At Monteverde Lodge, we believe responsible tourism should benefit and respect local communities, and we consistently work toward this goal.  Monteverde and the surrounding communities depend on tourism. Most our staff are from local areas. The hospitality and warmth they provide are second to none and make the difference between an unremarkable stay and a stay that’s remembered for a lifetime. Experience for yourself what it means to meet the friendly locals in what’s often called the happiest country on the planet.

Our staff:

Most of our management positions are filled by women. For example, our Lodge manager, kitchen and Rooms leader, and Sustainability and Management Coordinator are all women from nearby towns. Learn more...

In addition, we provide cross-training opportunities with colleagues from Böëna’s sister lodges so that staff can strengthen and acquire new skills, build leadership potential, and expand their professional horizons. Learn more… 

Community Outreach:

We support the local recycling initiative through funding as well as provide the center with administration and organizational assistance as part of our staff’s regular work responsibilities.

Buying local: We buy our produce, dairy products, eggs, berries, and other food products from local growers and providers whenever possible, and most of our daily operative maintenance supply chain comes from in-town commerce.

In keeping with our belief that sustainable tourism should enhance the living standards of the region’s residents, we make every effort to work with area service providers and assist with improvements to the local infrastructure, such as road work and adverse weather mitigation. We also support local initiatives through donations and collaboration in community projects like the Tecnological Environmental Park and Escape Monteverde.

We have been sponsors of the Monteverde Environmental Park that includes support to complete the stages of development of the solid waste plant, implement the sewage plant, and compost plant for Monteverde, while  Escape Monteverde initiative works with teenagers and improving mental health in this population.

Children and education:

We consider education to be the single most important aspect of our commitment to sustainability. In Monteverde, we support local La Lindora School by providing funds and equipment for environmental education and other social programs. Improvements were made to the compost and orchid garden. Learn more...

At Böëna, we strive to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the regions where we operate. By restoring Monteverde Lodge’s original architecture and design, we captured the natural light and ventilation. The effect is a luxuriously cool and comfortable open-air environment reminiscent of ages past.        

Supporting local talent and artists: We regularly invite local musicians to perform live at our El Jardin Restaurant. Guests enjoy our delicious Costa Rican and International cuisine and experience authentic music played by artists while comingling with the area’s residents and fellow travelers.

At Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, we offer farm-to-table fusion cuisine at El Jardin Restaurant. In addition to using fresh ingredients in each dish, we offer traditional Costa Rican dishes—such as the classic Casado—and side dishes with a Costa Rican “touch.” The result is a gastronomic experience that features a surprising combination of flavors crafted with innovative recipes and a masterful flair. Learn more... 

At Monteverde Lodge & Gardens, we invite our guests to join us as we embrace sustainability practices such as responsible water use, electricity conservation, and waste disposal. Through our efforts, we demonstrate how sustainable living is fully achievable.

Applied environmental conservation is at the foundation of everything we do. And like our sister Böëna lodges, we’ve dedicated a significant portion of our 3.8-hectare property as a private nature reserve. Since 2022, we received the Bandera Azul Ecológica recognition for our creek quality and conservation management we have taken in our 3.8 hec private reserve.

We’ve also formed internal sustainability committees among our staff to implement the periodic clean-ups of nearby creeks and the reforestation of our hotel grounds and the surrounding area.

The following list details a few more of our conservation efforts:

Energy:

• Much of our energy consumption is supplied through the lodge’s 47 solar panels.

Water:

• We use biodegradable and environmentally friendly soaps, detergents, and cleaning products.

• Our swimming pool is purified with salt and stabilizers instead of chlorine. Salt systems are much kinder to the environment – and our skin.

• We’ve installed only high-tech toilets for the most efficient water use.

• By installing water, gas, and electricity meters, we analyze the lodge’s consumption patterns and implement preventative actions for improved water and energy management and the responsible use of our resources.

• EM Spheres Project:  we support the Böëna-supported EM Spheres Project. With the introduction of a benevolent new solution to treat contamination and waste in the nation's waterways, the tourism industry, students, and even visitors can now be part of the positive change. Read more... 

Waste:

• We separate our waste and encourage our guests to do the same. Recyclable materials are taken to the town recycling center (Acopio de Monteverde). We provide monthly support with our staff to help organize and clean the local recycling center.

• We process compostable waste from our restaurant, transforming organic material into compost for our gardens.

• We strive to eliminate all single-use plastics from our property and our sister Böëna Wilderness Lodges. Tap water in Costa Rica is potable. We encourage our guests to choose reusable bottles over bottled water. Plastic bottles take vast quantities of fossil fuels to produce and are non-biodegradable, exacerbating the country’s carbon footprint.

Wildlife:

In 2023, we added Monteverde Lodge to the Jaguar Research Program, project with the National University that supports the implementation of a Jaguar Program to study felines and other native species.

Our small onsite organic farm is an interactive space where guests can learn about Costa Rican agriculture and taste some of the fresh edible produce commonly grown in the region. Although our garden doesn’t yield enough to supply the Lodge’s kitchen or staff restaurant, our goal is to grow examples of fruits and vegetables while providing a space to learn about organic farming practices.

We encourage our guests to explore outside of the lodge as well as in. Our concierge can arrange eye-opening tours of nearby attractions such as the Monteverde, Santa Elena, and Curi-Cancha reserves. The founders of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, for example, are the pioneers of Costa Rican conservation and ecotourism. They established the park in 1972 to protect a pristine tract of Central America’s cloud forests from logging and development.

To further support the Monteverde community, we buy most of our produce from local sources. We also give preference to local service providers for the repairs and upkeep of the lodge.

Monteverde Lodge & Gardens is member of Monteverde Chamber of Tourism, a non-profit organization that works promoting Monteverde as a local and international destination, also supports community projects through the sustainability principles, and facilitates training to provide quality services to Monteverde visitors.

The Böëna collection of wilderness lodges forms part of the National Chamber of Sustainable Tourism (CANAECO). A non-profit organization, CANAECO provides stimulus to develop responsible and sustainable practices across the tourism industry.