friends of my age group (full retirement age) are fascinated with what I am describing to them. And they often say, ‘that is a place that I have always wanted to go”. What I sense in my age group, one of the biggest obstacles is not speaking Spanish and how will we travel around the country. A trip planned by Green Spot took care of all those concerns, which at the end were not a concern at all, as some of the population speaks some English.
Approximately, two years ago I made my 4th trip to Costa Rica and it was a marvelous experience. 5 friends accompanied me who did not know Spanish and the travel was taken care by GreenSpot. And it was all we all could ever expect. We saw the southern coast in Dominical, the southern tip of the country on the Osa Peninsula (staying in a well known eco lodge of Lapa Rios) north to the Rainforest and on to Arenal where we experienced an active volcano from a safe distance.
My friends found the same things to be true that I have talked about for years. Three of us were avid birdwatchers and we saw enough to fill our birding books. Our first morning out from Lapa Rios, we questioned if all the birds had been planted there for us! We hiked forest trails led by a knowledgeable tour guide who spoke flawless English and who told us of the plants, animals, commerce and history of this interesting country. Our transportation was by small airplane and small tour bus (12-16 passengers). We were able to see the varied topography and have all our questions answered while traveling from one destination to another.
Our whole party would heartedly endorse this way to see the wonderful countryside and to learn about it in a way that the ordinary tourist might never experience.
Afraid of exploring the world at my age? Not anymore.

Highlights of our Family Adventure in Costa Rica

GreenSpot.travel — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:38:32 +0000

I’ll begin with our first night at the Finca Rosa Blanca, near San Jose. We loved it and were sorry that we
could only spend the night. It’s a real gem, and got our trip off to a good start.

Another marvelous memory was our stay at the Bosque de Paz, in the cloud forest. It is a special
place, close to nature, secluded and peaceful. The owners were there, and treated us like family.
We never would have known about it on our own. I’m so glad we got to stay there. There was
a young man, native to the place, who is a naturalist and gave us a wonderful nature hike, and let
us see a microscopic orchid he collected that is extremely rare.

From there, we headed toward Arenal, stopping on the way for what turned out to be an
absolutely delightful afternoon with Dona Mara and her family (daughters, grandchildren), with a
home-made delicious lunch in her covered, open-air patio (with kitchen!). Dona Mara is a
gracious and kind lady who made us feel like part of her family. She helped us make our own
tortillas (a first for me, I buy them in packages at home!) and gave us a bountiful lunch of local
cuisine. Then she gave my daughter and I earrings she had made in the colors of the Cost Rican
flag as souvenirs. This experience was certainly unique and not one we would have had on an
ordinary tour, or on one we had planned ourselves. It was unforgettable and it still makes me
smile to remember it.
A few words abut our guide, Julio Madriz. A more knowledgeable and congenial travel
companion cannot be found. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and fauna,
geography and history of Costa Rica and shared it in a casual and interesting way, helping us
sample a forest-found fruit and see tiny creatures hidden to the untrained eye. He had boundless
energy and patience and made us feel like new-found friends. I hope you are lucky enough to
have Julio as your guide. He added so much to our trip.

The grand finale was a few nights at Punta Islita resort, where we had arranged to stay in an
individual villa, complete with a plunge pool with a gorgeous view of the forest and beach, and
hand-hewn beds of native woods, in air-conditioned comfort. It was low-key and charming, with
a resident troop of monkeys in a mango grove on the property.. The lovely beach ( very warm
and calm water) and amenities of the resort made it the perfect place to unwind and relax before
heading home.

All in all, it was perfect, just what we hoped for, and more. A wonderful time and now,
wonderful memories.

A Costa Rica Family Adventure To Remember

GreenSpot.travel — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:55:39 +0000

During the Christmas holidays, our family of 4 took a trip to Costa Rica. We were 2
middle-aged (but in pretty good shape physically) and active adults, and a 19 and 17 year old. It
isn’t easy to plan a trip that will satisfy all of the wishes and wants of 2 adults and a college age
and a high school age teen. Usually, we plan our own trips, but this one called for some savvy
and well-informed assistance.
We had read in Conde Nast Traveler magazine about some travel agencies that specialized in
Costa Rica, so I took their recommendations and called 4 places. I gave each one a description of
our group, and our wish lists and priorities, as well as the time frame. We then carefully read and
evaluated the proposed tips itineraries and budgets.
Greenspot stood out from the beginning. We liked their suggestions, and felt that they “got”
what our family is like and what we were looking for. And they were so pleasant and easy to
deal with.
The trip turned out to be absolutely wonderful- we’d do it all over again in a minute! We were so
happy with all of the choices of accomodations and activities. What made the trip so enjoyable
and stress-free was that the logistics were flawless. Greenspot made sure that, at every transfer,
we were met by drivers who knew exactly what to do and where to go. They were always there,
waiting for us, pleasant and prepared to do their jobs. So we could relax and just enjoy
ourselves.

Read more about some of our highlights of the trip next.

The creation of the Agro-Costarrican Museum

GreenSpot.travel — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:41:55 +0000

It would work as a tool to teach the children of the community about how to preserve what it’s been so hard to get, our land.
The museum will expose the history and development of the area, through the eyes of those founders who worked hard to make sure that their families had a place to live and be part of. The founders had the opportunity to give the community a message which was mainly said in these words “Let’s value and preserve what we have now, and teach the rest of the world that our community has been built to give visitors the opportunity to learn about our culture and our identity, and pass this along for many generations to come.
The construction would take close to 5 years, and would be located in the town of Chachagua, just 20 minutes from the town of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano.

We hope to see you there!

Rural tourism project in the Manuel Antonio Area

GreenSpot.travel — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:41:40 +0000

Driving toward the mountains of Talamanca, 45 minutes from Quepos-Manuel Antonio, is the town of Londres, and the Rural Tourism Project of Los Campesinos Private Reserve. Created by three local costarricans, who wanted to share their tico traditions, great food, and their stories about growing up in the area and the old Costa Rica, but most important to give visitors the opportunity to experience the authentic side of the country, by spending a day hiking among farms, creeks, waterfalls, and wildlife in the primary and secondary forest. Los Campesinos reserve is located on a majestic mountain range between the Naranjo and Savegre rivers watersheds. The Reserve is part of the community of Quebrada Arroyo, and is managed by Don Miguel Mora, his brother and his wife Doña Juanita. Visitors have the opportunity to interact with the locals, walk in a hanging bridge, and if you feel even more adventures, you could experience a traditional manual tram (kind of a metal tram suspended by ropes) to get across the Savegre River. A day of memorable moments that could be added, if you are staying in the Manuel Antonio Area.
See our suggested itineraries, and asks us for more details at info@greenspot.travel

My GreenSpot office for the week

GreenSpot.travel — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:39:53 +0000

Here I am in the warm Costa Rican weather! Working — yes, it is all about work, but still a very nice opportunity I have to do it from here, reachable at any time for my clients who are getting their bags ready to come down here as well. And for those who are still trying to plan their vacation to this tropical countryâ€¦ my country.
Staying here in the Central Valley for the next 4 nights, while I make it down to my momâ€™s in the Arenal area.Â It is funny the way the U.S restaurants and hotel chains like this one are better in foreign countries. I have to say it is actually quite pleasant to stay here (at the Holiday Inn by the International Airport), breakfast was good, service is very nice and the rooms are actually very clean and smell good!Â Perhaps, a hotel option I could consider for the in and out of the country nights for people travelling on a budget with late flights into San Jose or early flights out. Oh â€¦ and I forgot to mention that local phone calls, international phone calls, internet and shuttle to the airport are services included in the rate.
More from me laterâ€¦

Have you been to the Top Hotel in Central America?

GreenSpot.travel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:37:33 +0000

Each year at this time, CondÃ© Nast Traveler magazine releases the results from its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, ranking the best cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, hotels, resorts, and car rental agencies worldwide. While all the winners will be announced in the November issue, awards were given out on October 15 and we are pleased to say Lapa Rios Ecolodge was named the Top Hotel in Central America!Â Â ”The CondÃ© Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards are highly prized by our team as an indication that we are meeting and exceeding our guests’ expectations,” says Hans Pfister, president of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality which operates Lapa Rios Rainforest Ecolodge.”To be named top hotel in Central America is an honor and provides us with the goal to work hard to keep that top ranking for 2010!”.Â

This award follows a string of recognition for Lapa Rios including being named as a 2009 World Savers for its commitment to sustainability in the September issue of CondÃ©Nast Traveler, and the best nature and wilderness lodge by Away.com, the leading online destination for travelers planning their next vacation.