As rainforest worldwide disappears at an alarming rate, those places where it still exists beg for caring and
protection.
Twenty years ago, Costa Rica went on a campaign to save the little remaining rainforest it had left - and to nurture
the regrowth of areas where 500 year old trees once stood. The policies that emerged from this decision created
new national parks and revolutionized Costa Rica tourism - producing an eco-tourism business model for other
countries to follow.
Unfortunately, creating national parks wasn't enough.
Thousands of acres of pristine land were to fall in the hands of private investors - hungry to cash in on the Costa
Rica development push. Their lack of experience, questionable morality and unquestionable greed --coupled
with the country's lack of enforcement has led to the clearcutting of many priceless tracts of rainforest throughout
the country - including on the South Pacific coast where RP is located.
Garrison Krause and Costa Rica native Silvia Jimenez-Krause purchased the 50 acres for Rancho Pacifico in
2003. They loved the wildness of their land - and the adjacent expanse of rainforest that backed it. They
immediately pledged to develop Rancho Pacifico with the strictest adherance to environmental common sense -
and new "green" building models.
ENVIRONMENT
The first decision was to limit the cutting of trees.
Each of 8 buildings was placed in the trees - even the designs were altered in a few cases to fit the space. We
carefully transplanted hundreds of palms, ferns , and flowers to form our beautiful natural gardens. We created
entries that conformed with the terrain. We even dug building sites and pools by hand - choosing to minimize the
use of heavy machinery - practically to "0". We carefully avoided creating runoff paths for water that could
eventually taint local water supplies in the village below.
The next move was to round up the few landowners of the adjoining primary rainforest in the hopes that they
would agree to place - along with ours - a portion of land for preservation. The result is a 250 acre private
rainforest preserve - teeming with wildlife, birds, reptiles, waterfalls, and thousands of plant species, for us to
feel good about and enjoy.
BUILDING
With farm-raised wood in short supply - and natural, local wood out of the question, we decided to focus on
building with steel and concrete. We incorporated beautiful wood beams (molina) in a few areas which were
purchased from a tree farm - good for the economy. This decision to use heavy materials provided large
challenges based on our "up the mountain" location - but we did it anyway. Rancho Pacifico has won design
awards and we feel good about the minimal impact our development plan has had.
Concrete was sealed with natural stucco and painted with toxic free paints.
We collected natural stone finishes from all over South and Central America - which grace all of the buildings,
both outside and in. We use natural fertilizers, organic insecticides (sparingly), and pump water without motors
400 feet uphill from our natural springs.
Basically RP was constructed by 10 guys with hand tools and a lot of energy. They lived and worked on the
property for 3 years and applied their well-honed skills to compliment Garrison's designs. It was (and still is) a
labor of love all around.
COMMUNITY
The third area of ecological importance to Garrison and Silvia has to do with the financial condition of the relatively
undeveloped area around Uvita. It has been a peaceful if not prosperous area. Few opportunities for gainful
employment existed in the past nor did the motivation for higher education. They saw this situation changing as
development moved in - and were pioneers in providing training and financial promise to locals.
Rancho Pacifico now employs 18 native Costa Ricans who have learned how to apply their innate hospitality to a
quality hospitality business. Their financial reach spreads out to a large extended sphere of individuals positively
impacted by both management and the generosity of RP's guests. RP has been cited as a pioneer in the
establishment of the growing luxury sector of tourism in Costa Rica. Economists favor this type of development
because it benefits every citizen of this unique country.
In addition, scores of local entrepreneurs benefit from taking RP's guests to the hotel, on horseback rides,
mangrove tours and snorkel trips and providing us with food, furniture and building materials....and on and on.
We are Uvita's largest employer and are proud to see the quality of life improve for the growing RP family.
We also have stood up for sustainable and low impact development methods as a way to demonstrate the
practicality of "doing well by doing good". We have built relationships with local people in an attempt to help stave
off ill feelings toward North Americans who have simply moved in oblivious to the culture and traditional ways.
We operate as grateful guests - determined to leave the place better than we found it.
Simply, we love Costa Rica - and are doing what we can to help it sustain its magic despite the unavoidable
intrusion of the modern world.
protection.
Twenty years ago, Costa Rica went on a campaign to save the little remaining rainforest it had left - and to nurture
the regrowth of areas where 500 year old trees once stood. The policies that emerged from this decision created
new national parks and revolutionized Costa Rica tourism - producing an eco-tourism business model for other
countries to follow.
Unfortunately, creating national parks wasn't enough.
Thousands of acres of pristine land were to fall in the hands of private investors - hungry to cash in on the Costa
Rica development push. Their lack of experience, questionable morality and unquestionable greed --coupled
with the country's lack of enforcement has led to the clearcutting of many priceless tracts of rainforest throughout
the country - including on the South Pacific coast where RP is located.
Garrison Krause and Costa Rica native Silvia Jimenez-Krause purchased the 50 acres for Rancho Pacifico in
2003. They loved the wildness of their land - and the adjacent expanse of rainforest that backed it. They
immediately pledged to develop Rancho Pacifico with the strictest adherance to environmental common sense -
and new "green" building models.
ENVIRONMENT
The first decision was to limit the cutting of trees.
Each of 8 buildings was placed in the trees - even the designs were altered in a few cases to fit the space. We
carefully transplanted hundreds of palms, ferns , and flowers to form our beautiful natural gardens. We created
entries that conformed with the terrain. We even dug building sites and pools by hand - choosing to minimize the
use of heavy machinery - practically to "0". We carefully avoided creating runoff paths for water that could
eventually taint local water supplies in the village below.
The next move was to round up the few landowners of the adjoining primary rainforest in the hopes that they
would agree to place - along with ours - a portion of land for preservation. The result is a 250 acre private
rainforest preserve - teeming with wildlife, birds, reptiles, waterfalls, and thousands of plant species, for us to
feel good about and enjoy.
BUILDING
With farm-raised wood in short supply - and natural, local wood out of the question, we decided to focus on
building with steel and concrete. We incorporated beautiful wood beams (molina) in a few areas which were
purchased from a tree farm - good for the economy. This decision to use heavy materials provided large
challenges based on our "up the mountain" location - but we did it anyway. Rancho Pacifico has won design
awards and we feel good about the minimal impact our development plan has had.
Concrete was sealed with natural stucco and painted with toxic free paints.
We collected natural stone finishes from all over South and Central America - which grace all of the buildings,
both outside and in. We use natural fertilizers, organic insecticides (sparingly), and pump water without motors
400 feet uphill from our natural springs.
Basically RP was constructed by 10 guys with hand tools and a lot of energy. They lived and worked on the
property for 3 years and applied their well-honed skills to compliment Garrison's designs. It was (and still is) a
labor of love all around.
COMMUNITY
The third area of ecological importance to Garrison and Silvia has to do with the financial condition of the relatively
undeveloped area around Uvita. It has been a peaceful if not prosperous area. Few opportunities for gainful
employment existed in the past nor did the motivation for higher education. They saw this situation changing as
development moved in - and were pioneers in providing training and financial promise to locals.
Rancho Pacifico now employs 18 native Costa Ricans who have learned how to apply their innate hospitality to a
quality hospitality business. Their financial reach spreads out to a large extended sphere of individuals positively
impacted by both management and the generosity of RP's guests. RP has been cited as a pioneer in the
establishment of the growing luxury sector of tourism in Costa Rica. Economists favor this type of development
because it benefits every citizen of this unique country.
In addition, scores of local entrepreneurs benefit from taking RP's guests to the hotel, on horseback rides,
mangrove tours and snorkel trips and providing us with food, furniture and building materials....and on and on.
We are Uvita's largest employer and are proud to see the quality of life improve for the growing RP family.
We also have stood up for sustainable and low impact development methods as a way to demonstrate the
practicality of "doing well by doing good". We have built relationships with local people in an attempt to help stave
off ill feelings toward North Americans who have simply moved in oblivious to the culture and traditional ways.
We operate as grateful guests - determined to leave the place better than we found it.
Simply, we love Costa Rica - and are doing what we can to help it sustain its magic despite the unavoidable
intrusion of the modern world.
| The Green Side of the RP Story |
2007 & 2008 nominee - Leading
Boutique Hotel - Leading Green
Hotel - Central & Latin America
Boutique Hotel - Leading Green
Hotel - Central & Latin America