Costa Rica on a shoestring, self drive vacation

Planet

Our local partner holds the highest CST “5 Leaves” certification from the national tourism board, reflecting its environmental and social responsibility.

Their office operations follow clear sustainability policies: minimising waste by favouring returnable, biodegradable and recyclable products, reducing energy and water use, and choosing suppliers that prioritise sustainable practices and locally sourced food.

Support is also directed towards conservation and community projects across the country. In the Diriá region, they work with FUNDECODES on a Tourism Development Project that provides technical workshops in customer service, market profiles and product design, alongside targeted materials and infrastructure support for small enterprises in the Santa Cruz and Nicoya districts.

On the Osa Peninsula, the company has long been a sponsor of the Corcovado Foundation, backing community-led conservation, education, and protection programmes against illegal logging and hunting.

They are also members of the Silver Morpho supporters’ programme and contributors to the “Make a Difference” initiative.

In addition, our ground handler is involved with Allies to Climate Change, a reforestation effort in the Tenorio–Miravalles Biological Corridor near Bijagua, which offsets carbon emissions while restoring biodiversity and watershed stability.

People

Our local partner emphasises local benefit by keeping spend within Costa Rican communities, favouring small, family-run hotels, restaurants and guides. Prompt payment of suppliers is standard practice, ensuring financial security at a local level, and guests are directed towards experiences that showcase and sustain community livelihoods.

It’s simple. We take care of our providers and partners. We strive to keep the supply chain as local as possible. Because we know if our community thrives, we all thrive.

We love to work with boutique properties that support local hand-built furniture and serve organic, Costa Rican-grown produce where they can. This is the essence of supporting local businesses.

The company is a co-signatory of The Code, an international initiative to prevent the sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

Travelers are also encouraged to take part in experiences that directly support people on the ground, such as visiting indigenous artisans, spending time with small organic coffee farmers, or bringing requested supplies to schools. For example, on this particular trip, you'll vist Tortuguero, where you can take part in the conservation efforts of sea turtles in Costa Rica by learning from local researchers at The Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Through the Pack for a Purpose scheme, travelers are guided to purchase items locally, ensuring that their contributions directly benefit the communities visited.