Origins Lodge [All Eco Facts] | Eco Lodges Anywhere

Cottages, Family-owned, Luxury villas Bird watching, Fishing, Mountain, Near a volcano, Rainforest, Yoga

Origins Lodge

Overview
Location

Origins Lodge is a luxury eco-lodge in Upala, Alajuela. It is located at the foothills between two volcanoes, Miravalles and Tenorio, in northern Costa Rica. The Lodge offers guests a peaceful and natural experience, mixing comfort with the beauty of the outdoors. It is known for its breathtaking 180-degree view over the lowlands as far as Lake Nicaragua.

At Origins Lodge, guests can stay in one of six cabins or in a luxury villa, each seamlessly nestled within nature. With sustainability as a cornerstone of its operations, the Lodge meticulously researched and analyzed the impact of every aspect to ensure the best for the environment.

It is a place where biodiversity (25% of Costa Rican bird species can be viewed here) and nature meet you at every step, and where comfort and luxury unknowingly help you relax and unwind.

Their story

Origins Lodge, now owned by a French entrepreneur, began as a private residence. The story unfolds with the owner purchasing the property sight unseen, captivated by its breathtaking views through photographs. Upon his first visit, he was inspired to transform it into something special while also preserving a significant expanse of primary rainforest.

Every aspect, from design to operation, was meticulously planned to ensure the highest level of sustainability and its blending with luxurious comfort. Read more about them here.

READ ON – How to Spend the Best 4 Days in Origins Lodge

Sustainability actions

Lowest impact construction and operation

They built all cabins on stilts using wood, bamboo, and adobe walls.
Recycled bottles are placed below the floor, covered with rammed earth.
The design ensured that the fewest trees had to be cut down. Furthermore, after finishing the cabins, they increased existing vegetation by 75%.
Since then, Origins Lodge has planted at least 500 new double and triple-purpose trees yearly to aid reforestation.

Highest level of energy efficiency

Solar water tanks are placed on the roof of each cabin to provide hot water.
Each cabin has a small circular swimming pool heated with a wood-burning stove.
Costa Rica is one of the leading countries in renewable energy, which means that more than 90% of electricity from the grid comes from renewable sources.
There is no air conditioning, and there are only screens on the windows. This is not needed since the temperature in the volcano corridor is moderate compared to coastal areas.
They use LED lights to minimize carbon footprint.
Electric buggies are used on-site for transport and delivery.

Pioneer in waste management

They are committed to being 100% plastic-free.
Origins Lodge has a strict waste collection and recycling program to ensure every item is in its most helpful place. A professional company collects and properly disposes of wastewater.
Bath amenities are produced by Origins Lodge and placed in each cabin in refillable bottles.
They provide guests with a complimentary metal re-useable bottle they can use during their stay.
Having a carpentry shop means that all wood, even scrapes, is utilized. Furniture, decks, roofs, and everything else are made by a small team of three local craftsmen.
The restaurant waste goes to compost, where worms turn it into fertilizer for the organic garden.

Using organic and chemical-free products

Origins Lodge has its own organic gardens, which provide 75% of the restaurant’s ingredients. The remaining 25% is purchased from local organic farms to help the local economy.
They harvest their own honey, which is produced by angel bees, called Mariola in Spanish. Twenty-five Meliponia hives live on the property and produce five pints per year, but Origins Lodge only harvests two pints from each hive.
They have a fishing lagoon and nursery to raise crawfish, Gaspar fish, tilapia, spotted bass, rainbow bass, and yellow bass.
They produce their organic liquid and solid fertilizers and maintain their organic garden with the help of natural tactics like homemade onion, garlic, and pepper spray for pests, charcoal for cockroaches, and small sunflower beds designed to distract caterpillars from other garden areas. They have a Kiwa certification.
Origins Lodge produces all bath amenities from medicinal plants that grow on-site, such as ylang-ylang.
Origins Lodge has a small farm with chickens for organic eggs and a cow for milk, which they use to make cheese on-site.
They also have a small sugar cane plantation to produce sugar and juice.

Actively protects nature and community

90% of the staff is from this region of Costa Rica.
Staff members regularly visit nearby schools to teach kids about nature and sustainability.
Origins Lodge cooperates with CR Wildlife Foundation to help conserve tapirs.
25% of their ingredients are purchased from local farmers to support the local economy.
They support the local indigenous tribes like tha Maleku and the Borucas by showcasing their art at the lodge. For example: jewelry collections inspired by the Bijagu forests, Maleku handmade masks, wood sculptures, oxcarts, or one-of-a-kind bags made by the Borucas women.

Best time to visit Origins Lodge

Dry season in North Costa Rica starts around mid-February and lasts until mid-May. If you want to enjoy this place the sunniest it can be, visit between these dates.
The humidity in Costa Rica is high all year around. Origins Lodge is located in the corridor of volcanoes: Miravalles and Tenorio. You should expect a couple of degrees lower compared to coastal areas.
Smaller showers or thunderstorms can be expected all year around, so please be prepared.

READ ON – Best Time To Visit Costa Rica (Factual Data, Pros & Cons, What to Expect)

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Features

Location

The closest Costa Rica airport is Liberia with an approx. 1-1.5 hour drive. The Lodge offers airport pick-up. If you were to arrive in Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose, it is about 4-5 hours to reach it.

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