Mar y Selva Ecolodge

Overview

Description

Mar y Selva Ecolodge is located on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) from the beach facing Ballena Marine National Park. You will find other natural treasures very near the hotel such as Corcovado National Park, which is home to 4% of the world’s biodiversity according to National Geographic magazine; Isla del Caño Biological Reserve, known for its stone spheres and crystalline waters for diving and snorkeling; the mangroves of the Sierpe and Gran Térraba rivers; and some impressive waterfalls, including the Cataratas de Nauyaca.

The ecolodge has a wide variety of options for you to enjoy, whether in our semi-Olympic pool, relaxing while listening to the sounds of nature from our terraces, or having a massage. If you are looking for an adventure, you can rent mountain bikes or kayaks and head out to see the surroundings, or participate in nearby activities such as horseback riding, bird-watching, hikes, canopy tours, ultralight aircraft flights, sport fishing, visits to butterfly farms and orchid gardens, and the Boruca Indian communities (famous for their carved masks and weavings) or, you can take one of the renowned tours for watching the whales and dolphins that reach these waters in certain months to mate and give birth. The Costa Ballena community has many restaurants where you can savor a large array of culinary specialties and there are many nightspots nearby if you want to go dancing.

Rooms

10

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 35

Percentage of local employees: 100%

• We participated in the local Commission on Solid Waste Management as well as the Commission for the Protection of the “Fila Costera” of Osa.
• We aim to teach our guests, suppliers, and the community about the importance of recycling and avoiding the use of plastics.
• All of our products are biodegradable and made locally. We don't use soap for laundry through Laundry Pure, a NASA technology, producing no residue or contaminants.
• We manage all of our waste water so it doesn’t contaminate the environment.
• We have water-saving devices on all of our showers and sinks.
• All our light bulbs are fluorescent.
• All outdoor lights are either solar or on clocks so that lights turn off automatically at 10:00 pm. to avoid disrupting wildlife.
• We request donations from our customers for the two local schools in the area, where we help a specific child with special needs while he takes care of a tree we planted.
• We have donated materials and money to several local causes.
• We protect the eight acres (three hectares) of land that we own - our trees and plants, and the animals that visit us.
• We were declared Carbon Neutral by the “Neutralizando el Cambio Climático” for 2009-2010 because of our donations to plant trees.

Rates

$101 – $150

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.maryselva.com/rates.htm (available in English).
• www.maryselva.com/espanol/tarifas.htm (available in Spanish).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: San José (SJO)

Nearest local/national airport: Palmar Sur (PMZ)

The hotel is just 20 miles (32 km) from the Palmar Sur Airport. The highway is usable year-round and we recommend traveling in a four-wheel drive vehicle so you can enjoy the entire area.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• www.petitfute.com/guide/335736-mar-y-selva-ecologde?keyword=mar%20y%20selva&c=158 (available in French). Profile of the hotel on the French tourism directory Petit Futé.
• www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=viewlink&link_id=174&Itemid=2&lang=es (available in English and Spanish). General information about the hotel on the CST website.
• www.cchcr.org/php/hotels_cch.php?id_hotel=205 (available in Spanish). Profile of the hotel on the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels website.

Date This Information Was Provided

March 2012.

Photos courtesy of Mar y Selva Ecolodge, Costa Rica, for SustainableTrip.org.