People and Planet
Let’s respect what we’ve got and protect what remains
(Sylvia Earle)
As the world seemingly spins off its axis, with experiential climate change, mass species extinction and ubiquitous contamination, we feel the need for refocussing our attentions on People & Planet, with a healthy balance of fear, anger, hope and action! We recognize it’s the healthy symbiosis and interconnection of us and the natural world that will enable us to both to survive and thrive. As we endeavour to be an advocate for Green Living, at Pura Vida Ecolodge we’re making every decision with the highest regard for both the local community and the world we call home, working with local conservation projects, platforms and partners. Our vision is to inspire action to both explore and protect the natural world that we need to reconnect with.
Peace, Plants & Pura Vida.
🌿 GREEN SEASON SPECIAL: The rainforest is at its most vibrant! Experience lush waterfalls, active wildlife, and private beaches. Proud 1% For the Planet members—your stay directly supports local conservation. Book your tropical sanctuary and experience the soul of Costa Rica.
THE ETHICS: We are proud members of 1% For the Planet, donating a portion of revenue to local conservation projects as we blend award-winning design with genuine sustainability. Re-wild your soul in this organic jungle nest.
Mindful Travel
HonoUring the True Journey
A long-haul trip to Costa Rica is far more than a vacation. It is a transformative experience—whether you are standing beneath the rainforest canopy or catching a wave in Uvita. These moments spark a lifelong reconnection with the earth, inspiring us to live greener, more mindful lives.
But exploration carries an invisible weight. While we want to continue inspiring couples, friends, and families to experience our beautiful country, true mindfulness means looking at the full picture: the incredible benefits of travel versus the ecological footprint of getting here.
The Hidden Cost of Flight
Aviation is one of the most carbon-intensive activities on earth, yet its true impact is driven by a very small group of global citizens:
Only 20% of the world’s population has ever taken a flight.
A mere 1% of the global population accounts for roughly 50% of commercial aviation emissions.
Standard airline tickets cover mechanical and fuel costs, but they omit the environmental damage caused by high-altitude emissions. These "hidden costs" are currently paid by society and the planet. As a community rooted in an earth-first, regenerative philosophy, we want to help our guests balance the scales.
Systemic Change
Beyond Traditional Off-sets
Standard offsetting—simply paying a small fee to plant trees elsewhere—isn't enough to fix the aviation problem. True progress requires investing directly in structural, forward-thinking solutions. We are proud to align with pioneering initiatives targeting three critical areas:
Aviation Innovation: Funding vital research to scale up Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), electric flight, and synthetic technologies through projects like EagleBAT, NRG2fly, and Clear Wings.
Biodiversity Restoration: Supporting rewilding initiatives Community Carbon Trees, which regenerates native rainforest corridors along our Pacific coast, and the Asociación Costa Rica Por Siempre, dedicated to the long-term protection of our country's wild marine and terrestrial ecosystems. to restore the ecosystems that naturally stabilize our climate.
Systemic Reform: Partnering with organizations like Carbonkiller, which directly buys and permanently destroys CO₂ allowances from the emissions trading market. This forces mega-polluters to pay more, driving genuine industrial reform.
Your True Footprint
Transparency is the first step toward mindful travel. To understand your flight's exact impact, we utilize the Travel Impact Model (TIM)—a transparent, science-led framework developed by Google and the Travalyst coalition. By analyzing aircraft types, seating configurations, and routes, the TIM provides dependable, passenger-level data (which you can now spot directly on tools like Google Flights) to help you choose lower-emitting options and calculate your true footprint.
Take Action: Pay the Real Price of Your Ticket
By choosing to pay the true price of your flight, you ensure your journey actively funds a cleaner future. Your contribution directly supports eco-innovations and startups that would otherwise struggle to secure funding.
We invite you to balance your journey today. It takes just a few moments to choose where your contribution goes: toward clean-sky technology, carbon market reform, or vital nature restoration.
Balance Your Flight's Footprint
Turn your travel privilege into positive, systemic action. Click below to calculate your true trip cost and invest in a liveable planet.
At Pura Vida Ecolodge, we are actively collaborating with the Future Friendly Fund, Carbonkiller, and passenger-reform movements like Bum Prints to reshape global transit. Thank you for traveling mindfully with us.
Forests are home to half our plants and animals and three quarters of our birds. They suck carbon from the air and return the oxygen we breathe. Yet in 2020 more trees were felled than ever before, causing 10% of global warming.
In the 1990s, the vast forests of Costa Rica were devastated, half their former size. But the people of Costa Rica and their Ministry for Environment had a plan to save them. Its programmes paid citizens to protect forests, plant trees, and restore ecosystems. The results were extraordinary. Costa Rica’s forests doubled in size. Flora and fauna thrived which led to a boom in ecotourism, contributing $4 billion to the economy.
The government is now taking the approach to urban areas. It believes 30% of the world’s land and oceans could be protected this way too. Winning the first ever Earthshot Prize will help it share knowledge and practices globally, especially in the Global South. Costa Rica’s motto is “pura vida” or “pure life”, may these words could soon echo across the world!
Rewilding the Ocean with Education and Innovation and based just down the road from Pura Vida Ecolodge in Ojochal, The MCEC is a Marine Conservation and Education Center founded by the non-profit organization Innoceana.
Their beautiful centres in Ojochal and Corcovado offer marine focused expeditions that infuse the love of adventure with a passion for marine conservation. Do more than dive, become a citizen-scientist, and help their team carry out hands-on research and conservation projects, all while enjoying and exploring the marine hotspots of the Osa Peninsula. Experiences with a purpose. For bookings & more info whatsapp +506 8617-2491 or email mcec@innoceana.org or visit Innoceana Costa Rica
Keen to change the way we protect Costa Rica’s beaches and want to lend a helping hand? Innoceana Costa Rica currently coordinate two beach cleanups each month. Second Wednesday of each month at Playa Ventanas and fourth Wednesday of each month at Playa Tortuga (8-10am). An activity for the whole family - the more volunteers, the bigger the impact!
Pura Vida Ecolodge is incredibly proud to be Costa Rica’s first Certified Ecolodge Member of this wonderful platform that was founded to prevent greenwashing, certify reputable giving and provide accountability. The 1% for the Planet certification was given to our little jungle retreat as we met their high-bar commitment and pledge to donate 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes & local conservation programs
Did you know that only 3% of total philanthropic giving goes to environmental causes? 1% For The Planet is on a mission to change that. Their membership model drives critical philanthropic support to address the most urgent environmental issues of our time. The 1% For The Planet network exemplifies the power of collective action as they bring together individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations around the world to support people and the planet. When we all work together, 1% adds up.
To reconcile the footprint of international travel, we are evolving our reforestation efforts. We are incredibly proud to team up with Community Carbon Trees Costa Rica, Ridge to Reefs, and Only One to shift from passive planting to deep, systemic ecosystem restoration.
By working directly with local communities impacted by deforestation, these partnerships ensure native tropical forests are managed sustainably through advanced agroforestry. This protects degraded land from ridge to reef, ensures trees thrive for generations, and secures vital wildlife corridors along our Pacific coast.
A handful of native mature trees can sequester enough carbon to offset a return flight, moving us closer to our zero-impact, carbon-neutral goals. If our guests and wider green-living community choose to pledge alongside us, we can collectively answer the climate emergency. Join the Pura Vida Ecolodge Tribe and help us restore the earth today. Restoring Our Canopies: From Ridge to Reef.
Preserving Our Reefs: Costa Rica Coral Restoration
Founded in 2019, this non-profit is dedicated to restoring, protecting, and repopulating the vital coral ecosystems of Marino Ballena National Park. Through coral nurseries, artificial reefs, and land-based fragmentation tanks, they work tirelessly to out-plant resilient coral while educating tourists and local families on ocean conservation.
However, a severe El Niño phenomenon has triggered a catastrophic, large-scale bleaching event. To save the fragile genetics of our reefs before they vanish, the team has paused open-ocean out-planting to focus entirely on their laboratory coral tanks.
This is an all-hands-on-deck emergency. You can act now to directly help Costa Rica Coral Restoration scale their lab facilities and safeguard these critical genetic strains. Your support is vital to protecting our oceans and ensuring a vibrant, living reef for future generations. Will you lend a hand to help the corals?
🌿 GREEN SEASON SPECIAL: The rainforest is at its most vibrant! Experience lush waterfalls, active wildlife, and private beaches. Proud 1% For the Planet members—your stay directly supports local conservation. Book your tropical sanctuary and experience the soul of Costa Rica.
THE ETHICS: We are proud members of 1% For the Planet, donating a portion of revenue to local conservation projects as we blend award-winning design with genuine sustainability. Re-wild your soul in this organic jungle nest.
Reserva Playa Tortuga is a non-profit biological research and education centre formed in 2009 by community members and Costa Rican scientists. RPT aims to contribute to the fields of biological research and science-based conservation management as well as fomenting a culture of environmental conservation in the areas influenced by the National Wetlands of the Terraba-Sierpe basin.
An inspiring outfit that offer some brilliant volunteering options based right on our doorstep and right by our favourite beach! The main focuses of RPT over recent years has been to gain an understanding of the current state of key coastal environmental resources and to identify stakeholders in the coastal zone who are influenced by the Térraba-Sierpe wetlands. RPT is committed to developing and implementing community-based real-world projects and conservation management solutions, using the best research science and conservation management practices. Everything from environmental education to sea turtle conservation, mammal inventory projects and butterfly garden programs. Get in touch!