Rios Tropicales Lodge

05 Sep

Rios Tropicales Lodge Wins TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

By Shannon FarleyThe Rios Tropicales Lodge has been awarded the 2018 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, for yet another consecutive year.The multiple award-winning Costa Rica ecolodge on the Pacuare River is also a member of the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame, reserved for businesses that have been awarded the Certificate of Excellence for at least five years in a row.“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award from TripAdvisor based on our guests’ reviews,” said Rafael Gallo, CEO of Rios Tropicales. “On behalf of all of our personnel, we’d like to thank all of our guests who took the time to share...

12:38 / Rios Tropicales Lodge

03 Jan

Cabécar Family Partnership – Rios Tropicales

Living in harmony for decades with Costa Rica’s largest indigenous group, the Cabécar, Rios Tropicales shows that respecting other cultures begins with being a good neighbor. “We’ve had a long relationship with the Cabécar for over 27 years. We’ve always respected each other’s cultures,” said Rafael Gallo, co-founder and president of Rios Tropicales adventure company. “We didn’t do this in order to be sustainable; we were doing this even before ecotourism was invented. We were just trying to be good neighbors.” The Cabécar live in the remote Talamanca Mountains in eastern Costa Rica, which includes the Pacuare River region. When Rios Tropicales...

11 Nov

Protecting the Rainforest on Costa Rica’s Most Famous River

Rios Tropicales Grows Largest Private Rainforest Reserve on the Pacuare!By Shannon FarleyThe Rios Tropicales Private Rainforest Reserve is growing, and is now the largest private rainforest reserve along the renowned Pacuare River in Costa Rica.In recent months, the rainforest reserve expanded a little over 432 acres (175 hectares) to now protect a total of 2,409 acres (975 hectares) of primary rainforest, and pastureland being converted back to rainforest. At the end of August 2016, 136 acres (55 hectares) of land were purchased by Rafael Gallo, co-founder and president of Rios Tropicales adventure company, in partnership with his sister, Claudia. Neighbors...

12:09 / carbon neutral / Costa Rica / Costa Rica Rafting / Ecotourism / Pacuare Rafting / Rainforest Reserve / Rios Tropicales Lodge / Sustainability

04 Feb

Packing for Costa Rica

Packing for Costa Rica? our country is undoubtedly one of the most amazing to explore for a variety of reasons. First off, it's incredibly beautiful with active volcanoes, stunning rain forests, gorgeous beaches and a huge array of wildlife. Secondly, it's extremely tourist-friendly so if you want to explore a foreign country with relative ease, Costa Rica is hard to beat. Thirdly, Costa Rica offers literally something for everyone--river rafting, jungle kayaking, surfing, rainforest hikes, bird watching, mountain biking, hiking volcanoes, hanging out, etc. So once you've decided on Costa Rica, the question becomes "What do you pack?" Will you be rafting the...

14:31 / Costa Rica / Ecotourism / Rios Tropicales Lodge

07 Sep

Family-friendly adventure in Costa Rica

Authentic Adventures for Explorers of All AgesWhat kid wouldn't love to walk through a rainforest filled with bugs of all sorts? Or paddle on a jungle canal with turtles and basilisks watching from rocks and monkeys swinging overhead? And what parent doesn't want to share the joys of adventure with their kids? In Costa Rica, authentic adventures are close at hand and many are perfectly suitable for families with young explorers. A recent trip to Costa Rica and Rios Tropicales Pacuare Ecolodge let savvy family traveler Sarah Fazendin and her young family experience the wonders of Costa Rica up close and personal.[caption...

00:08 / Costa Rica / Ecotourism / Family Adventures / Rainforest Reserve / Rios Tropicales Lodge / Tortuguero Adventures

17 Aug

The History of Rios’ Rainforest Restoration Program

From Adventure Tourism to Rainforest RestorationIt was only about six years after founding our adventure tourism company in 1985 that we began our reforestation program. Rios Tropicales started out in 1989 with the practical decision to buy some property for our overnight trips. We had been camping on Anibal Obando's property for about three years. His self-sufficient farm included sugar cane, pineapples, cattle, corn, rice and several other products. Every day, Anibal, Doña Dina and their 15 kids would hike up from their home in El Tigre to harvest and care for this property. While their property was (and is!) spectacularly beautiful, it's...

12:37 / Costa Rica / Ecotourism / Rainforest Reserve / Rios Tropicales Lodge / Sustainability

10 Jun

Rios Tropicales Celebrates 30 Years of Adventure Ecotourism

Rios Tropicales is celebrating 30 years of adventure and sustainability this year!! We are thrilled to make it to such a milestone from our early river running days in 1985. We are grateful and happy to have helped put Costa Rica on the international adventure map....

11:00 / Costa Rica / Costa Rica Rafting / Ecotourism / Pacuare Rafting / Rainforest Reserve / Rios Tropicales Lodge / Sustainability

10 Jun

What Is Greenwashing?

The Reality of GreenwashingSeems like everyone and everything is being touted as “green” these days. From personal care products to food items, the promises and claims are all about being eco-friendly and sustainable. It was inevitable that the green-labeling spree would hit the travel industry, including hotels and resorts. But how do you tell what’s what? Is simply recycling and offering to reuse towels and linens enough to warrant a green label? While those steps are very important and do save resources, there are other criteria to consider.Seeing the Green for the EnvironmentIf you’re planning your vacation and investigating your...

08:40 / Costa Rica / Ecotourism / Rainforest Reserve / Rios Tropicales Lodge / Sustainability

Rios Tropicales Lodge