9.11 Ecolodges

True regenerative ecolodges are typically built in remote locations using local materials and renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar. They rely on locals to serve as tour guides, to provide food, and to staff the lodge. Within regenerative tourism, many ecolodges are designed to showcase and preserve the biodiversity of a destination. Lapa Rios Ecolodge in Costa Rica was founded in 1990 by two former Peace Corps volunteers who met while working in Kenya. Back in the 1970s, Costa Rica had crafted a development policy that incorporated nature tourism. As a result, the Tourism Ministry of Costa Rica approved the couple’s plan to purchase a swath of rainforest and to build an educational ecolodge for tourists. The couple, Karen and John Lewis, purchased 1,100 acres on the Osa peninsula in southwest Costa Rica, a region of remote rainforest, where half of the country’s species could be found, comprising 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity.

Their goal was to build a lodge where visitors could learn about the region’s rich ecosystems and also contribute to the conservation of the region via tour and lodging fees. The Lewis’ relied on local stakeholders to build and staff the facility, which was awarded the nation’s first 5-leaf rating by Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST). The couple worked with U.S. architect David Lee Andersen, who was renowned for using Indigenous knowledge to solve the design challenges of building in fragile ecosystems. Andersen shared in the couple’s vision of creating a lodge that preserved the spirit of the place. To respect the integrity of the rainforest, the lodge would generate its own energy. Because they wanted the ecolodge to be staffed by locals, the Lewis’ began to host picnics in order to inform the community about their plans for the facility. Learning that most locals lacked formal education and did not have a school nearby for their children, the couple set to work helping build a school. By supporting the community in realizing one of its own dreams, the couple performed one of the primary tasks of regenerative tourism—to listen attentively to the needs of the community and to improve the wellbeing of locals.

In keeping with the future-focused stewardship at the core of sustainability and regenerative tourism, the couple created an intentional succession plan as they neared retirement. In order to ensure the future health of the region, they hosted a weekend-long brainstorming retreat, inviting 35 representatives from the government, The Nature Conservancy, the International Ecotourism Society, local stakeholders, other ecolodge owners, and scholars. Ultimately they sold the facility to Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality Management, an organization co-founded by two Lapa Rios managers. Now, 30 years on, Lapa Rios (Spanish for Rivers of the Scarlet Macaw) serves meals prepared from freshly harvested local ingredients whenever possible. Leftovers and scraps are either composted or fed to pigs that eventually turn into dinner for the guests.

The methane production from composting is used to create biogas, which either fuels a generator or provides direct heating. Menus showcase local food cultures and no ingredients are imported from outside of Costa Rica. Local artisans are invited to sell their art onsite and to host workshops for the guests. Locals craft a variety of the goods used by the lodge, ranging from furniture to soap. The ecolodge works to expand and improve the rainforest habitat in order to ensure the wellbeing of all who inhabit the complex surrounding ecosystems. As with all true regenerative tourism businesses, education and participation are central to the tourist experience. Within Costa Rica, ecotourism and nature tourism have helped shift the country away from slash and burn farming toward more sustainable methods. In some cases, this involves regenerative agriculture.

In a similar vein, Rancho Margot was founded by a Chilean scientist in 2004. Juan Sostheim purchased a rundown cattle ranch in the highlands of northern Costa Rica with the aim of converting a majority of the 420-acres back into forest. Like the Lewises, Sostheim discovered that the locals from the closest village, El Castillo, lacked access to secondary education, making due with one designated elementary classroom. Without access to secondary education and with few job prospects, locals harvested food by hunting illegally and poaching. Others worked for companies or clandestine organizations who deforested the region. In 2006, Sostheim hired and trained forest rangers to protect the region’s wildlife and to serve as stewards of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, where the rangers took up residence. In order to ensure that locals could attend the closest secondary school some 12 miles away, Sostheim hired a shuttle that transported students to and from school until a secondary school was built in El Castillo. At first Sostheim powered his fledgling ranch with two gas-powered generators. Today the award-winning ranch runs off a computerized electric grid powered almost entirely by water.

Dotted with bungalows sporting living roofs, the ranch operates using a closed-loop system, or circular economy, another essential component of a regenerative system. In order to accomplish this task, it not only supplies its own power via water and biogas, it also supplies its restaurant with ranch-raised pork and chicken as well as ranch-produced dairy products. Produce comes from the ranch’s organic vegetable and fruit gardens and, like Lapa Rios, houses a bio-digester. Guests are invited to participate in sustainable immersion programs. The ranch also runs a volunteer work exchange program that provides free room and board for individuals willing to volunteer six days a week in roles ranging from teaching English or leading yoga classes to beekeeping, butchering, and cheesemaking. In sum, the ranch utilizes the permaculture system to achieve self-sufficiency.

[BEGIN ILLUSTRATION OF KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR SECTION 9.11]
Key Takeaway:
Ecolodges are sustainably built accommodations, often in remote areas, that integrate local materials, renewable energy, and community involvement, creating immersive experiences for guests while protecting biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Significance to Regenerative Tourism:
Ecolodges aim to actively restore ecosystems, empower local communities through employment and education, and operate circular systems that minimize waste and environmental impact.
Significance to Tourism:
Ecolodges offer travelers authentic, meaningful experiences tied to conservation and cultural connection, shifting tourism from mass-market consumption to place-based stewardship that benefits both visitors and host communities.
[END ILLUSTRATION OF KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR SECTION 9.11]

[Begin Design Call Out Box]
Design Lab 3: Craft a Series of Guidelines for Establishing a Regenerative Ecolodge
Choose one destination where an Ecolodge could thrive. In small groups or on your own, come up with a series of guidelines to ensure the accommodations provide a regenerative tourism experience. Come up with a list of regenerative elements that would define the experience of your guests.
Prioritize them by importance.
Discuss how each regenerative element enhances the wellbeing of locals and the wellbeing of the destination.
[END Design Call Out Box]

Attributions