Every travel company in Costa Rica calls itself 'eco.' It's the most overused word in the industry. Here's how to tell which ones actually mean it.
The certifications that matter
Costa Rica's Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST), issued by the Tourism Board (ICT), is the most rigorous and most credible. It covers everything from waste management to community employment to resource consumption. Ask your hotel or tour operator for their CST rating (1–5 leaves). A company without any certification should explain why, or raise a flag.
The Rainforest Alliance certification and Blue Flag ecological rating (for beaches and communities) are also credible. Look for these logos on websites and at the property — they're not purchased, they're audited.
"Eco is a practice, not a marketing category. We get audited annually. That's the difference." — Marco
Questions to ask
- Where are your guides from? (Local guides keep money in the community and know the wildlife better)
- What's your group size cap? (Smaller groups mean less trail impact and better experiences)
- What do you do with waste in remote areas? (Corcovado and Tortuguero have no waste collection — responsible operators carry everything out)
- How do you handle carbon emissions? (Vague 'we offset' claims vs. named certified projects are very different things)
- Which lodges do you use and why? (CST-rated lodges vs. whoever has beds available)
Red flags
- "Eco" in the name but no CST or third-party certification.
- Very large group sizes (15+) for any wildlife or rainforest experience.
- Feeding or handling wildlife for photos — a serious problem in Costa Rica.
- Lodges that claim 'eco' but have single-use plastic throughout.
- Prices significantly below market rate for the claimed experience.
Ask your guide where they grew up. Ask them to name the tree you're standing next to. If they can't answer both — quickly and confidently — you have the wrong guide. The best naturalist guides in Costa Rica are from here, and it shows within five minutes.
What Eco Dreams does differently
We cap every group at eight travelers — not because we have to, but because the wildlife experience degrades above that number. Every trip includes a verified carbon offset through a certified Costa Rican reforestation project. We only use CST-rated lodges. Our guides are Costa Rican nationals with formal naturalist certification. And we've been operating since 2009 — long before 'eco' became a marketable keyword.
Sustainable travel isn't harder or more expensive than regular travel. It's just more intentional. If you want to travel with a company that takes this seriously, browse our packages — and feel free to ask us hard questions when you contact us.