Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Lapa Rios
Lapa Rios will always have the distinction of being Costa Rica’s first, and therefore trailblazing, eco-lodge. It has not rested on its laurels, and has maintained the highest of standards in comfort, sustainability and guest experiences of the abundant nature of this area.
Lapa Rios will always have the distinction of being Costa Rica’s first, and therefore trailblazing, eco-lodge. It has not rested on its laurels, and has maintained the highest of standards in comfort, sustainability and guest experiences of the abundant nature of this area.
Lapa Rios will always have the distinction of being Costa Rica’s first, and therefore trailblazing, eco-lodge. It has not rested on its laurels, and has maintained the highest of standards in comfort, sustainability and guest experiences of the abundant nature of this area.
Lapa Rios will always have the distinction of being Costa Rica’s first, and therefore trailblazing, eco-lodge. It has not rested on its laurels, and has maintained the highest of standards in comfort, sustainability and guest experiences of the abundant nature of this area.
Location
Lapa Rios is accessed by a 30 minute 4x4 drive along a rough road heading south from Puerto Jiménez on Costa Rica’s wild Osa Peninsula. The settlements of Cabo Matapalo and Playa Pan Dulce are within walking distance.
Accommodation
The 17 reed-thatched wood and bamboo bungalows, villas and suites are open-air lodges, nestled in the rainforest canopy. With stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golfo Dulce, the bungalows feature indoor and outdoor waterfall showers and a spacious deck with hammock. From your canopied bed, you will look through huge windows to the verdant paradise beyond. The views continue in all communal areas, including the extensive deck spaces around the ocean-facing pool and thatched pavilion.
Unlike most hotels, there’s no fuss with pretentious and gimmicky dining options because there doesn’t need to be; the Brisa Azul restaurant is so good that it has its own recipe book. From your table on the shaded terrace of the restaurant, with views across the rainforest and sea, you will be treated to delicious dishes whose ingredients are locally sourced and sustainably gathered.
Indeed, Lap Rios Lodge is about as sustainable as any holiday destination can be, with deep involvement in local conservation projects including its flagship conservation of more than 400 hectares of forest. You may find ecologists staying at the lodge as they work on projects to conserve key species such as jaguars, pumas and ocelots. Guests are encouraged to engage with the various sustainability aims and can plant tree seedlings before they leave.
Indeed, Lap Rios Lodge is about as sustainable as any holiday destination can be, with deep involvement in local conservation projects including its flagship conservation of more than 400 hectares of forest. You may find ecologists staying at the lodge as they work on projects to conserve key species such as jaguars, pumas and ocelots. Guests are encouraged to engage with the various sustainability aims and can plant tree seedlings before they leave.
Experiences
- Take a guided walk with one of the lodge’s resident experts. The Osas Peninsula contains more than 2% of the world’s biodiversity, so you will have plenty to learn about and see! The highlights for us are armadillos and sloths. Keep away from the skunks.
- A sundown walk will reveal a whole new side to the animal ecology of the Lapa Rios forest. You don’t have to stay up late, though, because the lodge has plenty of night vision trail cameras for you to look at in the morning.
- Wild swimmers will love the possibilities provided by a walk along the Carbonera River. This is also a place where you can have the thrill of waterfall abseiling.
- The headland of Matapalo is a place to watch or take part in surfing, or perhaps go beachcombing for starfish.
- A short walk from the lodge is the zipline tour, with five ziplines and other methods to go from platform to platform high in the canopy.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Conservation
The Osa Peninsula is one of the last landscapes that can still support not only Jaguar, but also Margay, Ocelot, Jaguarundi and Puma. Over the years, Lapa Rios has supported various wildcat conservation programs, donating cameras and video equipment, and offering the use of the property to researchers. This allows them to study feline behavior and population densities in order to better protect these highly endangered species.
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Environment
Lapa Rios serve tasty exotic dishes without racking up thousands of food miles by working closely with local suppliers to ensure that every product is organic, that every chicken is hormone-free and that every cow is grass-fed. They also support the ‘Dock to Dish’ sustainable fishing program, making sure their seafood is always fresh and from just down the road.
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Community
In the early 1990’s, Lapa Rios set about building the Carbonera School next to the nature reserve. Since then, through the generous donations of guests, the lodge has supported the education of primary school children in this remote part of Costa Rica for two and a half decades, including some of their very own staff members.
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