For my first travel experience to Central America, I was fortunate to have found myself within the verdant beauty of Costa Rica. With its strong cultural/artistic history, and recent leadership role in the area of sustainability, Costa Rica stands upon the pinnacle of desired tourist hotspots. Understandably, Costa Rica appears on many of the lists of trending locations for travel in 2025.
If Central America were to be imagined as a family, no doubt Costa Rica would be the most reasonable and trusted child. Its strength, and the strength of its people might have been carried down from its tumultuous history. Conquered by Columbus, it remained a colony of Spain for the next 300 years, where it remained underdeveloped and impoverished. Following the Mexican War Of Independence, Costa Rica finally became its own nation in 1828.
After a failed takeover by American settlers in 1856, after establishing a democratic government thirteen years later, and after its own civil war in 1948, Costa Rica insured voting rights and dismantled its military.
Now, Costa Rica is one of the nations leading the charge for a greener, sustainable, and overall climate change conscious way of living. Within that caring cohort, Costa Rica tourism, namely the hotel networks, are proudly taking steps to lighten the carbon footprint while providing excellent hospitality.
A convenient distance from the Juan Santamaria International Airport are two “sister” hotels: The Courtyard San Jose Airport Alajuela and the Fairfield by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela. Though separated by only a thirty second stroll from lobby to lobby, the hotels have distinct vibes. The Courtyard mirrors a more tropical atmosphere while the Fairfield echoes the rustic styles from its pioneer, J. Willard Marriott. However, both share a true dedication to sustainable practices within and without the hotel community.
Once the traveler/guest enters the front door of either hotel, it becomes evident that a bend of customer service and sustainability awaits. At The Courtyard, the items for sale at the gift shop and market, just opposite the concierge desk, range from t-shirts which display graphics of the most common and commercially popular Costa Rican wildlife: the morpheus butterfly, the three-toed sloth, the macaw, the tree frog, and the great quetzal. The market also offers packages of Britt Coffee, one of the more quality and popular brands, in several of its varieties. Costa Rican chocolate tempts the guests with its pure sweetness, and all around is the motto of Costa Rica – Pura Vida, which translates to The Good Life, but is actually used in many different contexts.
Walk straight ahead, and the guest is welcomed into Centro, The Courtyard’s main restaurant, which offers breakfast, lunch and dinner of the highest quality and taste. Likewise, The Fairfield offers the same excellent international cuisine. Both emphasize superb customer service which is why the wait staff was a major factor in the total enjoyment of my journey. The mixed quesadilla, queso frita, guacamole, and the spicy margarita were standouts on an already delectable menu. I was encouraged as well to include the rice and beans with every meal.
The accommodations at these hotels are not left out of the sustainable campaign. The hotels achieve comfort without the glitz, and demonstrate ecological responsibility in subtle ways. The faucets have water-conserving filters, but the guest would never feel at a loss because part of expressing the need for sustainability is the art of striking a balance. The rooms are so beautifully curated and impeccably clean that a thousand paper straws would not spoil this memorable travel experience.
The hotels also offer meeting and event spaces. The Courtyard has seven event rooms and two breakout rooms with a top capacity of 100, while the Fairfield has four event rooms and three breakout rooms. Both offer over 3000 square feet of flexible space for any purpose, from business gatherings to weddings and family affairs.
For all its impressive details, the most meaningful contribution to Costa Rica Marriott’s sustainable portfolio came on the last morning of my visit. I joined a large group of hotel workers with rubber gloves and trash bags to clean the grounds of a local sports complex. The camaraderie of the group made the task enjoyable and swift. After the work, we all sat down under a canopy of trees and enjoyed boxed lunches and anecdotes in Spanish. I quickly understood that sustainable is not just a word to decorate marketing copy, but a dedication and a responsibility, one that can be performed individually or as a group, proving the somewhat overused term that it does, indeed, “take a village.”
Speaking of “village,” the historic sites within San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, paint the pure canvas of this proud country. Among the places not to be missed are The Teatro Nacional, with its ornate construction from 1891, is considered the finest historical building in San Jose. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is located in a subterranean building underneath the Plaza de la Cultura. The museum boasts a rich, cultural collection of artisan pieces, from gold figurines to stone carvings to detailed dioramas of the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica.
The peak of my journey occurred at the beginning – a hiking tour to view the Paos Volcano, more familiarly termed The Great Crater. About an hour from San Jose, this active volcano is the second largest crater in the world, measuring more than a mile across and 900 feet deep. It last erupted in 2017 leaving sizeable scars in the surrounding cement paths and stairways. The sulfur smell emanating from the crater, as well as the impacted ash which surrounds the area, speaks to the immense power of nature. However, within this smoldering, and even threatening destroyer lies the key to economic and natural sustainability. It just so happens that volcanic soil is ideal for growing coffee plants. Costa Rica has seven active volcanoes and a total of 200 volcanic formations dating as far back as 65 million years.
So, as I was focused on the sustainable practices at the hospitality level (still truly essential), I was immersed in a country in which the very survival of its culture, people, and economy rely on a naturally occurring sustainability. The many species of birds that I “collected” on my own nature walks near the hotel spoke of the ecological diversity, an allusion to the power of community. The locally sourced fruits and vegetables that populated my plates showed me what can be possible with healthy soil. The smiles on the Marriott staff as they cleaned up their community reminded me why I am a travel writer. The family metaphor is ever present. Costa Rica, more than its Central American siblings, stands as a world leader of sustainability, and I do my part through my own journalistic contribution to the world.
