Monteverde and Arenal vacation in Costa Rica

The Impacts of this Trip

Throughout this trip, you are accommodated by local naturalist guides. Our escorted trips use local guides and support staff exclusively. Guides’ training and background varies throughout our tours. But one thing remains consistent: their enthusiasm, professionalism, friendliness and knowledge of the regions. Many of the local guides we use hold degrees in their region's history, biology, archaeology or a related field. Certification programs are required; many also participate in an apprenticeship before they are allowed to lead tours on their own. All guides are thoroughly researched and hand-picked by our staff or a trusted affiliate. Both our guides and our travelers are all versed in and practice “Leave No Trace” principles.

We base our hotel selection on the following criteria: being locally owned and operated, built in a sustainable manner, having a desirable location, safety, cleanliness, and ranging in size from 12-20 rooms where possible. This helps to ensure small group size, which in turn helps minimize local impact. Lodges that use innovative practices to improve upon their sustainability and mitigate any environmental impacts are given special preference.

For instance, this itinerary includes a stay at Casa Conde del Mar. In addition to offering access to different water sports such as fishing, swimming and windsurfing, Hermosa Beach also has the Ecological Blue Flag certificate, which manages to categorize it within the cleanest beaches in the country. In addition, the Hotel has the Certificate of Tourism Sustainability issued by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, which categorizes the hotel as a destination that promotes sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.