It's all PURA VIDA with COSTA RICA

How to make your trip to Costa Rica even wilder? By taking the ‘Pura Vida Pledge’ – a four-step plan for a more sustainable, rewarding adventure. And it starts with you...

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1. GO ECO

There’s a phrase in Costa Rica that you’ll hear wherever you go: Pura Vida, or ‘pure life’. It’s a greeting, a philosophy, a positive mindset – if you’ve got Pura Vida, you’ll find the best in everything. Not that you have to look far: Costa Rica is rich in diverse experiences, wildlife and landscapes – from the misty heights of its cloud forests, to the pristine beaches where sea turtles nest.

But the Pura Vida Pledge is all about sustainability, too. For visitors, that means exploring the country with the lightest of footprints – doing your bit to protect this winsome, wild land.

The first step? Stay in an eco-lodge, preferably one with a Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (for more details, see puravidapledge.co.uk): these accommodations exist in harmony with nature, and offer low-impact adventures galore.

In Corcovado National Park, Lapa Rios lodge (laparios.com) is surrounded by primary forest, with waterfall hikes, birdwatching and whalewatching right on its doorstep.

At Hotel Capitán Suizo (hotelcapitansuizo.com) – in Tamarindo – you can spy macaws, snorkel and watch whales; meanwhile the awardwinning eco-lodge Rio Tropicales (riostropicales.com) in Limon is perfect for white water rafting on the nearby Pacuare River.

2. BE CARBON- CONSCIOUS