Tabacón, Costa Rica

Even in Costa Rica, the country that practically invented the idea of ecotravel, Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort stands out. At the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Costa Rica’s environmental minister highlighted the exemplary sustainability initiatives of this small retreat, tucked away high in the volcanic rainforests. The spa incorporates the naturally occurring hot springs, rich in minerals from the nearby volcano; at the hotel, water-conservation, electricity-reduction and nature-preservation programs are in full force. Tabacón is also the country’s first five-star resort to be certified carbon-neutral.

When it first opened, in 1993, that wasn’t the case. Over the past five years, it has transformed from a simple local stopover into an exceptional spa resort, an overhaul masterminded by Uwe Wagner, the German-born general manager. “All we wanted to do was live up to—and surpass—the Costa Rica ecohype,” says Wagner. Since joining Tabacón in late 2005, he has overseen a $4.5 million renovation and launched the resort’s rigorous environmentally and socially sensitive agenda, which includes hiring from neighboring communities and donating to area schools.

Nestled into 750 acres, Tabacón’s low-slung buildings combine touches of Asia and Latin America, with locally crafted furnishings and beds made of dark wood. The high-ceilinged rooms have the feel of tree houses, albeit luxurious ones, each with an oversized window looking onto the green of the surrounding jungle. Several of the suites afford unobstructed views of Arenal, Costa Rica’s youngest and most active volcano, which sits a few miles away in the adjacent national park.

At the hot springs across the road, the main pool has a waterslide and a bar; a restaurant overlooks the whole scene. Well-manicured paths follow the stream to a series of smaller pools and waterfalls. The Grand Spa itself is hidden in plain sight: across a footbridge, behind lush green walls. In the Temazcal sweat lodge, heated by lava rock, guests can take part in an ancient steam-bath ritual. Each of the treatment areas, under thatched roofs and without walls, is completely out of view from any other. After a volcanic mud wrap, rinsing off is as simple as tumbling into a private section of the stream. Tabacón (rooms, from $285; tabacon.com) is a three-hour drive from Liberia and two hours from San José. Nature Air, a carbon-neutral Costa Rican airline, flies from both cities (from $50; natureair.com).

Of Note: Tabacón is more than just carbon-neutral; it actually removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits, at a ratio of two to one. The majority of the resort’s land is covered in rainforest, which serves as a sort of immense carbon filtration system. —Perry Garfinkel