As we were preparing for the trip we were thrilled to drive in an electric car. It made us feel modern but sustainable. But we soon experienced that the car was not just a very eco-friendly vehicle. The car brought us much more than a safe and comfortable ride. As the car has its own unique wrapping, people quickly started to notice our appearance. Whether they were tourists or locals, many people approached us during the trip wondering what they were looking at. We started to explain that the car was electric and 10% of the rental fee would go to the Costa Rican charity that was linked to the car. Before we knew we had many beautiful conversations with people from all around the world who seemed to be genuinely interested in sustainability. It made us feel part of something bigger!
The life stories became visible when we visited the farms and lands where our breakfast was produced. We knew our breakfast was made out of sustainable farming. But the ability to experience where these products came from made us feel special. We were able to thank the farmers and animals for our lovely breakfast. The transparency of these farmers was eye-opening!
Farm Belmar
Hotel Belmar
Tree house Maquenque
Solar heating
Eco Lodge Selva Bananito
We obviously knew that we were going to do a green circle tour. But here is something we never expected. Everything about the tour was sustainable! Surprisingly, all hotels and lodges were completely different from each other. The variety of hotels learned us that being sustainable can be done in many ways as the owners followed their own views on sustainability. However, they do have some things in common. As there was not one hotel that wanted to waste energy on air conditioning, we felt much more connected to the outside world. We would open the doors, and enjoy the sounds of nature around us. At night we heard the sound of crickets, howler monkeys, macaws, iguana, horses, raindrops, and waves as it slowly cooled down to a comfortable sleeping temperature. We created a new kind of luxury feeling by spending our nights in these unique sustainable hotels. The kind of luxury that made us truly happy!
On top of all the beautiful nature, we were taught by several farmers and hotel owners whose job was to keep Costa Rica as sustainable as possible. They showed us amongst others how to build with recycled materials, how to live in the jungle without electricity, and how to grow food on Costa Rican soil. It was refreshing to hear the many life stories that had shaped these hotels. We were guided by these owners on their beautiful lands, farms, and lodges while they passionately share their life stories and personal goals to make the world just a little bit more green. We highly recommend you to ask for their stories! These people are one out of a million.
