El Remanso Rainforest Wildlife Lodge, Costa Rica

Name of Lodge or Ecotourism Project: El Remanso Rainforest Wildlife Lodge

Location: Osa Peninsula – Costa Rica. 22km away from closest town “Puerto Jiménez” and 18km away from the entrance of the National Park of Corcovado.

Website: www.elremanso.com

Year Established: 1999

Tourism activities: activities inside the lodge - Waterfall rappelling, zipline canopy tours, tree climbing, hiking, birdwatching and yoga. Outside activities - (all of these tours are run by local – tico – tour operators and families) - horse-back riding, dolphins tour, kayaking and surfing.

Ecolodge / Accommodation details: Various ocean and forest view cabins and suites. Large families can be accommodated.

Responsible tourism practices. How is impact upon the local environment minimized?: At El Remanso we do not use the term “ecolodge” to describe what we do. Though also used by serious businesses that commit themselves to preserving the environment, a growing number of those seeking to exploit its marketing potential for economic gain with little or no regard for ecology employs this term.

In an era where many businesses start using a series of terms related to sustainability or ecology with a similar objective we believe that it is more important to really undertake responsible actions that reduce our environmental impact.

So what to we do to minimize the ecological impact of our business? Read our golden rules:

1. 100% renewable energy. We are proud to be one of the few lodges in Costa Rica to rely 100% on renewable energy. Two micro-hydroelectric plants provide energy to allow normal use of lights and all types of electronic equipment. To be able to continue with this “no-diesel-generators” policy we rely on a well designed system that helps us to reduce energy consumption levels. Most of our equipment consumes little electricity: efficient light-bulbs and fridges, portable computers instead of desktops and solar-powered water pumps or so called “water jet pumps” are just part of our effort to minimize energy consumption.

2. Pesticides, herbicides and dangerous chemicals are banned. Again here, a proper and thought-over design helps to prevent the use of strong chemicals. For instance, our guests have often asked us why we do not use palm roofs for our cabins. The answer is simple: palm roofs need a periodical fumigation in order to keep insects and other animals out. The problem with fumigation is the contamination of micro-habitats next to the lodge, with deadly effect on birds and other creatures around. Therefore we have chosen the use of zinc and tiles with wood insulation for the most comfortable solution for our guests. On a different terrain, we do not use any chlorine in our swimming pool.

3. No logging/ Construction only in clear areas. Of the total 195 acres of private reserve, only 2 acres are in use for the lodge. Constructions have been limited to the cleared areas found originally on the property and no new areas have been cut down.

4. “Clean” materials for construction In order to minimize the ecologic impact of our lodge we decided from the beginning to build with minimal environmental impact materials. That is for instance the use of naturally fallen timber in most of our structures. In other constructions we only use plantation wood such as teak or pine. On another level we do not use glass windows as they represent a threat to birds.

5. Objective: 10.000 trees planted each year. El Remanso Lodge has been a pioneer in reforestation projects. Thanks to our own tree nursery we are able to recollect seeds from different trees and plant them everywhere around the penisula. We provide young trees to any person or organization who wants to reforest areas.

6. Waste management and recycling. The first step to improve waste management is of course, to avoid it. At El Remanso Lodge we buy most of our food in bulk and use refundable packagings when available (beer, sodas, etc.). As we have pure water directly from its source (which is periodically tested) we do not sell any bottled water to avoid unnecessary packaging disposal. We also encourage people not to use disposable plastics. Garbage is carefully sorted out at El Remanso and we separate recyclable materials such as cans, plastic bottles, tins, etc. We also have our own compost facility which is very useful to us as it gives us the organic material to plant new trees in our nursery.

7. Creation of a national wildlife refuge and biological corridor. At El Remanso Lodge we feel that protection of the rainforest and its inhabitants is a more important mission than being just a commercial-oriented lodge. That is why we were the first to join an initiative with other landowners around the area to create a National Wildlife Refuge that protects the biological corridor of the Corcovado National Park. In this way, we have put together almost 4.000 thousand Has. (Around 7.500 acres) which will ensure that this part of the world is and will be protected. Our goal at the moment is to keep growing and to put inside the refuge as much land as possible, trying to get to the boundaries of Corcovado National Park , and protect the biological corridors. Even though this has been a slow process at times, we have been declared a National Refuge already, and we all have the same goal: TO PROTECT THE FOREST NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE .

8. Sponsoring of conservation oriented scientific investigation projects. One of the most effective ways to protect the rainforest is by understanding how it works. That is why we have been actively supporting a series of studies of endemic species and wildlife over the years. We are currently participating in a thesis on the population of wild cats (specially jaguars and pumas) in the Osa peninsula with cameras installed around the property to identify and count the number of animals.

9. Raising consciousness: Certainly the most important of our “golden rules” and it is the core of our lodge’s mission. We want people to enjoy as much as possible during their vacations at El Remanso. If we can contribute in any way to raise consciousness about the necessity to preserve the last forests on earth it will be a huge step into the right direction.



How is the local community involved?: We employ exclusively local staff from the Osa Peninsula (most of them from Puerto Jiménez) and the southern part of Costa Rica.

Does the presence of ecotourism leave a positive impact upon the local environment and community? If so, how?: At El Remanso we employ 23 people, which shows that tourism projects such as ours can give work to the local community. The type of tourism most present in the Osa Peninsula is usually “nature or wildlife tourism”, leaving usually a minimal footprint.

Who owns the lodging facilities (ecolodge)? Is it communally, or individually owned?: Family owned.

Further information: We are currently working to get the “Sustainable Tourism Certification” managed by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute.