Christmas and New Year full of activities!!!

We are looking to having this holidays in the “Costa Rican way”, really traditional, so our guests can really feel in the true Costa Rican style,
What better way to start the new year than speaking another language?
We are going to offer Spanish classes for the guests on Thursdays, if they would like to learn the basic words or practice if they already know it. Also for Christmas in Costa Rica, you need to make tamales (which is a cornmeal-like ingredient with potatoes, meat, cilantro, sweet pepper and anything else that you would like to add ), we make them in El Ranchito (the staff kitchen) today, and some of our guests went and shared our tradition. and culinary secrets. For the 24th we are having a surprise…I cant’ tell you now…but I can tell you that we are celebrating Christmas and the first day of the year with typical dances performances!!

I will let you know how was it. Pura vida!!

Adios Jorge!

Jorge Arrieta, our general manager for the past three years, is leaving us today to start working with Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality (the management company that works with Lapa Rios www.cayugaonline.com). While we will still see Jorge fairly often, we will miss him dearly. We wish him the best of luck in the near future and hope that he carries the Lapa Rios mission statement ("A forest left standing is more valuable than one cut down") with him for the rest of his adventures.

Sea Turtle Festival

This year we supported and participated in the first ever Sea Turtle Festival held in Rio Oro. This day long festival was created in order to celebrate the conservation efforts of WIDECAST, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making sure that the sea turtle population of the Osa Peninsula stays vibrant, healthy and continues to visit the shores of the Osa Peninsula to bare their young.

The day’s activities included plays, games, contests, environmental education activities, soccer matches and typical food stands. Two of guests, Adam and Jodi from Room #8, joined in on the festivities and truly enjoyed this unique interaction with the surrounding community. We can’t wait for next year’s festival!