The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit organization focused on sustainable farming, forestry and tourism, recently named the 2010 honorees for its annual gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
One of the honorees was Finca Rosa Blanca, a beautiful inn and coffee plantation that I visited not long ago in Costa Rica.
It’s no surprise, really, that the property has been recognized by the Rainforest Alliance. Finca Rosa Blanca has been awarded a prestigious five green leaves and a perfect 100 percent score from Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism program as well as its Rainforest Alliance certification for sustainable farm management. Finca Rosa Blanca has also demonstrated a commitment to the betterment of the local community. For the past 20 years, the inn’s owners, Glenn Jampol and Teresa Osman, have donated five percent of their annual bar and restaurant revenue to community projects, enabling the construction of a new library, dining room and computer center at their local school, developing a community-wide recycling center and providing continuous support to the Children’s Food Bank and Kitchen.
As if that weren’t enough, Finca Rosa Blanca is a luxurious and enjoyable place to stay, an easy getaway from the hustle and bustle of nearby San José. Guests may participate in the hands-on production and cultivation of coffee, learning how coffee was discovered, traded and consumed, touring the organic sustainable coffee plantation, and even picking and roasting coffee during Harvest Season (Oct- Jan.).
While I was there, I joined an expert-led coffee tasting session (I don’t drink coffee, but still found it quite interesting), and got a cooking lesson (I wasn’t very good, but the food was), while sampling the cuisine at The Tigre Vestido, the inn’s gourmet restaurant that is famous for its use of seasonal ingredients and local foods featuring Nuevo Latino and Costa Rican Cuisine.
The 13 guest rooms are equally memorable, with rounded corners, romantic touches like four-poster beds and amazing views; each room is unique, so you can choose the one that you like the best. There is also a small spa that features interesting treatments, some of which use coffee. So even if coffee and cooking aren’t quite your thing, you’ll find plenty to indulge in during a visit.
$250 and up, including a-la-carte breakfast.
http://www.fincarosablanca.com/
Category: Costa Rica