What is like to work at Nicuesa?

Being a yoga instructor and a massage therapist at Playa Nicuesa is one in a life time experience... One of our Costarican yoga instructors, Nati Soto, shared with us her side of the story...

Snorkeling 

Living and working at Nicuesa Lodge changed my perspective on life. My expectations for this opportunity were really high, and no doubt I had the time of my life. The knowledge and the fun that I experienced there is owed to the awesome people I was so lucky to spend the time with; guests, co-workers, and the coolest managers you could ask for. 

Melo, boat captain

It has been seven weeks since a captain with a beautiful smile, Melo, picked me up for a wonderful 30 minute boat ride from Puerto Jimenez to Playa Nicuesa.  A ride that I was able to take many other times, and to Golfito and around the gulf as well; sometimes to pick up new guests, to help with errands, to represent the lodge on recycling campaigns, or just for the fun and pleasure of being there. Those boat rides made me realize all the amazing secrets that this water holds, and the different sensations that you get just by staring at it. 

Looking calm and still like if the surface of the water was a mirror, it can suddenly be disturbed by a jump of a dolphin -or many dolphins-, the bright yellow skin of a sea snake only seen in the Golfo Dulce, or by a turtle trying to swim unnoticed beside your boat.  

Sea Snake (Pelamis platurus)

Once the boat approaches Playa Nicuesa’s pier you get involved in the magical feeling of becoming part of the rainforest and the mountain. The lodge and cabins are very beautiful and cozy structures, but my favourite place of all with no doubt is the yoga deck. It is placed in between the beach and the lagoon, so that on one side you have a very strong energy from the waves striking on the shore, and on the other side you have the peaceful water moving very slowly and very wisely from the lagoon, to the river and finally into the sea.

Sunset at Yoga Deck

The yoga deck was my every day sanctuary, the place where we practice yoga and massage.  Every day at least twice a day I did the most beautiful walk from the lodge to the deck on a wooden path over the lagoon, always taking the time to see all the humming birds flying around the flowers, animals walking on the side or swimming underneath the bridge. Nature fills up the platform with the purest energy. 

The only problems I had to deal with, while I was there, was the fact that you needed to speak a louder during the yoga class because the macaws are being louder than you; being distracted on meditation by an ant eater sliding down of a palm tree next to you; the strength you needed to hold your body into an Asana (posture) while the rain got you; to get astonished by a big cruise ship going by while practicing balancing postures; getting lost during a massage distracted by a group of dolphins doing 360 jumps in front of you; or get your breath stolen every time a lightning strike illuminating the dark platform during a evening massage. All of these moments made me feel so small in front of that big infinity that is the ocean, but made me feel one of the pieces that completes the puzzle. 

Dancing with the staff

Working here you really get to relate to the guests, we share every meal with them but you actually end up sharing more than that, lots of good talking, music, laughs, drinks and even some dancing. People come here from all over the world and for that reason I got the chance to hear stories from very different situations and very diverse points of view. I learned a lot from everybody that I spent time with. I learned a lot from Verónica, our Sustainability Coordinator. Sustainability is very strong in Nicuesa, and from her I learned the importance of it. I also learned from her and the rest of the staff  a lot about the flora and fauna of the Golfo Dulce and the Osa region.  

Hiking in the trails

Working at Nicuesa Lodge was a great and refreshing  experience, but LIVING at Playa Nicuesa… that's a life time experience. There are so many things to do in your free time: running in the trails, swimming in the calm sea, and discovering the incredible biodiversity of the area. The food is awesome, healthy and fresh, both of the cooks are excellent!! But, the greatest of all is the people that you live with, the regular staff of the lodge, people that showed me their hearts, taught me to see live from an angle I never saw before, they laughed with me all the time and got to my very soul.

I started my journey on my first day going snorkeling  with Joe, Vero and Sandra; and ended it hiking very early in the morning with Vero, one hour before leaving Nicuesa. But, in between I did so many amazing things in this magical place... I went running on the trails with Amelia, started practicing acroyoga with Sandra and Kattia, fishing with the boys, hiking to the waterfall with Cuy, tracking puma with Felipe, dancing lessons with the staff -different types of dancing: cumbia, salsa, bachata, reggaeton, and even belly dancing!

Jumping from a palm tree during high tide

I had so much fun jumping off the dock on low tide with everybody and jumping off the fallen palm tree at high tide, took couple of cooking lessons, swam to see the bioluminiscent planckton at night, visited the Old farm house, went kayaking the river, did the loop trail, visited the wild life refuge and botanical garden with guests, went to cheer for my Nicuesa boys at the soccer games, watched a movie at the neighbour's, watched the stars laying at the dock, relaxed at the hammocks. I loved to hear the stories from the local staff, incredible people that have been living in this jungle since they were little. 

This morning Juan Pablo brought me to Puerto Jiménez to take my flight back home. I already know that I'm going back being a more open person, willing to become a better human being and to give my best to the world.

Flying back home

SUSTAINABILITY END OF THE YEAR REPORT 2012

Since the moment the idea of Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge was conceived, sustainability has always been one of our primary goals. This wilderness lodge was sensitively designed with the environment in mind, and constructed from naturally fallen trees, recycled materials and harnesses the natural energy from the sun to provide electricity. Since the hotel opened in 2003, our strong efforts dedicated to operate in peace with nature and the local communities have been constant. Our daily operations focus on environmental education to guests, employees and communities, as well as improving our every day practices through experimentation of new sustainable techniques. In conjunction with the community outreach projects that Playa Nicuesa promotes continuously, we know that year after year the sustainability experience in our hotel is exceptional and inspiring. 

2012 Achievements 

2012 has proven to be an outstanding year with regard to sustainability at Playa Nicuesa! 

Certificate of Sustainability Highest Level 

We are VERY proud to share our biggest achievement of this year: Playa Nicuesa has been awarded the highest level of the Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (CST) – five out of five leafs! The Costa Rica Tourism Board has recognized all of our hard work on, and dedication to sustainability. This certificate is given to businesses of the tourism sector, based on the degree to which they comply with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management. CST consists of a scale of 5 "levels" of sustainable tourism achievement and is regulated by the Costa Rican National Accreditation Commission. Up until 2011, Playa Nicuesa had been awarded 4 levels of sustainability. And, last year, after an exhaustive evaluation performed by members of the Costa Rica Tourism Board, we were honored to receive the 5th and highest level! Learn more about the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) Program.

Ecological Blue Flag 

Award Another award which we are also proud to announce that we have been awarded each year since 2009 is the Ecological Blue Flag for our beach front. This National award recognizes Nicuesa’s efforts towards environmental education of our Nicuesa employee family and communities nearby, as well for maintaining our beach clean and safe for visitors. 

Organic Agriculture 

This past year we experimented with organic agriculture. Thanks to our improved composting system, and organic supplements, the fruit garden surrounding the solar drying room is thriving and providing Nicuesa guests organically homegrown, cassava, star fruit, sour guava, lime, sugar cane, pineapples, Brazilian guava, passion fruit and papaya! In addition to our regular compost, we now have worm-compost, also known as the 'gourmet' of composting. In this very unique composting system, the worms eat the organic waste and transform it into very rich and nutritious fertilizer. Learn more about our Sustainability Programs.

Donations and Social Programs 

Every year Playa Nicuesa feels grateful for our guests that kindly make donations towards the conservation and social programs that Nicuesa supports. As a result of donations received and matching of funds by Nicuesa, in 2012 we contributed to several different NGO's and community programs as such as PRETOMA, MarViva, ASCONA, Osa Conservación, Yaguara, and Ministry of Environment. Click here for more information about these NGO’s. 

Thank YOU for all your past and continued support of Playa Nicuesa’s Sustainability efforts!! We wish you a very sustainable 2013!!!

Costa Rican mammals love our gardens...

In the gardens of Playa Nicuesa we get a lot of visitors every day. Birds, reptiles, butterflies, spiders, frogs and mammals are attracted to our gardens due to the great amount of native plants with nectar and fruits they can find in here. Even though we do not support artificial feeding, animals stop by our place looking for food and shelter. Nicuesa’s garden is part of their natural habitat.

 
 When you stay at Nicuesa, you will see a lot of animals walking around your cabin. One of the most common one is the White Nosed Coati (Nasua narica). You could find White Nosed Coatis (or Pizotes as we call them in Spanish) in the ground or in a tree during the day looking for food. They forage by keeping their nose close to the floor and sniffing around to find beetles, spiders, scorpions, ants, termites, worms, centipedes, and even land crabs. 

Toño: Nicuesa's Coati

There is one Coati that is always hanging around in Nicuesa’s garden. He is called ‘Toño’. We know it is a HE because usually male Coatis are solitary, while females travel in bands with other females and their babies. More than once we have found groups up to 25 coatis in our trails. They make this big groups as precaution against predators. Whenever the female Coatis come across ‘Toño’, he follows them, disappearing for a couple of days from our garden... It is not only human nature to lose their mind for the ladies!

Agouti eating seeds

Another mammal that you will probably find not too far from your cabin is the Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata). Agoutis are the biggest rodent from Costa Rica. Cherengas or Guatuzas, as known by the locals, feed on fruits and seeds mostly, but occasionally they will try fungi, insects and crabs. Agoutis are very cute when they eat. They feed sitting on their back legs, holding their food on their forepaws. Once they are full, they bury their food, which makes them an extremely important animal for regeneration of the forest, because they often forget where they hide their food, allowing the seeds to germinate and grow as trees.

Tamandua

A less common animal that also visit our property is the Northern Tamandua or Anteater (Tamandua mexicana).  Tamanduas are very intelligent. They are specialized to eat termites and ants. They know how to identify different castes in the termite society, so they will not eat soldiers of certain noxious termites, but will only eat the defenseless workers. Tamanduas have developed an aversion to leaf-cutter ants, army ants, and other ants that produce chemical defenses.  They don’t have any teeth but their tongue is coated with sticky saliva that catch the ants and termites.

Kinkajou

At night, Guatuzas, Pizotes and Tamanduas go to bed, but the Kinkajou (Potos flavus), also known as the honey bear, wakes up. The Kinkajou is nocturnal, arboreal and solitary. The Kinkajou, or Martilla as Costa Ricans call them, live in the canopy of the jungle, which makes them difficult (but not impossible) to spot during a night walk. They have an exceptionally long and narrow tongue that helps them to get their food: flowers, nectar, insects, and bird eggs. If you are ever sleeping at night in your cabin at Nicuesa and you hear a series high pitch short sounds, don’t be scared, is just a Kinkajou calling.

All of these animals and more you can find here in Playa Nicuesa. Don’t worry if you hear steps or strange noises at night or during the day outside your cabin. The fauna that lives in here is always minding their own business: looking for food, for a partner, taking care of their offspring or just enjoying life in the Golfo Dulce jungle. Thanks to our lush and biodiverse gardens, you may be lucky enough to see them all just sitting from  your cabin’s balcony.

Cabin's balcony

Golfo Dulce: a unique ecosystem in the world

Everyday at Nicuesa we are grateful for being living in such a wonderful paradise. Just by being in the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce, you can tell that you are in a very special place. The breathtaking scenery of the Osa Region is more than enough to feel Mother Earth's power. 

But... What is it about this place that makes it so extraordinary?

Sunset in the Golfo Dulce

The Osa region of Costa Rica is a true biological treasure. It is the healthiest primary rainforest on the whole pacific coast in Central America, in this entire region this is the forest which contains the tallest trees and supports some of the biggest populations of endangered fauna. There is an exceptionally high number of endemic species, meaning that they occur only in this place in the world.   

Within ACOSA, or the Osa Conservation Area, there is a cluster of protected areas, 17 in total, including the Corcovado National Park and Piedras Blancas National Park. This patch of protected area, which represents only 3% of the country’s territory, is home to half of Costarican plant and animal species. That is an extremely high level of density of species, considering that Costa Rica contains 4% of the world’s biodiversity.

 Its uniqueness lies in the junction of several factors. A very wide variety of ecosystems can be found here, due to variability in conditions of elevation, rainfall, temperature and morphology of territory. There is abundant rain (5-6 meters per year) and sunlight, and like the rest of the country, it is the very bridge between North America and South America, thus it harbors flora and fauna from both land masses.

Big Morray in the corals of the Gulf

The “Golfo Dulce” (literally, “Sweet Gulf”) is the marine equivalent of the lush, pristine jungles in the area. Commonly called a gulf, it is actually a fjord, one of the only four tropical fjords in the world. With a maximum depth of 700 feet, it contains very different habitats that range from warm, shallow marine coral formations where little fish abound, to the cold depths that only cetaceans can explore.  

Bottlenose Dolphins

The order Cetacea comprises whales, dolphins and porpoises. Surprisingly, their closest terrestrial relatives are ungulate mammals, which include horses, cows, tapirs and deer among others. It was a long evolutionary way to adjust a terrestrial mammal for life in the ocean. Some of the most obvious adaptations are the transformation of hind limbs into a flattened tail, the fusing of cervical vertebrae that allows no neck movement whatsoever, and the shift from front nostrils to blowholes at the upper part of the head.

Of all marine mammals, cetaceans and manatees are the only ones that spend their whole life in the ocean. These are truly amazing animals, it is a very remarkable fact that terrestrial mammals evolved to go back into the ocean, from which their ancestors had emerged many millions of years ago.

Humpback Whale blowing through the blowhole

There are two suborders within the Cetacea order, Mysticeti and Odontoceti. Mysticeti, or baleen whales (also called toothless whales) have mouth plates instead of teeth and have two blowholes. All members of the Odontoceti suborder (which includes all dolphins and toothed whales) have teeth and only one blowhole. 

In the waters that surround the Osa region, biologists have reported as much as 23 species of cetaceans, including the Sperm Whale, Orcas, Bryde’s whale, and several species of dolphins.

Humpback Whale

Among the more commonly seen cetaceans around the Golfo Dulce, are the spinner dolphins, spotted dolphins, bottle nose dolphins. All these are resident and can be seen year round. Humpback whales on the other hand, seasonally come to breed and nurse the calves. 

Populations from the south arrive from August through November, and populations from the north arrive from November through June. This overlap in breeding seasons makes the Golfo Dulce an extremely rare spot where different populations meet, promoting genetic variety of this species.    

To visit this paradise is one in a life experience, especially for those who love water, rainforest and wildlife!

The Osa Region: An Extraordinary Biological Treasure...

Everyday at Nicuesa we are grateful for being living in such a wonderful paradise. Just by being in the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce, you can tell that you are in a very special place. The breathtaking scenery of the Osa Region is more than enough to feel Mother Earth's power. 

But... What is it about this place that makes it so extraordinary? 

Rio Esquinas Mangrove

The Osa region of Costa Rica is a true biological treasure. It is the healthiest primary rainforest on the whole pacific coast in Central America. In this entire region it is the forest that contains the tallest trees and supports some of the biggest populations of endangered fauna. There is an exceptionally high number of endemic species, meaning that they occur only in this place in the world.    

Within ACOSA, or the Osa Conservation Area, there is a cluster of protected areas, 17 in total, including the Corcovado National Park and Piedras Blancas National Park. This patch of protected area represents only 3% of the country’s territory, but is home to half of the Costarican plant and animal species. That is an extremely high level of density of species, considering that Costa Rica contains 4% of the world’s biodiversity.

 Its uniqueness lies in the junction of several factors. A very wide variety of ecosystems can be found here, due to variability in conditions of elevation, rainfall, temperature and morphology of territory. There is abundant rain (5-6 meters per year) and sunlight, and like the rest of the country, it is the very bridge between North America and South America, thus it harbors flora and fauna from both land masses.

Playa Nicuesa's view to Golfo Dulce

The “Golfo Dulce” (literally, “Sweet Gulf”) is the marine equivalent of the lush, pristine jungles in the area. Commonly called a gulf, it is actually a fjord, one of the only four tropical fjords in the world. With a maximum depth of 700 feet, it contains very different habitats that range from warm, shallow marine coral formations where little fish abound, to the cold depths that only cetaceans can explore.  

The order Cetacea comprises whales, dolphins and porpoises. Surprisingly, their closest terrestrial relatives are ungulate mammals, which include horses, cows, tapirs and deer among others. It was a long evolutionary way to adjust a terrestrial mammal for life in the ocean. Some of the most obvious adaptations are the transformation of hind limbs into a flattened tail, the fusing of cervical vertebrae that allows no neck movement whatsoever, and the shift from front nostrils to blowholes at the upper part of the head.

Of all marine mammals, cetaceans and manatees are the only ones that spend their whole life in the ocean. These are truly amazing animals, it is a very remarkable fact that terrestrial mammals evolved to go back into the ocean, from which their ancestors had emerged many millions of years ago.

Bottle nose dolphins

There are two suborders within the Cetacea order, Mysticeti and Odontoceti. Mysticeti, or baleen whales (also called toothless whales) have mouth plates instead of teeth and have two blowholes. All members of the Odontoceti suborder (which includes all dolphins and toothed whales) have teeth and only one blowhole. 

In the waters that surround the Osa region, biologists have reported as much as 23 species of cetaceans, including the Sperm Whale, Orcas, Bryde’s whale, and several species of dolphins. Among the more commonly seen cetaceans around the Golfo Dulce, are the spinner dolphins, spotted dolphins, bottle nose dolphins. All these are resident and can be seen year round. Humpback whales on the other hand, seasonally come to breed and nurse the calves. Populations from the south arrive from August through November, and populations from the north arrive from November through June. This overlap in breeding seasons makes the Golfo Dulce an extremely rare spot where different populations meet, promoting genetic variety of this species. 

Being so close to all of these biodiversity is a reason to celebrate. Therefore, next 13th of May 2012, Playa Nicuesa is going to be part of the Golfo Dulce Festival, that is taking place on Puerto Jiménez. Keep connected for the news of this event on this blog soon!!!   

Earth Day Celebration!

April 23rd is a day to honor Earth for giving us life. Even though Earth Day should be everyday, it is a good opportunity to remind people that Earth is everybody's only home, therefore is our duty to take care of her.

In Puerto Jiménez, the town across the gulf from Playa Nicuesa, a big event dedicated to our Mother Earth took place. With the help of different lodges around the area –such as Playa Nicuesa-, local volunteers and schools, 'ASCONA' (an NGO dedicated to promote environmental awareness and ensuring sustainable development for future generations) organized a big celebration for this year Earth Day.

The idea of the event was to create understanding of the environmental problems that threaten the Osa Peninsula-GolfoDulce Region, while bringing together the community through dancing, food, games and more.

Recycled art!

Different activities took place in Puerto Jimenez. A soccer tournament in the local field kept the athletic ones busy. Meanwhile, dancing, games for kids, painting and different workshops on how tomake arts and crafts with recyclable materials were attracting people to the local library.

Guests from Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge (PNRL) had the chance to visit Puerto Jimenez during this event. They enjoyed the typical food and dance and even had the opportunity to buy presents for their families and friends from the local artisans.

Veronica: Nicuesa's
Sustainability Coordinator

As Playa Nicuesa’s Sustainability Coordinator, I was in charge of organizing a contest between the eco-lodges: “El concurso hotelero al mejor letrero” (The hotel contest for the best for the best sign-design). The idea was to create a sign with an environmental message made out of only wastes, so that people can understand that waste doesn’t have to mean garbage if you have a creative mind.

Anderson family helping with our Sign-Design!

With the help of my sustainability assistant, Sandra, we managed to create a message using the letters to spell EARTH in Spanish ‘TIERRA’. After thinking and re-thinking the message, and asking our staff about their opinions on the message, the final result was:

Feel the Earth because it is part of you

Take care of Earth because it is your home

Feed the Earth because it is your nourishment

Share the Earth because it is for all

Love the Earth because we have only one

Discovering the message behind the code...!

In the lodge everybody engaged with the contest. Employees and guest helped in the creation of the sign. The Anderson family helped us create code with recyclable material to represent letters, so our sign was not only a sign, but it was also a puzzle.During the Earth day celebration lots of people had fun trying to discover the message behind the code.

Playa Nicuesa was one of 6 lodges that submitted signs.  And, after 121 votes from the community were cast and counted, PNRL WON first place!

Nicuesa Sign in the way to Puerto Jiménez!

 During the afternoon the people enjoyed capoeira: a Brazilian marcial art. For the intellectual ones, we also had a debate on “Sustainable Development of the Osa Peninsula”, as well as a very informative presentation on the “Conservation of Wildcats” in the area done by the NGO Yaguará. One of the main goals of Yaguará is to protect the Jaguar (3^rd biggest wildcat in the world!), which is one of the most endangered species of Osa.

The Earth Day Celebration was not only an educational event to create consciousness in people about environmental problems; it was also an opportunity to bring the community together. A big “Thank You!” to ASCONA who organized the event and to all the people that collaborated and helped making this event a success as it was. Playa Nicuesa looks forward to supporting and participating in next year’s event!

Look in our Facebook page for more pictures of this day!

Whale Sharks Sighting at Nicuesa Lodge!

Everyday we have to keep our eyes open to find pleasant surprises in the waters of the 'Sweet Gulf' (Golfo Dulce), where Playa Nicuesa is located. During this past month, our guests and guides spotted something usually big coming from our tours in the Golfo Dulce...  Whale Sharks swimming very close to their boats!

Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus

Even though they are called whale sharks, this animal is completely unrelated to marine mammals such as whales. The reason for its name lies in the fact that it is as large as some species of whales, and also lacks teeth and instead is a filter feeder (like many whale species).  It gets to be as large as 12 meters in length, making it actually the biggest fish that exists on the planet! It takes a long while for a 50-centimeter newborn to reach the maximum size.  But the whale shark has time, as it is estimated to live some 70-100 years. 

These gentle giants are capable of diving to great depths, but they also stroll slowly on the ocean surface, mouth wide open, collecting plankton and small fish.

Some have been reported to synchronize their migrations to coincide with massive spawning of fish, which provide a good opportunity to feast on eggs and sperm. On these feeding occasions they gather in groups that may range from just a few near the coastline, to (rarely) several hundred in offshore waters.

Since they feed only on microscopic, or very small creatures, they do not represent any danger to humans. Also, the fact that they almost don't have any natural predators, makes them a very mellow animal, attractive to people that while diving or snorkeling might want to take a close look or even get a ride holding from the dorsal fin. Although, this common practice is highly discouraged by shark specialists and conservationists.

In April of 2012 this amazing  synchronized migratory gathering was observed right here in the Golfo Dulce!  Right before the my very startled eyes a group of 8-10 whale sharks calmly wandered near the coast by the town of Cañaza.

Words cannot really express the feeling of such an experience, which is for many, only once in a lifetime. WHAT A HUMBLING AND AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!