As most of you know, tourism is the largest growing industry in Costa Rica.  Many of us started as tourists here, and recognized the country’s undeniable beauty – both in its people, its government and its natural environments – and are now feeling welcomed with open arms as we have chosen to be perpetual tourists on our way to becoming full time residents. It is the preserving of all that is beautiful around us – the pura vida – that is not just part of the tourist industry, but part of our residential community as well.  how do we transition form ecotourism to ecoliving in San Ramon Costa Rica?

As ecotourism is growing here in Costa Rica, with much of the world taking notice, so will ecoliving.  Not only are we a welcoming destination for like-minded tourists who want to be responsible in their exploration of the country, but also for folks wanting to live here, just like you and me.  We have the opportunity to help set the stage for a much needed grand concept of how ecotourism and evolving can grow hand in hand -creating a sustainable future for both.  We as residents will be setting a precedence of our own by making strides towards new concepts, while borrowing many the practices of the ecotourism trade and expanding them to meet full time living.  Because quite simply – if we don’t start acting responsibly as residents, all the reasons any of us came here, will be gone.

We here at Paradise Management are on that path as well.  We do our best to keep in the know when it comes to how our properties are built, our recommendations on builders who understand our customers’ requests to have the least impact on our surrounding environment, and personally as a family and company – minimizing our footprint in one of the largest growing expat communities in Costa Rica – San Ramon de Alajuela.  From air drying our clothes and B&B sheets, to using only on-line resources for our realty company instead of paper, we are also learning as we go.

Despite Costa Rica’s commitment to preserving its resources and natural wonders, there is still much that needs to be done.  Locally we can handle much of this on our own, if we put in some effort.  In place of a national recycling program, local centers have sprung up as for profit ventures, and a quick trip mid-week to one of the 2 local centers here in San Ramon will rid you of much of your “garbage”.  Add a serious sense of composting, considering so much of what you will eat here is fresh, maybe even from your own trees and gardens, and your impact on the earth becomes that much less.  Just shopping at the local feria for everything but boxed, canned and paper goods, eliminates the need for shipping by truck, airplane, boat – how ever they get that orange to you in the middle of the winter up north.  We eat ours off the tree. And our newsletter as well as my blog will get you tarted on cooking with what we have available locally and seasonally, if you need a little help in that department, I know I did.

So much of living here is part tourist, part residential.   Who could move here and NOT visit every volcano?  Not us!  But just as we visit responsibly, we live responsibly as well.  If this is the way you would like to live, please let us know and we can give you tips, references, show you the recycling places, and explain composting if you are a beginner!  Lets keep our earth alive and well together.  Welcome to your future, and ours, In San Ramon Costa Rica.