Eco Tourism Costa Rica

ECO-SUSTAINABLE SPECIAL

10 | #searchfindhowl| online howlermag.com

“Ecotourism is sustainable when everybody wins — tourists, local people and animals alike.”

Gregory Basco

Deep Green Photography Foto Verde Tours

ecotourism

noun eco·tour·ism \ e-ko- - - . ' tur- i-z m, e-ko- - \

' '

ecotourism: the practice of touring natural habitats in a manner meant to minimize ecological impact

e

If only the subject were as pure and simple as this Merriam-Webster definition makes it sound. Inferences about ecotourism being synonymous with sustainable tourism can be misleading and limiting. When commercial interests are factored into the Mother Nature/ human nature equation, neither label tells us enough about people’s green-friendly choices of travel lifestyle or livelihood.

How well do they measure up to being economically as well as environmentally beneficial?

Can “eco” and “sustainable” encompass the same yardstick of success in the tourism sector?

There are many indications in this Howler issue that the answer is "yes." Sustainability and responsibility are intertwined themes in the various ecotourism stories and perspectives featured.

If ecotourism offers infinite ways to soothe our souls, can sustainable tourism save our species?

Photo: Gregory Basco

#searchfindhowl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 11

by Jenn Parker

Ecotourism:

Where the Rubber Doesn't Hit the Road

Tortuguero sunrise. Photo: Gregory Basco

COVER STORY

Off-grid, ecofriendly visitor experience is Costa Rica’s new norm

Costa Rica has long been recognized as an environmentally conscious country whose leading industry is ecotourism. Since its inception, the term ecotourism, which is often interchanged with sustainable tourism, has been used and misused to inspire travelers to visit destinations with bountiful natural and cultural diversity and wealth. With the rise of technology and the accessibility of international modes of transportation, there are few places that are completely out of reach.

As curious travelers we want to have unique experiences that involve authentic natural and cultural encounters. It is this wanderlust-driven desire that makes ecologically rich and less-visited places prime targets for increased tourism. Getting placed on the tourist map draws attention to once sleepy destinations and in so doing, there is the risk of wildlife and indigenous population exploitation, mismanaged infrastructural growth, environmental destruction and the misappropriation of resources and profits.

The Economist commented in a Mar. 17, 2018 article on the politics of conservation in Colombia: “At the moment, those involved

tend to throw into the pot anything that might vaguely count: ecotourism; wild fruits and nuts that can command a premium price; cosmetics made from forest products that appeal to the virtue-signalling middle classes.”

Fortunately, through ever more rigorous sustainability standards, practices and certifications, many countries, communities, tourism stakeholders and travelers themselves are ensuring that the negative impacts that tourism can inflict on a destination are reduced if not eliminated.

“Broadly speaking, ecotourism can be evaluated at the destination level or down to an individual tourism provider,” says Leon Mach, a resident lecturer in sustainable tourism at the School for Field Studies in Bocas del Toro, Panama and co-owner of SeaState, a university-level sustainable tourism study-abroad program that visits Costa Rica. “And it encapsulates social, environmental and economic impacts of tourism service delivery.”

Ecotourism is more complex than many of us probably realize. According to the World Conservation Union, ecotourism possesses the following characteristics: “conscientious,

12 | #searchfindhowl| online howlermag.com

low-impact visitor behavior; sensitivity towards, and appreciation of, local cultures and biodiversity; support for local conservation efforts; sustainable benefits to local communities; local participation in decision-making; and educational components for both the traveler and local communities.”

It is through conscious ecotourism that both the traveler and the local providers (tour operators and guides, transportation companies, lodges and other businesses) can do more than just mitigate the negative impact of tourism; they can actually promote a positive impact. Ecotourism can produce income-generating opportunities for individuals in places where those options were previously limited. It can also generate funding forconservation efforts and the protection of natural areas and resources. Ecotourism also has the power to promote invaluable education, nature and cultural awareness, and activism for more sustainable practices and conservation initiatives.

Many of us are beginning to realize our vital individual and collective role in protecting our planet and all living and non-living natural entities. For this reason, many of us are opting to explore the world with a greener mind and approach to travel. There are far more eco-options these days than ever before. As a traveler, it is wise to understand what makes a tour, activity, accommodation or business eco-friendly and to understand what you can do personally to be a responsible and ecoconscious traveler, whether you are in Costa Rica or another incredible destination on our beautiful planet.

In Costa Rica, there are two prominent certification programs, the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) and the Blue Flag Ecology Program, that businesses and coastal towns can earn for their dedication to the environment and local communities. ”Certifications help level the playing field and reduce greenwashing by evaluating

and comparing providers using specific criteria under several categories,” Mach says.

The Certification for Sustainable Tourism evaluates all sectors of the industry in Costa Rica. According to the United Nations, “the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) is one of the first systems, if not the first, to achieve the integration of the principal elements of sustainable tourism, analyzing good management practices, the environmental and social impacts of services, as well as the client's perception of image and the congruence between the service offered and the product's promotion.” There are almost 400 tourism companies in Costa Rica that have received this five-level certification.

“As curious travelers we want to have unique experiences that involve authentic natural and cultural encounters.”

In 2016, according to the Costa Rican Tourism Board, more than 70 percent of tourists who visited Costa Rica spent some time on the beach. The Blue Flag Ecology Program is a certification that is awarded to coastal communities. It's divided into 10 categories: beaches, communities, neutral weather, education centers, community health, micro-drainage basins, sustainable homes, special events, protected natural spaces and climate change. This prestigious award is one that has inspired beach towns and businesses to work together to take care of their environment while at the same time sharing it with international visitors.

While Costa Rica, like many other eco-conscious countries around the world, isn’t doing everything right yet in terms of protecting the environment and maintaining a completely sustainable approach to tourism, inspiring progress is continually being made. It is not only the country and the tourism providers that are responsible, though — it is all of our responsibility to tread lightly and consciously and make decisions that not only enrich our personal experiences but benefit the places we visit.

Photos courtesy of Caminos de Osa

#searchfindhowl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 13

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

by Karl Kahler

The Osa Peninsula

Where the Wild Things Are

Photo courtesy of Caminos de Osa

COOL PLACES

Corcovado is invariably called the “crown jewel” of Costa Rica’s national park system.

The storied Osa Peninsula, one-third covered by Corcovado National Park, is the wildest place in Costa Rica that is actually accessible to visitors. It deserves most of the soubriquets it has gained over the years: Costa Rica’s Wild West, its final frontier, or as National Geographic famously described Corcovado, “the most biologically intense place on earth.”

My brother, Paul, first visited the Osa in 1985 and has lived there nearly full-time since 2000. A cousin of mine built a house here around 1991, my father moved here in 1993, and I first visited in 1994. Paul started an Internet cafe, travel agency and real-estate company in Puerto Jiménez, where he lived in a beachfront house with a swimming pool on the roof that became a home away from home for my entire family.

Over a period of 24 years I got to know the Osa well, flying into the national park and hiking out, going waterfall rappelling and ziplining, riding horses and doing a chocolate tour, staying at most of the major lodges and nearly drowning in a rookie surfing mishap.

This is not Costa Rica “lite” — this is a real wilderness. But for dedicated ecotourists, the Osa is as good as it gets, and not just in Costa Rica. There are few places in the world, even in the heart of Africa, that could compete with the Osa for sheer biodiversity, lush tropical beauty and extreme adventure by land or by sea.

Corcovado National Park

The Osa’s primary attraction is Corcovado, Costa Rica’s largest terrestrial national park, at 164 sq. mi. (The La Amistad International Peace Park, which is shared by Costa Rica and Panama, is much larger, but it’s almost completely inaccessible to tourism. The Las Baulas National Marine Park also protects a larger area, though it’s mostly in the ocean.)

The rugged Corcovado is invariably called the “crown jewel” of Costa Rica’s national park system because of its incredible biodiversity, which is in part a result of its remoteness from civilization. There are no roads in the park, so the only way to get in is by foot, on horseback, by boat or by air. There is a small landing strip at Sirena, the ranger station in the middle of the park, where accommodations and food are available.

I’ve been to Corcovado a half-dozen times and was always amazed by how much wildlife I saw — tapirs, sloths, peccaries, coatis, agoutis, anteaters, spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, raccoons, squirrels and bats, to name some of the mammals. Most of these are well habituated to human beings and don’t mind if you get too close. Exotic birds also abound, including toucans, scarlet macaws, trogons, antshrikes, hawks, egrets, manakins, woodcreepers and

18 | #searchfindhowl| online howlermag.com

herons. There’s also no shortage of crocodiles, lizards, snakes, spiders and of course insects. I even saw a bull shark once, loitering at the mouth of the Sirena River waiting for his lunch to swim to him. (Sharks and crocodiles, in fact, can make crossing rivers at high tide dangerous if you’re hiking along the beach.)

South of Corcovado, there are several ecolodges catering to nature lovers and adventure seekers, clustered around the town of Carate and farther south along the unpaved coastal road. Most of these come by their eco-credentials honestly — air conditioning and television are taboo, Wi-Fi is rationed and carbon footprints are small.

The dirt parking lot between the village of Carate and Corcovado park is possibly the most remote place you can drive to in Costa Rica from the capital. It’s literally where the road ends.

Drake Bay

North of Corcovado, on the “neck” at the top of the peninsula, is the little village of Drake Bay, so named because Sir Francis Drake is said to have sailed into it in 1579. This beautiful bay is home to a small town, properly named Agujitas, that relies almost entirely on tourism. Driving here requires a 4x4 vehicle and a spine of steel, as there are several river crossings and one very scary bridge with two planks for your tires. In the rainy season driving can be impossible, but the town does have a small landing strip. Probably most visitors arrive by boat from the inland town of Sierpe, south of Palmar Sur, via the Sierpe River.

There are some beautiful ecolodges south of town, most of them also reached by boat. All offer boat tours to Corcovado and snorkeling or scuba diving trips to Isla del Caño, an uninhabited island once used as a burial ground by indigenous groups. This island has a great beach, and the snorkeling and diving here are among Costa Rica’s best.

Matapalo

Surely the Osa doesn’t offer all this and surfing too? Hold onto your rash guard, because the Matapalo region at the southern tip of the peninsula has some of the best surf in the country. There are strong right breaks at Playa Matapalo, Backwash Bay and Pan Dulce — the latter is a bit gentler and a good place to take a surfing lesson.

By the way: Be careful! Knowing nothing about surfing, I once paddled out into the ocean with my 12-year-old son on one surfboard, launched him onto a wave, and then thought I would die swallowing water from the pounding waves that quickly overwhelmed me. I survived when I ducked under and found that I could touch bottom and hop/swim my way back to safety. Drowning is shockingly common in Costa Rica.

Matapalo and its outskirts are home to a string of ritzy ecolodges, including the luxurious Lapa Ríos and Bosque del Cabo. There are multiple other lodges and vacation rental homes along Matapalo Beach Road, a rutted, rocky track that is not for the faint of car.

#searchfindhowl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 19

FACTS ABOUT

OSA

PENINSULA

300 species of birds

80% of the territory is protected under varying types of conservation

12 endangered species of trees

2.5% of the planet's biodiversity

140 species of mammals

10% of mammals in the Americas

7 Biological Reserves

At the end of this road you can take a free or guided hike through primary and secondary rain forest to the 110-foot King Louis Waterfall. A company called Everyday Adventures (also known as “Psycho Tours”) offers waterfall rappelling, a thrilling and scary adventure. You can also strap on a harness and helmet and climb a giant matapalo tree, ring a cowbell at the top, and then do a terrifying Tarzan swing to the ground.

The wildlife viewing and birdwatching here are sublime, with monkeys frequently spotted swinging through the trees. One tour guide here told that on a random night hike with his girlfriend, he saw a tapir, a pack of peccaries and a couple of giant rodents called pacas fighting for turf.

Matapalo is a town with no town there, lacking stores or other services, though there is one restaurant nearby, the popular Buena Esperanza. For this reason most of the lodges here are all-inclusives, but if you rent a vacation home here, you should buy all your food and drinks in Puerto Jiménez.

Golfo Dulce

The Golfo Dulce (“Sweet Gulf ”) got its name from the large number of rivers that empty into it, reducing its salinity. (“Osa,” in case you’re wondering, means “female bear” but apparently got its name from a native chief, as there are no bears in the Osa.)

The most enduring myth about the

Golfo Dulce, courtesy of ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, is that it’s one of a handful of “tropical fjords” in the world. This is totally false, as a fjord is a deep, narrow inlet formed by glaciation, and the Golfo Dulce was formed by tectonic uplift. But that doesn’t stop every tour guide and travel writer (and Wikipedia)

The wildlife viewing and birdwatching here are sublime.

from repeating Cousteau’s gaffe like gospel.

The gulf is unquestionably deep, over 200 meters in places, and is a popular hangout for dolphins, whales and whale sharks. Boat tours of the gulf often feature sightings of these breathtaking creatures, in addition to snorkeling and visits to the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary, an animal rescue center with a cool menagerie of injured and orphaned animals.

Inshore fishing is another popular activity in the gulf, with opportunities to catch roosterfish, yellowfin tuna, snappers, groupers and jacks. You can also take a boat out into the Pacific to hook a marlin or swordfish.

Puerto Jiménez

Jiménez, the Osa’s biggest town, thrives on supporting all of the ecotourism mentioned above. There

Osa Peninsula data and photo courtesy of Caminos de Osa

are banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, clothing stores, souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, a gas station, a bus station and a small airport.

Lodging here ranges from very cheap hostels in the middle of town to considerably pricier accommodations on the outskirts. The Crocodile Bay Resort, a top fishing lodge, has long been working on its ambition of building a world-class marina anchored by a Hilton hotel, the Botanika Osa Collection, Curio Collection by Hilton. Travel agencies here offer tours to any of the places mentioned, and can line up required permits and guides to visit Corcovado. You can also take a kayaking tour into the abundant mangroves and out onto the ocean. I once saw a mother dolphin and her calf swimming in a lagoon while I was kayaking in the mangroves.

Jiménez can be a fun place to stay, eat, party and stock up on supplies, though the town has a few rough edges. Yet it’s also full of pleasant surprises, including raucous scarlet macaws that are so numerous they’re practically pests. And every day at sunset, hundreds of green parrots can be seen and heard flocking to their nests in the mangroves.

The Osa is not close, it’s not convenient, it’s not easy and it’s not Manuel Antonio. But if you’re looking to experience Costa Rica at its wildest, and you’re willing to invest some sweat equity in your adventure, the Osa is the place to be.

20 | #searchfindhowl| online howlermag.com

ECO-SUSTAINABLE SPECIALby Jenn Parker

Indigenous Insights

An important aspect of ecotourism is centered around the impact on, and involvement of, indigenous communities. Costa Rica is still home to several indigenous tribes, including the Bribri and Térreba. Spending time at one of many indigenous villages is a unique way to not only learn about the traditions, cultures, and way of life of Costa Rica’s first inhabitants, but also support these native communities.

Cultural Center of Bríbripa bribripakaneblo.com

The Cultural Center of Bríbripa is located on the Bribri Salitre Territory outside Buenos Aires. A variety of tours are available to make your time in this captivating community memorable. Different aspects of the Bribri people’s life and culture are highlighted, including their worldview and history, deep-rooted connection with nature, use of medicinal plants, traditional dances and ceremonies, and ancient mythologies.

Stibrawpa enstibrawpayorkin.wordpress.com

In 1992, three women of the Bribri tribe from the village of Yorkin formed the Association of Stibrawpa in an effort to improve the local quality of life through income-generating projects. Related goals were to preserve the Bribri culture and language, protect their natural resources, and promote sustainable development within the community. Stibrawpa offers Yorkin visitors a choice of one, two or three-day tours as a rare opportunity to learn about Bribri life in the village, in the rainforest, and on the river.

Térraba terraba.org

Térraba is an indigenous group, territory, river, and town in southern Costa Rica. The Térreba tribe is matriarchal and deeply-connected with Mother Nature. The community is self-sufficient and lives almost entirely off the land using agricultural practices that have been passed down from generation to generation. Térreba visitors can learn about the local environment, food and agriculture, plant medicine,

Odry’s Massage

Massage Pedicure

Manicure Waxing

and traditions. Tamarindo - main intersection, above Tamarindo Transfer & Tours Daily, 9am-6, call for appointment, walk-ins welcome

#searchfindhowl 2653-0939 HM ordrys.massage@hotmail.com

HOWLER MAGAZINE | 21