The Lapa Rios Rainforest Ecolodge and Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort in Costa Rica offer guilt-free luxurious accommodation, where visitors can sit back enjoy the wildlife, the beaches and rainforests safe in the knowledge that both resorts are the market leaders for sustainability and conservation within the Costa Rican market.

The very essence of the resorts is sustainability. Lapa Rios was conceived to help preserve 1,000 acres of Central America’s last remaining lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. The resort consists of 16 private, upscale bungalows and is one of the few resorts within Costa Rica to have been awarded all five leaves from the country’s renowned Certificate for Sustainable Tourism.

Today’s visitors to Lapa Rios can also enjoy many sustainable experiences, including a volunteer rainforest initiative, complimentary sustainability tours, Tico cooking classes taught by local women and ecotourism tours into the rainforest. Other sustainable highlights include using local natural materials for the construction of the lodge, solar heated water, a rigorous recycling programme, planting over 25,000 native ‘suiita’ plants for future thatch roof replacement and access to the 1,000 acre private reserve is by professional guide only.

Visitors are encouraged to enjoy both resorts using connecting flights by the world’s first carbon neutral airline, Nature Air, the national carrier of Costa Rica. Situated right on the beach, the Arena del Mar offers unsurpassed luxury with five star culinary and spa experiences to be savoured and enjoyed - all without guilt as the resort is the first 100% sustainable development project in Costa Rica and has applied to follow in the footsteps of Lapa Rios in gaining all five levels of the Costa Rican Certification for Sustainable Tourism.

In addition to being built using the latest sustainable technology, only electrical cars are allowed on the property, whilst the roof tiles are actually recycled plastic made from discarded plastic bags from the Costa Rican banana industry.

The Arenas del Mar resort buildings cover less than 25% of the land, with the majority left as an untouched private nature reserve acting as an ecological corridor for animal species found in this area – white faced and squirrel monkeys, slots, crabs amongst others. As with Lapa Rios, involvement in the local community is an essential part of the whole project, with all employees again coming from the region. The Arenas del Mar is also planting over 7,000 native species of trees and plants.

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Journalists who are interested in staying as guests at either one of these properties should contact Mccluskey International on details below

For further information on the hotels please visit www.arenasdelmar.com and www.laparios.com .

For all media enquiries please contact:

Becky Addley/Ian McKee/Vanessa Ip
McCluskey International
T: 0208 237 7979
E:becky@mccluskey.co.uk

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