Blogs

One of the most pristine ocean habitats in the world is located in Costa Rica -- the Pacific gulf of Golfo Dulce.

Located in the southern region by the Osa Peninsula, the 31-mile-long (50 km) gulf of Golfo Dulce is recognized by National Geographic as one of only four tropical fjords in the world, and it is the tenth deepest. With an average annual temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, it is an extremely rare biome.

Given its low human impact due to its remoteness, the sheltered gulf is home to

Over the past three decades, the world’s population of sea turtles has declined drastically. The world they have occupied since the time of dinosaurs has become a very dangerous place. Nearly all seven sea turtle species on the planet have been classified as endangered or facing extinction.

Why is this important? Sea turtles are significant to our oceans’ ecosystems. They maintain marine habitats, help cycle nutrients, and are part of a balanced food web. As turtles disappear, it affects the heal

Re-use your towels at your hotel, ask that your bed linens not be changed daily, take a shower instead of a bath, wear water-resistant sunblock – these are all ways travelers can be responsible water consumers and participate in this year’s World Tourism Day that highlights water conservation.

In support of the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation for 2013, this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) on September 27 is themed: Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.

Travelers ar

In celebration of Earth Day 2015 – celebrating its 45^th anniversary on April 22, 2015 – Horizontes Nature Tours in Costa Rica asked one of their long-time naturalist guides what was his favorite element of Costa Rica nature. Costa Rica’s national parks were his answer.

From a country that was nearly devastated by deforestation by the early 1980s, today over 52 percent of Costa Rica’s territory is protected between national parks, private reserves and wildlife refuges. Costa Rica’s progressive re

Article by Shannon Farley

“Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature,” is the message from Conservation International. The environmental organization’s widely popular video campaigns use famous actors’ and actresses’ voices with beautiful video footage of nature in two-minute messages to promote their important manifesto:

“Human beings are part of nature. Nature is not dependent on human beings to exist. Human beings, on the other hand, are totally dependent on nature to exist.”

In Conservatio

David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio and British rock band Coldplay are just some of the big names from the world of celebrity who have come on board to save rhinos. Not on the regular "A" list there are also several rising horn stars hoping to change the game plan on poaching: rhinos in the wild facing the very real threat of extinction by 2026. While each one is more than deserving of media attention it's important to remember that all travellers can make a difference, every visit to Africa's nati

Celebrate the sea turtles of Costa Rica every November at the Matapalo Sea Turtle Festival.

The annual sea turtle festival on Nov. 15 and 16 at Matapalo Beach, halfway between Manuel Antonio National Park and Dominical on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, celebrates the Matapalo Sea Turtle Conservation Project and hatching of baby sea turtles. This year’s festival celebrates the project’s 25^th anniversary.

Matapalo Beach is a main nesting area for three species of sea turtles in Costa Rica. Ev

The northwestern province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica has one of the largest dry tropical forest areas in the Americas. Dry tropical forests are unique with many deciduous broad-leaf trees and vegetation that survive with much less water than a tropical rainforest. It endures a dry season lasting approximately eight months, yet is still home to a splendid diversity of plants, trees and wildlife.

The book Green Phoenix: Restoring the Tropical Forests of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, by William Allen (20

World Rhino Day is just around the corner, a global raft of activities planned for 22 September - their aim to generate greater awareness of the mammals plight.

Susie Offord, Deputy Director of Save The Rhino International, comments “The world has already lost 95% of its rhinos, and the remaining few are being threatened with extinction within the next 10 years due to escalating poaching and loss of habitat.”

Acacia Africa is already a proud sponsor of Save The Rhino International and the tour o

“Conserving a Vanishing Way of Life”

The journey of Mantis began back in 1992 and was founded by its current chairman Adrian Gardiner. Although the group existed during those years, the name, “Mantis” was only conceived in the year 2000. The name stems from the Praying Mantis, a tiny insect with an uncanny ability to survive in even the harshest conditions by having the utmost respect for its surroundings; such is the mantra of the group. Today the group consists of five star boutique hotels,

Close to our Spanish school in Samara, turtles are making their way to lay their eggs in Ostional, Costa Rica, a phenomenon known in Spanish as "arribada" or a mass emergence from the ocean.  Thousands of "tortugas lora," or olive ridley turtles nest here each year in the refuge that was created in 1984.  Prior to 1984, there were no laws prohibiting or regulating the removal of turtle eggs from the beach. 

Turtles nest in Ostional year round, but during rainy season, a few hundred turtles will a