La Leona Eco Lodge

With an ecological variety that prompted National Geographic Magazine to coin the area, "one of the most biologically intense places of Earth,"? the Osa Peninsula has become immensely popular with scientists and tourists alike. Corcovado National Park offers the outdoor experience of a lifetime. Encompassing an extensive old growth forest, the park is home to 13 major ecosystems, including lowland rainforest, highland cloud forest, and coastal habitats. A hike through the park provides good opportunities to spot some of Costa Rica's shyest and most endangered species, such as the Baird's tapir, puma, scarlet macaw, and white-lipped peccary. The Golfo Dulce, a bay which lies adjacent to the peninsula, provides visitors with the opportunity to do some sport fishing, surfing, kayaking and swimming.

The idea for La Leona Lodge began in 1978, when a local family, the Morales-Polanco's, decided to create an eco tourism site in Carate, an area adjacent to the Corcovado National Park. Today, La Leona Lodge protects over 90 acres (36.5 ha) of primary rainforest in its private reserve. The forested reserve descends all the way to the beach, where it merges with the turquoise blue of the Pacific Ocean. A series of well-maintained trails wind through the property, offering excellent hiking opportunities. The beach below La Leona is a nesting site for several types of turtle, including the Pacific green, leatherback, and olive ridley.

The design of La Leona stresses simplicity. Accommodations consist of 16 clean and tastefully arranged tents set along the beach. Proximity to the ocean allows a breeze to constantly filter through the tents, keeping guests cool and refreshed. The tents are made of sturdy canvas, and are built atop wooden platforms fashioned with teak and bamboo. Each tent is strategically positioned to provide optimal privacy, and guests can enjoy expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and the neighboring Corcovado park from the privacy of their own deck. Six of the tents come with private bathrooms. Those tents without private bathrooms share an outdoor bathhouse with scrupulously maintained facilities. Each tent is equipped with insect-proof screening.

The on-site restaurant, Jardines del Mar, faces the ocean and prepares a variety of traditional Costa Rican dishes, with ingredients that are thoughtfully selected for freshness. La Leona Lodge has a huge selection of tours available for guests to choose from. Horseback riding, waterfall exploration, night hiking, birding, turtle watching, and trips to Corcovado can all be arranged through the hotel.

The goal of La Leona is to create a space where conservation and tourism are interconnected. La Leona is highly committed to conservation, recycling and the protection of natural resources, and all activities organized by the Lodge are directed with a conscious understanding of their impact on the environment.