Sustainability at Rio Perdido
Environmental Programsat Rio Perdido
Río Perdido is the labor of love for a small group of explorers who rediscovered a thermal river deep in eastern Guanacaste. The group immediately sought to secure and protect the land while making it available for others to enjoy under a sustainable development plan. Environmentally conscious and community minded, the team behind Rio Perdido is driven by a passion for discovering and preserving the unknown, honoring the cultural heritage of native ancient civilizations, and protecting and reviving 1,500 acres of land over a decade of reforestation efforts. Below is an overview of the sustainability efforts Rio Perdido has established since opening in 2013.
Sustainability Credentials
Today, Río Perdido is a boutique hotel with an impressive list of sustainability credentials, including:
Cultural Custodians
When an exploration was carried out on property, small pieces of broken pottery were discovered under a thin layer of soil on the land. With the help of curators from the National Museum of Costa Rica, these pieces were categorized as authentic Chorotega artifacts dating back hundreds of years. The Chorotega were one of eight indigenous ethnic groups that inhabited Costa Rica. It was concluded that this setting was an important meeting place where this ancient civilization gathered. To honor this heritage and preserve as much of the land as possible, development plans included building less than 1% of the total area and the remaining has been kept for reforestation and preservation.
Rio Perdido also hosts craft sessions for guests led by local artists in The Workshop , a creative space which doubles up as the hotel’s gift boutique – stocked with locally made arts and crafts. Rio Perdido’s chefs are proud to offer special menus to commemorate holidays and festivals throughout the year, which honor the traditions of Costa Rica and Guanacaste. To celebrate, hotel staff add traditional elements to their uniforms and invite local dance groups and musicians to perform.
The hotel is committed to commemorating Costa Rican identity , celebrating events such as June 25 (Annexation of the Nicoya Party) and September 15 (Independence of Costa Rica). These celebrations include menus representing Costa Rican gastronomy, as well as traditional music and dances.
Community Support and Education
Impressively, 90% of the Rio Perdido team comes from nearby local communities, many of whom hold management positions at the hotel. Staff are continually given opportunities to learn and develop skills through the hotel’s various training programs, allowing for professional and economic growth which in turn promotes the protection of the environment. Additionally, the designers and materials used throughout the property are all local, including all artwork and ceramics.
These include an environmental education project led by Rio Perdido in collaboration with local colleges. As a result, the community of San Bernardo was encouraged to participate in The Ecological Blue Flag – Communities Category, making them the fi rst community in Bagaces to achieve such certifi cation. Local entrepreneurs can benefi t from the hotel’s business training , which works alongside the local municipality to support small business owners, including artists who exhibit their works in the canton’s tourist sites.
Conservative Footprint
Hotel grounds take up less than 1% of the total 1,500 acres of land . Architects and engineers made use of preexisting paths and cleared land to prevent further deforestation.
Electric Powered
Rio Perdido promotes the use of electric vehicles by providing free charging at dedicated stations. The property’s on-site cars are 100% electric , whether these vehicles are used for guest transport or for maintenance.
Biodegradable Products
Rio Perdido only uses biodegradable products in housekeeping, laundry, kitchen, and fumigation areas, including renowned brands such as Florex, Ecolab, Greensolutions, among others. For spa treatments, Rio Perdido is proud to partner with Biosfera, a local woman-owned sustainably focused business providing hand crafted organic scrubs, soaps, oils, and more.
Commitment to Recycling
Rio Perdido has its own collection center for recyclable waste, and all employees are trained in recycling practices. These waste materials are properly managed by the Municipality of Bagaces. Río Perdido has a special agreement with the municipality whereby the property recycles most non-organic waste to a degree that is not even common in dense, highly visited areas, nor in the capital.
Protection and Regeneration Practices
Reforestation Efforts
The Río Perdido team has been championing the reforestation process by focusing on sustainable transplanting. Because Rio Perdido is located in the region's most sun-drenched area, irrigation is necessary for the property’s younger transplants. To accomplish this, Rio Perdido injects treated water back into the land, using most of its treated residual water as well as circulated pool water.
Through reforestation and conservation initiatives, the hotel team has expanded protected ancestral lands from 600 acres to 1,500 acres, nearly tripling the area of endangered rainforest.
In an effort to preserve the forest’s natural landscape, the hiking and biking trails are intentionally not overly-manicured in order to keep the unspoiled natural pathways that weave throughout the property. Some of the paths which lead guests to the thermal hot springs were created by the ancient Chorotega people many years ago.
Intolerant to Illegal Hunting
The Rio Perdido team maintains continual monitoring of the reserve to protect its natural wildlife.
Flora & Fauna Protection
Rio Perdido prioritizes the conservation of its fl ora and fauna, receiving continuous training from the PUMAS Rescue Center on wildlife management. The hotel also engages in valuable research with entomologists and top botanists to identify and conserve endangered plant species found in the region.
Conservation efforts include protecting the Celastraceae Wimmeria exfoliata, a rare species of tree endemic to Guanacaste, Costa Rica that was discovered during land evaluation for Rio Perdido’s carbon neutrality initiative. Since its discovery, Rio Perdido has worked to conserve the tree’s habit by achieving carbon neutrality for all man-made projects, ensuring the land is not exploited for human fuel or food, and working with forestry engineers to ensure the tree’s habitat is protected.
All of Rio Perdido’s landscaping efforts also include local native species. Annually, with the support of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute and the Municipality of Bagaces, Rio Perdido plants native and protected trees which improves air pollution, conserves water, are non-invasive and prevent erosion.
Due to these efforts, fauna has fl ourished under the guardianship of Rio Perdido. It's not uncommon to see Capuchin monkeys, Howler monkeys, armadillos, ant eaters, kinkajous and many more throughout the property.
Native Woods Protection
In an effort to stop the extraction and exploitation of fine woods, all wood used to build the hotel was sourced from fallen trees or farmed under license. From napkin rings to coasters, Rio Perdido is committed to not letting a single natural resource go to waste.
In collaboration with the Wildfire Functional Training forest community, the hotel also has an onsite fire brigade to protect the land and mitigate forest fires.
Locally Sourced
