Waterfall hike- The Monkeys were on the Monkey Trail

Coming back from the waterfall, walking down the Monkey trail we heard a big noise and the tree branches breaking. We stopped completely and stood quiet paying attention to the forest to realize that it was the jungle mafia, yes the White Face Capuchin Monkeys giving us a warning: “HEY YOU GUYS! This is our territory”.

 Mike and Lisa were captivated by the scout of the group and the troop behavior. These are the smartest monkeys in the Tropical Rainforest, they are opportunists (they eat everything) and they can live up to 45 years. Capuchin Monkeys travel in packs from 6 to 8 males and as Mark and Lisa witness it, they fight to protect their territory.  

Guide: Freiman

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Ocelot

It was around 8:30pm and we were walking near a Castaño tree where you find the fallen tree fruits on the ground making this a meeting place for many mammals (preys and predators) as the White Collar Peccary that feeds from the fruit seeds. We stopped and quietly started looking around and what a unusual surprise I got, right there it was: the Ocelot! So I whispered to Kelly and Kate to let them know about it and we started following it from a very close distance and he didn’t even pay attention to us like if he did not care at all. Then the Ocelot suddenly stopped and turned back, we were just one meter away from him and then it got lost in the vegetation. It was a magical moment and an exciting Night Walk for all of us.

Guide: Freiman

Offset your Carbon Emissions for your flight to Costa Rica and we will greet you with a free Tropical Cocktail!

We would like to offer you an easy way to travel even more responsibly by offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions from your international flight. You can find the tools to help you on our website.

Did you know that climate change has the possibility to change the landscape of the earth and negatively impact magical places like rainforests?  That is why we at Playa Nicuesa are in the process to become a carbon neutral company – we constructed a solar drying room to dry all of our laundry, we use solar panels and a back-up generator that runs on used vegetable oil for all of our electricity and we buy carbon credits for all greenhouse gasses emitted by our operations that we cannot currently eliminate.

You have already made a conscientious choice to vacation at a sustainable eco-lodge and know you can help the planet more. Your international flight will create between 314 and 1,374 Kg of carbon emissions per person depending on where you are flying from. Carbon emissions contribute to climate change which may cause sea level rise, loss of forests and other animal habitat, and a rise in extreme weather events. 

Through our program you can easily offset this impact by helping local reforestation programs and you will be reminded of your contribution with one of our bartender Jonathon's famous tropical cocktails at the lodge as our gift of appreciation! (Wine Enthusiast touted our Caipirum as "Cocktail of the Month"!)

Don’t forget bring or e-mail your receipt that you have offset your flight emissions to Nicuesa! 

Bottled Nose Dolphins

It was 6:15am and we were all in the boat on our way to Río Esquinas and a group of eight Bottled Nosed Dolphins were playing and jumping off the water.
These dolphins are the most common ones in the Golfo Dulce and they are very smart mammals, they hunt in groups surrounding their prey from the bottom to the surface and leaving them no option but jump off the water.

These dolphins can swim as fast as 35 km/h (21 knots) and they need to come out to the surface so they can breathe.

Conservation & Outreach Activities-Certification in Sustainable Tourism (CST)

Certifications are one of the international strategies to prevent green washing or false or misleading marketing of a product as ecologically sound. The Costa Rican government was the first government to create a certification for sustainable tourism to provide travelers with the peace of mind that their vacation dollars are being spent responsibly. The ICT (The Costa Rican Institute for Tourism), the government agency in charge of the certification, requires compelling proof of everything the hotel or travel agent claims to be doing including pictures, signed letters and an on-site inspection that lasts for 2-3 days. Nicuesa made a large commitment of both time and personell to successfully complete the process. A full time Sustainability Coordinator was hired and steps have been taken to become more sustainable every year.

Nicuesa’s final document was 82 pages long with 113 appendices attached and is complete in both English and Spanish. The onsite inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors from December 10th to the 11th and the final documentation was reviewed and handed in March. Nicuesa is now awaiting the final rating which is determined by the inspectors and then approved by a governmental council within the ICT. Each question has a rating and each section out of 4 is weighted the same. Thus, if a hotel receives a 90% compliance with 3 sections and a 60% compliance with 1 section, their overall rating in 60%. This is in an effort to encourage real sustainability that incorporates all of these elements and not just parts.

Slaty Tailed Trogon

Most of the times there is a lot of wildlife to observe when we go on Waterfall Hike in Piedras Blancas National Park but the wildlife bends with the environment in a great camouflage show and this makes it more difficult when you want to spot them in the rainforest. So you learn how to be train your eye and listen carefully to the sounds of the forest. This time I was walking down the trail after swimming in nice cool water with Cheryl, Hall, Kate and Nelsy and I heard a Slaty Tailed Trogon singing but I could not see it so we all started trying to follow the singing of the Trogon from tree to tree and finally we spotted it! There it was, the Slaty Tailed Trogon with its bright colors that help the majority of times in spotting them but not this time. This Trogon is related to the Quetzal but unlike the Quetzal it only lives in low lands and they feed from insects, especially termites.

Guide: Freiman