Cala Lodge is a family-owned hotel located adjacent to the world-renowned Children’s Eternal Rainforest. It is a 2.5-hectare property that offers the best experience of contact with nature in its purest form.
They have a strong philanthropic foundation since it was opened back in 2007. They educate guests on sustainable living beyond simply providing lodging. Furthermore, they are committed to protecting the environment, preventing pollution, and ensuring the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems, using sustainable resources, reducing, and mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions generated by their operations.
Cala Lodge promotes tourism as a tool for the social development of the area by encouraging active participation in programs for community benefit.
Their story
Cala Lodge was founded in 2007 by a young Costa Rican couple: Francisco & Raquel Castro.
Francisco is a descendant of the “Leitón” family, one of the first Costa Rican families to become established in Monteverde in the 1920s, thirty years before the arrival of the Quakers. Francisco was born and raised in the cloud forest and, at a young age, began his career as a naturalist guide. With over fifteen years of experience, Francisco offers travelers his extensive knowledge of local flora and fauna and specializes in birdwatching tours when he is not involved in regular operations.
Raquel is Costa Rican and Salvadorian. She grew up and studied in San José, the capital of Costa Rica. While she was attending university, Raquel began working in different areas of the tourist industry in Costa Rica. Having been involved in the national tourist industry for over ten years, Raquel applies her broad knowledge and experience to making Cala Lodge a very special place filled with the essence of nature and exceptional customer service.
Francisco and Raquel met in Monteverde. The combination of their energy, knowledge, and experience helped make Cala Lodge a unique place, known for its peacefulness and for enjoying the cloud forest, as well as the best, personalized service for its clients. Read more about them here.
Sustainability actions
Lowest impact construction and operation
- Their 2.5-hectare property has only 700m2 of construction.
- They firmly believe in using wood and bamboo.
- They prioritize having sunlight in all spaces.
- Recycled materials were used to build all decks.
- They have made a huge effort to have gardens planted with only native or endemic species of Monteverde.
High level of energy efficiency
- Solar energy to heat water for lodging and laundry purposes.
- Sunlight to dry all bed sheets and linens.
- Energy-efficient LED bulbs in all buildings with motion sensors for night lights.
Pioneer in waste management
- Laundry water is treated and used for garden and vegetable garden irrigation.
- They also designed a water-saving campaign to involve all guests.
- The recycling program at Cala Lodge has been awarded the Blue Flag Certification for six consecutive years.
- They process all organic waste and use it as fertilizer.
- Single-use plastics are forbidden on our property. They do not use or sell any product packed in single-use plastic.
- Glass water bottles are provided in all our rooms, and they do not sell beverages in plastic bottles.
- They provide non-disposable kitchenware in all equipped rooms.
- Granola, coffee, and bread purchased from local producers have fabric and glass containers refilled after every purchase.
- All laundry bags are handmade and hand-painted by the local women’s coop.
Fully organic and chemical-free operation
- All our cleaning products are certified biodegradable.
- Several vegetables are produced at Cala Lodge. But if needed, they purchase only local produce. All guests will be informed where every ingredient that they consume at Cala Lodge comes from.
Actively protects nature and community
- Cala Lodge has a large program for conservation. They purchased a hectare in 2019 for conservation and to provide trails for guests. On its property, there are about eight individuals of Ocotea monteverdensis, an endemic species of wild avocado tree that is critically endangered. Ocotea monteverdensis has only over 800 individuals in the whole Monteverde area and are the pedilect food for other endangered species like quetzals and three-wattled bellbird.
- They have planted over 2,000 trees during different campaigns in coordination with entities like the Monteverde Institute, H4, and the Monteverde Community Fund.
- They are also very active as a part of Monteverde Forest Clean Up, an association for river waste cleanings.
- All staff is local, and they have a policy for gender equality.
Most popular activities near Cala Lodge
- Canopy
- Zip-lining and hanging bridges
- Night tours
- Coffee tours
- Guided natural history walks
- Visit nearby waterfalls.
- Bird-watching tours to see many of the 20 Costa Rican birds.
READ ON – 36 Eco-friendly Things to Do in Costa Rica (From A to Z)
Best time to visit Cala Lodge
- The humidity in Costa Rica is high all year around.
- Smaller showers or thunderstorms can be expected all year around, so please be prepared.
- The rainy season, aka the green season, is from May-November.
READ ON – Best Time To Visit Costa Rica (Factual Data, Pros & Cons, What to Expect)