Stay 3 nights and the 4th is FREE!
by admin on Aug.11, 2010, under Uncategorized
Question: What on Earth can be better than vacations in the wildest tropical rainforest with endless deserted beaches, exquisite meals, abundant wildlife and excellent service?
Answer: SAVING 25% off the normal rates for your dream vacation!
Let your friends know that anyone coming between August 15th and October 30th 2010 can stay the 4th night absolutely free!
Helping sea turtles
by admin on Aug.02, 2010, under Uncategorized
Four species of sea turtles nest on the secluded beaches of El Remanso. All of them are in danger of extinction.
By visiting at the right time of year, you may be lucky enough to see the beautiful hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and maybe even the rarest of them all: the soft-shelled leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)!
If you would like to learn about sea turtles and how to help conserve them, what do you think about volunteering for a few weeks on the Osa Peninsula in a sea turtle conservation program?
Find out more at http://www.osaconservation.org/Volunteer.html.
Wildcats at El Remanso
by admin on Jul.14, 2010, under News, Responsible practices
Two very big eyes stared at Walter in the dark as he shone his flashlight up the trail on his way out from working at El Remanso.
Not knowing who -or what- those eyes belonged to, he dashed to his motorcycle for better light, and the beam hit the right spot just in time to see a large puma dart into the jungle night!
Although no wildcat has ever been reported to attack a human in Costa Rica, Walter confesses to have been quite frightened when he saw it last night. Still, he knows he has been very fortunate to see this magnificent rainforest predator.
Wildcats are on the verge of extinction, and the Osa Peninsula is one of the few remaining places where they can still find a healthy ecosystem to live in. However, they need all the help they can get as habitat loss and poaching continue to be a threat to their survival.
Aida and Ricardo are two young researchers that dedicate their lives to ensure the safety and survival of wildcats in the Osa Peninsula. One of the things they have done is to install camera-traps throughout the area outside of Corcovado National Park, so that they can monitor the abundance of wildcats and their prey.
At El Remanso we have purchased and installed camera-traps in our own reserve, so that we can contribute to this wonderful project. Take a look at some of the animals that have been roaming our property! For more information on Aida and Ricardo’s work with wildcats in the area, please click http://www.yaguara.org/eng/index.php.
Ocelots' patterns are like human finger prints: completely different from each other!
Though tayras look similar to cats, they're actually closer related to the weasel family
Collared peccary searching for food
Check out our NEW VIDEO!
by admin on Jun.22, 2010, under News, Videos
Dear El Remanso friends,
We are very, very happy to be able to share our new video with you!
Enjoy great shots of wildlife, scenery, adventures and places you have experienced with us or that you are about to experience on your upcoming visit.
Let us know what you think!
Watch it here:
http://www.elremanso.com/about-us/in-the-media.php
New deck for La Vainilla Deluxe Cabin!
by admin on Jun.10, 2010, under Uncategorized
La Vainilla is one of the preferred cabins of our guests at El Remanso. Ideal for honeymooners or wildlife lovers who want to experience a total immersion into the rainforest, this cabin offers excellent views of the surrounding forest and the Pacific Ocean.
If this wasn’t enough, La Vainilla now features a new spacious wooden deck with impressive views. What could be better than enjoying a sunny afternoon with a set of binoculars in your hands watching wildlife passing next to your cabin?
Beach clean-up at El Remanso!
by admin on Jun.06, 2010, under Uncategorized
A big beach clean-up was organized today from the Matapalo point to Carate beach by all lodges and private landowners on this 20km stretch.
At El Remanso 6 of us and 2 of our guests, Devon & Ticon cleaned up a 3km stretch from El Remanso towards Carate and accumulated a total of 13 big sacks of garbage.
Where does the garbage come from?
The beach below El Remanso is certainly an astonishing, beautiful & deserted beach, however even a remote place like this gets its share of pollution. Mostly plastic bottles from boats that land unfortunately on the beaches of this paradise of the Osa Peninsula.
After a few hours work, and thanks to the work of numerous people, the beaches of this part of the Osa are not only amazingly beautiful but super clean too!
8 foot Boa visits El Remanso!
by admin on May.23, 2010, under Uncategorized
This morning, our gardener Geiner couldn’t believe his eyes when he was working beneath the restaurant deck: a HUGE Boa resting calmly on a big trunk.
Operations manager Cindy took her from the ground with a quick move and soon everybody around came to see this beauty from up close. We even got to measure her (it took 5 people to do the job!) and the result was 243cm!! This adult female was very calm and it was the perfect opportunity to take some pictures and release her back into the forest!
Female boas are generally significantly larger, in both length and girth, than males. The average size of a mature female boa is between 7-10 ft.
Cindy and Gerardo holding the snake
How to run a crystal-clear “green” pool
by admin on May.16, 2010, under News, Responsible practices
Before you decide to have a pool, make sure you can keep it friendly with the environment.
1. Ensure that the water you’re taking does not deprive others from water in your human and natural community.
2. Choose a chemical-free way to treat your water (sand filters, ionization)
3. Use the water for as long as possible, but when you discard it, put it to good use (give it back to nature, water the plants, mop the floor, wash your car, flush your toilet, get creative!)
At El Remanso we have a small pool with a very unique system. We are proud to be 100% free of any chemicals whatsoever to run our pool, and this is how it happens:
-We fill our pool with spring water from our rainforest preserve. This water reaches our pool thanks to a mechanical pump activated by the force of the natural drop of the creek.
-When the sun rises, a solar panel activates the cleaning pump.
-This pump makes the water in the pool continually flow into a sand filter, which frees the water from impurities, and sends it back into the pool.
-Every 3 days, we brush the insides of the pool and plug in a special solar-powered hand vacuum, to rid the pool from dirt and prevent algae from appearing.
- When bigger sand and dirt particles build up and can’t be taken out with a net or vacuum, what we do is send the water back into the creek where it came from, just as naturally as it was “lent” to us and all with the pure force of gravity.
-The sides of the pool are washed by hand with nothing more than a scrubbing brush and more water.
-The pool is refilled again and the cycle starts over.
This system fits our particular case, but each case is different. You might not have access to your own water spring, for example, or you might live in a place where a pool heater is needed. The important thing is to always aim not only for the lowest impact on nature and the community, but hopefully even for a positive output. As we said before, get creative!
We found this link online that might be useful for more ideas on how to make your pool environmentally sound: http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/for-the-home/swimming-pools-and-the-environment-is-your-pool-eco-friendly.htm.
Let us know if you have any ideas or if you know of a different link that might be useful!
Thanks for sharing!
El Remanso RELOADED, now with fans!!!
by admin on May.06, 2010, under Uncategorized
Yes, the eternal summer of the Osa Peninsula’s rainforest is perfect for long days on the beach and plunging into hidden jungle waterfalls. A more or less constant 28°-30°C temperature is ideal for surfing, horseback riding through forest and river, rappelling down a 70 foot waterfall and basically every kind of tropical activity, especially when it comes to wildlife observation.
At the end of the day a relaxing rest in your outdoor hammock is much deserved, and sometimes you might fancy a short “siesta” in your room before going on with your plan. If only the natural ocean breeze were just a little stronger…
Solved! You asked for it, you got it! Together with an engineering team, our maintenance team worked very hard in the last couple of months, making some adjustments to our micro-hydro system so that we could make your room a little cooler and of course, maintain El Remanso running 100% on renewable energy produced here on site.
Now you can count on the extra comfort of the perfect temperature for all of your activities, including nap time!
All cabins & rooms now feature highly efficient ceiling fans!
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!
by admin on Apr.22, 2010, under News, Responsible practices
To celebrate this important nature holiday, we invited our guests to plant a tree with us in our native plant garden. Miguel and his father Alfredo were especially helpful and willing to learn about the “Guayabo de Mono” that Miguel planted and watered. When Miguel comes back to visit in a few years, the tree will have bloomed and provided plenty of fruit to the four species of monkeys that live in this area.
You can try doing the same at home! There’s no need to wait for a special occasion when you can invent it yourself:
-Consider planting a tree with your kids during the weekend, to spend some time with them and help them learn a little about the environment and about responsibility in general
-Plant a tree with your spouse as a symbol of your love towards each other =)
- Choose a tree that is native to the natural ecosystem in your area, so that it attracts birds and butterflies
-Your tree will grow into a natural element that will add life to your home, as well as privacy and shade
-You and your family will enjoy it for generations!
