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Stand-Up Paddle Board Adventures Tour

Playa Cativo is the perfect setting to hone your stand-up paddle boarding techniques! Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned pro, you’ll truly enjoy this exciting water activity as you take in the beauty of the surrounding Golfo Dulce and rainforest. Sheltered from the wind, our bay seems to have been designed just for stand-up paddling with tranquil, clear water in the mornings, glorious sunsets at dusk, and a generally small and manageable surf in the afternoons.

Plan a Stand-Up Paddle Board Adventure Tour on your next visit to our Costa Rica eco lodge! Start your tour with an easy-to-follow introduction from Playa Cativo’s skilled instructors. Practice a bit . . . and then, stand up and paddle away! Combine a stand-up paddle tour with snorkeling to add an extra sense of adventure to your day!

TheStand-Up Paddle Board Adventure Tour includes a guide, land and water instruction, use of equipment and set up. Cost is $45 per person for Playa Cativo guests and $65 per person for visitors.

Please give a minimum of 12 hours’ advance notice. You’ll experience adventure at its best with this 2-3 hour tour!

Our Costa Rica lodge sponsors Tree Day celebration

Drummer from school at Playa CativoIt was a truly amazing event on June 15th as an animated group of young school children paraded with their drums at the Aboretum Luis Jorge Poveda Alvarez in the Reserva Forestal of Golfo Dulce. This band of drums made of recycled buckets is called “The Downpour,” and the little drummers put on an entertaining show during the celebration of the Centenarium of Tree Day in Costa Rica.

Celebrating its second anniversary on the same day, the Arboretum is an initiative of ACOSA (Osa Conservation Area), SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas) and MINAE (Environmental National Ministry).

This was the second year that Playa Cativo Lodge in Southern Costa Rica donated all of the t-shirts for the event and staff from our rainforest lodge also took part in the reforestation activities. Playa Cativo also participated in a hands-on project by planting a number of endangered-tree species to create an area called the Centenarium Forest.

Playa Cativo is a green ecolodge in Costa Rica and committed to preserving the environment for future generations.

Click here to see “The Downpour” band video.

Playa Cativo Staff Donates Time to Help Needy School

Rainforest lodge in Costa RicaPlaya Cativo Lodge staff members recently took part in a special program to help one of the neediest schools in Golfito — Escuela San Francisco Km 1. Ten dedicated staffers donated their time and skills to paint the school’s fence as part of the Playa Cativo Blue Flag Program. All paint and materials were donated by several organizations but, unfortunately, the school could not afford to pay for labor to paint the fence. That’s when the Playa Cativo team stepped into action!

Interestingly, some of the staff volunteers (including Daniela and Alex) had attended the school several years ago, and grew up in the surrounding area.

The Blue Flag is an annual award for volunteer work aiding conservation and development. Local groups and committees compete for to assist worthy causes with the goal of helping both present and future generations.

“This is Playa Cativo’s third year participating in the program,” notes General Manager Allen Mairena. “During this time, we have developed a nice relationship with this particular school. We enjoy supporting the school’s activities to benefit student welfare along with the preservation of natural resources.”

Costa Rica Hotel

 

We’re Celebrating Our Trip Advisor Green Leader Award!

Gardener (Copy)It’s celebration time here at Playa Cativo Eco Lodge in Costa Rica! We are delighted to announce that Playa Cativo has been accepted into the Trip Advisor Green Leaders program, which helps travelers around the world plan greener trips by highlighting hotels and B&Bs engaging in environmentally-friendly practices.

As you know, Trip Advisor is the world’s largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan the perfect trip. Trip Advisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with links to booking tools. Trip Advisor Green Leaders properties have met a set of environmental standards developed for Trip Advisor by a leading environmental consulting firm, with input from expert partners. The more green practices a hotel has in place, the higher its Green Leader level, which is shown on the property’s listing on the TripAdvisor site.

“At Playa Cativo Lodge in the Costa Rica rainforest, we offer the opportunity to become immersed in nature while staying in great comfort,” says General Manager Luis Pardo. “Our guests appreciate our very low impact operation and sustainable practices geared to preserve the area and improve our community.”

Travelers can now search for accommodations that have Trip Advisor Green Leaders status on the Trip Advisor site, and view a detailed list of environmentally-friendly practices that they can expect at each location. “Trip Advisor Green Leaders are leading the hospitality industry in making efforts to improve their environmental footprint,” notes Jenny Rushmore, Director of Responsible Travel at Trip Advisor. “We greatly applaud these hotels and B&Bs, and are pleased to share their eco-friendly practices with our online community of more than 260 million travelers who visit the site each month.”

When you are searching for the best green hotels in Costa Rica for a family vacation, Playa Cativo is the perfect destination to learn about promoting environmental sustainability. From our organic farm, generation of clean energy, reuse and recycle programs and use of biodegradable amenities, the Playa Cativo team believes that every effort counts . . . and even the smallest effort goes a long way to help keep our planet healthy!

25 Great Reasons to Stay at Our Hotel in the Rainforest of Costa Rica!

Beach Casita 1 (Copy)Consider a total immersion in nature at Playa Cativo Lodge . . . walking an isolated beach and being surrounded (day and night!) by the abundant wildlife of the Costa Rica rainforest. To enhance your experience, this luxury ecolodge has developed an organic farm-to-table program to supply its gourmet restaurant, and offers very comfortable accommodations with panoramic views. Playa Cativo’s sustainable operation is run by an all Costarrican staff and generates 100% clean electric energy for the lodge.

Most of the magic of the rainforest comes from understanding the complex interaction between all living creatures — from plants, insects and birds to amphibians, reptiles and mammals. In the same area as Playa Cativo lies the Golfo Dulce and Osa Peninsula which provides habitat for 2.5% of the entire world’s biodiversity and also offers the natural beauty of Piedras Blancas National Park. Playa Cativo Lodge is surrounded by the Park and accessible only by boat.

Looking for even more? Playa Cativo’s 25 consecutive five-star TripAdvisor reviews are 25 good reasons to visit this serene and naturally abundant undisturbed area.

Luxury room 2 (Copy)  Costa Rica wildlife  Gourmet creations at Costa Rica's Cativo Lodge

 

 

Enjoy a Travel Theme Escape to Our Luxury Eco Lodge in Costa Rica

Birds 1 (Copy)It’s time to plan your next Costa Rica getaway and Playa Cativo Lodge is a perfect escape where you’ll experience the incredible beauty of the Costa Rican rainforest, numerous outdoor activities, beachfront setting and the finest in farm-to-table dining at our rainforest eco lodge.

Playa Cativo has developed a number of exciting travel themes for 2015 – from birdwatching trips and family vacations to health and wellness workshops and yoga retreats. Check your calendar, and let up help you set up a vacation of a lifetime!

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Rainforest Activities, Tours and More at Our Costa Rica Lodge

Birds 1 (Copy)Have you visited Playa Cativo Lodge in Costa Rica yet? If you have, you are aware of the many spectacular outdoor activities at our beachfront eco lodge in the rainforest! We offer numerous self-driven, private, guided and third-party tours to totally experience the beauty of Playa Cativo and the surrounding area.

During your stay at our luxury Costa Rica lodge, you will enjoy a complimentary guided tour. You may choose from a 45-60 minute self-guided walk on the Playa Cativo property,  a standup paddle or kayak experience or a snorkeling adventure at Cativo Bay.

Families are encouraged to take our Off-Grid Alternative Energy Tour. It’s a great way to teach children about responsibility and how Playa Cativo Lodge operates at 100% clean electric energy with off-grid hydroelectric power and solar panels.

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Enjoy Luxury Rooms at Our Costa Rica Rainforest Lodge

Playa_Cativo_Rooms_bed_detailYou’ll enjoy the beauty of the Costa Rican rainforest, glorious sunsets on the beach, the finest in dining and luxurious guest rooms when you visit Playa Cativo Lodge in Golfo Dulce! The lodge features Deluxe, Luxury and Premium guest rooms.

Constructed from precious reclaimed hardwood, the Deluxe rooms offer lovely ocean views. The colorful tile work has been crafted by local artisans and is truly exquisite! The Luxury rooms also feature beautiful views with additional room space, and the Premium rooms offer a mini-bar with refrigerator, double-sink vanities, great views, and even more room space!

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Playa Cativo Believes Sustainability Starts at Home

Flower 1 (Copy)At Playa Cativo Lodge, our team is dedicated to sustainability and preserving the beauty of the gulf and rainforest for future generations. We invite guests to learn, share ideas and take home some of the practices that we’ve implemented at our Costa Rica eco lodge.

We encourage guests to be responsible and make small changes to help the environment when they return home from Playa Cativo. As Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

It’s easy to complain about what others are doing wrong, how they are polluting the world, or how businesses contribute to pollution. Yet, we need to remember that change starts with each one of us. Even with baby steps, we can create ripples that will turn around past careless behavior.

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Win the Ultimate Costa Rica Escape at Playa Cativo Lodge

Playa+Cativo_rainforestTake a chance to win a three-night stay at Playa Cativo Lodge in Costa Rica!

The prize package includes: round-trip airfare for two; boat transfer to Playa Cativo Lodge; three-night stay at Playa Cativo Lodge with breakfast, lunch and dinner at El Gavilán Restaurant at Playa Cativo Lodge; boat and fishing tour out of Quepos; $500 Shop Latitude shopping spree; and one month of pure barre classes plus one outfit.

Click here to enter the contest! Good luck!