Rio Perdido
We are adventurers. We explore our Costa Rica because of this
passion. When we first came to the San Bernardo Lowlands – to this rare
and quintessential dwarf forest – we were marveled. There we stood,
atop a raised peninsula, formed by two converging canyons, where the
cool Rio Blanco meets the hot waters of Rio Perdido and a third
affluent, adding a final touch of perfection, pours its waters over 100
feet into the tepid convergence point. In so many years of traversing
the land…of making it into every little nook…how had we missed this?
We soon found that even the vast majority of residents of
Bagaces County had never seen this amazing place. A few old-timers
shared their opinions; they explained why these canyons had managed to
remain out of the light. A simple bridge that connected this unique
area to the nearby populated zones and the country’s federal roadway
system had fallen decades back and, because there were already modern,
alternate routes to the more important rural spots, the bridge was never
replaced…and this particular route was basically lost.
As we continued to explore the immediate area, we started
to find small pieces of shattered ceramic on or just below the surface
land. With help from curators from the National Museum, we were able to
categorize these pieces as authentic Chorotega artifacts. And so, it
became apparent that we were rediscovering an ancient destination that
was appreciated and enjoyed by civilizations dating back hundreds of
years. This amazing canyon where hot water emanates from under boulders
or simply gushes from the rocky walls was an important gathering place,
no doubt.
As a final note, the trees growing within these canyons
are huge. They have a yearlong source of nutritional, mineralized
water, and grow up to 10 times taller than the dwarf trees on the
parched soil above. These canopies can be just about as tall as the
canyon itself. So, in the wet season, when all of the foliage is dense
and green, the serpentine canyon practically disappears from view. Even
a bird flying above the very canyon could miss the camouflaged river.
It is, indeed, a lost river…Rio Perdido.
We were inspired and thus, set out on a new project,
devoting years of work to making this treasure accessible to visitors in
a sustainable way that would never compromise its beauty. We were able
to fit all of the key service elements into one main building, in three
areas that comprise less than 1% of the total land. Our team used
almost all of the existing circulation paths, preventing the clearing of
forest.
We removed domesticated and farm animals from the land
and we have stopped the logging that occurred with previous owners,
allowing for an accelerated rebalancing of the local ecosystem. Most of
the wood used in the project was farmed under license and quite a bit
has come from amazing fallen sources. We currently have 350 acres under
contract with the national forestry protection agency and we aim to
increase that number as we go forth with our operative phase.
For us, sustainable practices are not bred from image
campaigns or from a marketing strategy. It is an innate duty…a way of
life. As we continuously learn from our environment, from our
neighbors, and from our guests, we passionately reciprocate with what we
hope are valuable contributions. In this website, we have set aside
some important space to convey to you a general look at said practices.
Feel free to read from them
At Rio Perdido, we have created an experience for our
visitors; simply by allowing people to get the most out of a beautiful
and historic place that was naturally created over time.
