Costa Rica’s eco-resorts are rewriting the rules of luxury travel

Pull up to the sunny grounds of the W Hotel in Costa Rica’s Reserva Conchal, and it feels like stepping into the heart of nature — think “Jurassic Park,” minus the dinosaurs. The salty breeze from the beach stirs the surrounding forest, underscoring how seamlessly nature is woven into every aspect of life here. The country’s natural wonders are always front and center.

Here, sustainability isn’t just an initiative — it’s a way of life. Located on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast in the Guanacaste province, Reserva Conchal is 2,300 acres of lush green landscape, hugging white-sand beaches and serving as a community nexus for conservation efforts. Nestled within the grounds of Reserva Conchal is Huerta Najui, an agricultural project focused on empowering and employing local women.

Before joining Huerta Najui, Wendy Salazar was focused on caring for her family. Today, as head manager, she grows tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers — ingredients that will soon appear in the kitchens of the W and Westin Costa Rica.

"By having our own income, we stopped depending on partners and became more independent women, capable of supporting our families,” says Salazar of the team of four. “This project also has a significant environmental impact by generating organic products free of pesticides, which supply part of the needs of onsite hotels.”

The greenhouse project farms all products by hand, eliminating the need for pesticides, and is run by a group of local women. To minimize barriers to entry, no prior work experience was required when the program began in 2019. The women received training, and today, the Huerta grows all the ingredients used at both the W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal and The Westin Reserva Conchal.

One of the greenhouse’s most intriguing plants is the clitoria flower, a vibrant bloom native to Southeast Asia. Known for its rich antioxidants and healing benefits, it also plays a starring role in the W's eco-conscious bar offerings. Mixologist Carlos Cascante uses it to create a show-stopping drink, mixing lime juice into the blue extract from the flower, which causes a chemical reaction that transforms the navy blue color into a vibrant purple—an effect that wouldn’t be safe for consumption if the flower were grown with pesticides.

“Huerta Najui and our surroundings provide us with incredible local ingredients, offering opportunities for creativity behind the bar,” says Cascante. Additionally, this was the first Huerta project in the country with a mesh house system (a greenhouse using mesh cover instead of a traditional glass or plastic roof and walls) carried out at sea level.

Huerta Najui is one of several sustainability initiatives located within Reserva Conchal fostering partnerships and empowerment in the communities of Brasilito, Huacas, Belén, and other areas of Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. Composting is also done on-site. The composting system recovers 100% of the organic waste and garden trimmings produced by the W Costa Rica and The Westin Reserva Conchal (approximately 15 to 20 tons a month).

“To ensure conservation, control and protection activities are carried out in this area, various environmental performance, biodiversity, and ecosystem status studies are conducted annually, including monitoring through wildlife camera projects and carbon removals,” says Hernan Binaghi, complex general manager. “Additionally, it is part of the Baulas Conchal biological corridor that connects the forested areas of Las Baulas Marine National Park with our Conchal Mixed National Wildlife Refuge.”

Binaghi continues: “This corridor allows the natural movement of wildlife species and the proliferation of flora species, promoting ecosystem regeneration and genetic enrichment of species. Even though our hotels are not inside of this protected space, the Wildlife Refuge is within Reserva Conchal and due to their proximity, biodiversity conservation practices are part of everyday operations.”

The Conchal Mixed National Wildlife Refuge spans 39.75 hectares (about 98 acres) and was established in 2009. Around 12 hectares of this area are part of the State Natural Heritage Puerto Viejo mangrove and estuary. But farming isn’t the only way Reserva Conchal is giving back to the land. Just beyond the greenhouses, millions of bees buzz through the tropical forest, supporting the ecosystem’s health and vitality.

In 2020, Reserva Conchal partnered with Blue Zones Nicoya to establish a bee yard. Home to more than 2.5 million bees across 30 hives, this initiative not only supports the local ecosystem but also raises awareness about the critical role bees play in agriculture—especially within Costa Rica’s largest Blue Zone, where longevity is a way of life.

Reserva Conchal’s bee yard is tended by locals from neighboring communities, who raise awareness in the community (particularly among children) about the important role bees play in maintaining the agricultural community. Blue Zone is the name given to five geographical areas in the world by researcher Dan Buettner, who discovered that people’s life expectancy and quality of life was higher than average. The Nicoyan Peninsula in Guanacaste is the largest Blue Zone in the world.

Costa Rica may be experiencing an uptick in travel, but it is not the place for power travelers eager to “immerse” themselves in the culture by checking off spot after spot like a rabid project manager working through a to-do list. Costa Ricans live by the mantra of Pura Vida. Translated, it means “pure life,” and is an embodiment of the country’s optimistic and relaxed view on living life. Though colonized by Spain, it is a unique swatch of land in the Americas that was largely neglected by its colonizers due to its lack of gold and silver, resulting in a country that still reflects and prioritizes its natural wonders versus invasive corporate development.

At Reserva Conchal, sustainability isn’t just a trend — it’s a commitment to preserving the natural beauty that makes Costa Rica so special. Through projects like Huerta Najui, the bee yard, and the ecological corridor, the resort isn’t just offering a vacation; it’s ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same breathtaking landscape that guests do today. That’s where the magic lies.