Sustainability practices at

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens

At Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, we are fully committed to sustainable tourism and strive to limit any negative impacts generated by our operations. This commitment is by no means limited to Monteverde Lodge – it extends to all our Böëna Wilderness Lodges and the communities that support us.

We strive to be agents of positive change for our children and future generations. By developing strong programs and practices hand in hand with our providers and neighboring communities, we support the conservation and restoration of our country’s natural areas and resources.

And through our years of experience, we’ve realized that sustainable operations and, in turn, sustainable communities, are not only possible but practical.

Here are a few examples of our sustainability practices at Monteverde Lodge & Gardens.

We want our guests to know that their visit to Monteverde Lodge helps protect and preserve the natural environment & support our community. Our local sustainability programs reach fruition through a one-time $10 per person Monteverde Lodge & Gardens Conservation Support. We share regular progress reports and updates with our guests to demonstrate how important their contributions are. Many guests are even inspired to give more to the fund.

At Monteverde Lodge, we believe responsible tourism should benefit and respect local communities, and we consistently work toward this goal.  Monteverde and the surrounding communities depend on tourism. Most our staff are from local areas. The hospitality and warmth they provide are second to none and make the difference between an unremarkable stay and a stay that’s remembered for a lifetime. Experience for yourself what it means to meet the friendly locals in what’s often called the happiest country on the planet.

Our staff:

Most of our management positions are filled by women. For example, our Lodge manager, kitchen and Rooms leader, and Sustainability and Management Coordinator are all women from nearby towns. Learn more...

In addition, we provide cross-training opportunities with colleagues from Böëna’s sister lodges so that staff can strengthen and acquire new skills, build leadership potential, and expand their professional horizons. Learn more… 

Community Outreach:

We support the local recycling initiative through funding as well as provide the center with administration and organizational assistance as part of our staff’s regular work responsibilities.

Buying local: We buy our produce, dairy products, eggs, berries, and other food products from local growers and providers whenever possible, and most of our daily operative maintenance supply chain comes from in-town commerce.

In keeping with our belief that sustainable tourism should enhance the living standards of the region’s residents, we make every effort to work with area service providers and assist with improvements to the local infrastructure, such as road work and adverse weather mitigation. We also support local initiatives through donations and collaboration in community projects like the Tecnological Environmental Park and Escape Monteverde.

We have been sponsors of the Monteverde Environmental Park that includes support to complete the stages of development of the solid waste plant, implement the sewage plant, and compost plant for Monteverde, while  Escape Monteverde initiative works with teenagers and improving mental health in this population.

Children and education:

We consider education to be the single most important aspect of our commitment to sustainability. In Monteverde, we support local La Lindora School by providing funds and equipment for environmental education and other social programs. Improvements were made to the compost and orchid garden. Learn more...

At Böëna, we strive to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the regions where we operate. By restoring Monteverde Lodge’s original architecture and design, we captured the natural light and ventilation. The effect is a luxuriously cool and comfortable open-air environment reminiscent of ages past.        

Supporting local talent and artists: We regularly invite local musicians to perform live at our El Jardin Restaurant. Guests enjoy our delicious Costa Rican and International cuisine and experience authentic music played by artists while comingling with the area’s residents and fellow travelers.

At Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, we offer farm-to-table fusion cuisine at El Jardin Restaurant. In addition to using fresh ingredients in each dish, we offer traditional Costa Rican dishes—such as the classic Casado—and side dishes with a Costa Rican “touch.” The result is a gastronomic experience that features a surprising combination of flavors crafted with innovative recipes and a masterful flair. Learn more... 

At Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, we invite our guests to join us as we embrace sustainability practices such as responsible water use, electricity conservation, and waste disposal. Through our efforts, we demonstrate how sustainable living is fully achievable.

Applied environmental conservation is at the foundation of everything we do. And like our sister Böëna lodges, we’ve dedicated a significant portion of our 3.8-hectare property as a private nature reserve. Since 2022, we received the Bandera Azul Ecológica recognition for our creek quality and conservation management we have taken in our 3.8 hec private reserve.

We’ve also formed internal sustainability committees among our staff to implement the periodic clean-ups of nearby creeks and the reforestation of our hotel grounds and the surrounding area.

The following list details a few more of our conservation efforts:

Energy:

Much of our energy consumption is supplied through the lodge’s 47 solar panels.

Water:

We use biodegradable and environmentally friendly soaps, detergents, and cleaning products.

Our swimming pool is purified with salt and stabilizers instead of chlorine. Salt systems are much kinder to the environment – and our skin.

We’ve installed only high-tech toilets for the most efficient water use.

By installing water, gas, and electricity meters, we analyze the lodge’s consumption patterns and implement preventative actions for improved water and energy management and the responsible use of our resources.

EM Spheres Project:  we support the Böëna-supported EM Spheres Project. With the introduction of a benevolent new solution to treat contamination and waste in the nation's waterways, the tourism industry, students, and even visitors can now be part of the positive change. Read more... 

Waste:

We separate our waste and encourage our guests to do the same. Recyclable materials are taken to the town recycling center (Acopio de Monteverde). We provide monthly support with our staff to help organize and clean the local recycling center.

We process compostable waste from our restaurant, transforming organic material into compost for our gardens.

We strive to eliminate all single-use plastics from our property and our sister Böëna Wilderness Lodges. Tap water in Costa Rica is potable. We encourage our guests to choose reusable bottles over bottled water. Plastic bottles take vast quantities of fossil fuels to produce and are non-biodegradable, exacerbating the country’s carbon footprint.

Wildlife:

In 2023, we added Monteverde Lodge to the Jaguar Research Program, project with the National University that supports the implementation of a Jaguar Program to study felines and other native species.

Our small onsite organic farm is an interactive space where guests can learn about Costa Rican agriculture and taste some of the fresh edible produce commonly grown in the region. Although our garden doesn’t yield enough to supply the Lodge’s kitchen or staff restaurant, our goal is to grow examples of fruits and vegetables while providing a space to learn about organic farming practices.

We encourage our guests to explore outside of the lodge as well as in. Our concierge can arrange eye-opening tours of nearby attractions such as the Monteverde, Santa Elena, and Curi-Cancha reserves. The founders of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, for example, are the pioneers of Costa Rican conservation and ecotourism. They established the park in 1972 to protect a pristine tract of Central America’s cloud forests from logging and development.

To further support the Monteverde community, we buy most of our produce from local sources. We also give preference to local service providers for the repairs and upkeep of the lodge.

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens is member of Monteverde Chamber of Tourism, a non-profit organization that works promoting Monteverde as a local and international destination, also supports community projects through the sustainability principles, and facilitates training to provide quality services to Monteverde visitors.

The Böëna collection of wilderness lodges forms part of the National Chamber of Sustainable Tourism (CANAECO). A non-profit organization, CANAECO provides stimulus to develop responsible and sustainable practices across the tourism industry.

Projects and Initiatives

Our sustainability efforts transcend each Böëna Wilderness Lodge to become agents of positive change for our children and generations to come. Through developing strong programs steeped in community participation and empowerment, we strive to ensure the restoration and conservation of Costa Rica’s unique natural areas and resources.

Discover more about our projects and contact us on [email protected] if you want to become part of any of our sustainability initiatives.

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Tools and Resources

Explore some of our sustainability documents, links, images and videos. Access to information is a key element for sustainable development.

 

Monteverde Lodge | Blog

 

Celebrate the holidays with Böëna
and a traditional Costa Rican Tamaleada 

December 2023

In Costa Rica, family and friends come first, and the holiday season is no exception. It is a time of gathering and sharing among loved ones and of celebrating the close-knit bonds of Costa Rican culture. Not surprisingly, food is a central component of the festivities, and the Costa Rican Tamale is the star of the show.. Read blog here!

 

Patriotic traditions
and other September stories

September 2023

Costa Rica recently marked a significant milestone as it celebrated 202 years of freedom and independence on the 15th of September. Read blog here!

 

How Böëna sows the seed of
sustainability by growing organic produce

August 2023

When it comes to the conscientious management of their ecolodges and operations, Böëna’s roots go deep. In 2013, the Böëna founding family bought farmland among the fertile slopes of Turrialba Volcano to develop an environmentally friendly permaculture model for growing healthy and nutritious food for the guests and staff at Pacuare Lodge. By employing a companion crop approach—planting various crops that benefit each other without over-depleting the soil—Böëna’s Tuis Farm was able to harvest a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables for the lodge while minimizing the strain on the soil’s health and integrity. Read blog here!

 

Where do you find Costa Rica’s best nature guides?

October 2023

Böëna Wilderness Lodges recently gathered its core teams of expert naturalists during a three-day Guide Summit in the ecologically unique mountains of Monteverde, Costa Rica. The unprecedented event took place September 18 through 20 at Böëna’s Cloud Forest Lodge and Monteverde Lodge & Gardens.

The gathering provided a space for guides to exchange lessons learned and enrich their knowledge of Costa Rica’s vast plant and animal biodiversity and its role in the region’s historical and cultural development. Read blog here!

 

Female Empowerment at Böëna:
Strength in Numbers

July 2023

Stop by any of the four Böëna Wilderness Lodges, and you may notice there are a lot of women running the show. In fact, this collection of four exclusive ecolodges has become a bastion of female empowerment, with women in half of the top management positions.

The corporate manager, the commercial director, the sales manager, the sustainability coordinator, the general manager of one of the lodges and two head chefs … all women. This is a bit unusual in this country, and it speaks to the company’s desire to find equilibrium among the genders, ages and socioeconomic origins of its senior staff. Read blog here!

 

Böëna Wilderness Lodges resumes
Environmental Education classes in schools

June 2023

Without sustainability, Böëna Wilderness Lodges would not exist in this shape and form. Since our foundation, our objective has been to contribute to the conservation of some of the most biodiverse places on the planet for the enjoyment and wonder of generations to come. Read blog here!

 

The best wines are those
shared among friends

June 2023

Böëna’s collection of Boutique Wines pairs delightfully with the stunning surroundings

Not many hotels in the world offer wine by the glass from Israel’s Negev Desert. And not many have wine collections as lovingly and carefully selected as those found at Böëna’s Wilderness Lodges. Read blog here!

 

Fine dining at Böëna sets
a new bar for eating well in the wilderness

June 2023

I knew this was no ordinary hotel restaurant when I saw that one of the entrees on the menu was black risotto with grilled octopus, shrimp, calamari and “squid ink.”

“Is this a misprint?” I asked Milagro Vallejos, 42, the head chef at El Jardín in Monteverde Lodge & Gardens. She said no, they actually flavor the risotto with the ink from squids, the same fluid these mollusks use to hide from predators. Read blog here!

 

Birdwatching at Monteverde:
Look up!

May 2023

If you’re interested in seeing birds, you might want to make space on your calendar for Monteverde, Costa Rica, one of the most iconic destinations in the world for avid birders.

Dennis Fernández, 29, has been leading birdwatching tours in Monteverde for six years. Dennis says some 10,000 bird species are believed to exist in the entire world, and in Costa Rica there are said to be some 923. That means that out of roughly every 10 bird species in the world, one probably lives in Costa Rica.

Dennis, who often leads tours for guests from Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, said he has seen four ocelots in his time here. But when you ask him about birding, that really gets him talking. Read blog here!

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