A True Eco Hotel In Costa Rica: Finca Luna Nueva Lodge Review
Consider this post our love letter to Finca Luna Nueva, an inspiring eco hotel in Costa Rica. If you want to embrace ecotourism, but have no idea where to start, book a stay at Finca Luna Nueva Eco Lodge. This sustainable rainforest eco lodge will teach you how to travel in a way that supports the environment – without compromising on resort amenities or adventure.
Not all hotels are created equal in the eyes of the planet – some are much more sustainable than others. Therefore when you travel, your choice is your voice. Where you stay, what you eat, and how you spend your time all have an impact on the environment. By booking an eco hotel in Costa Rica, you’re putting your money toward a good cause. We can all choose to support local businesses that work with the planet in mind.
The Total Package
Finca Luna Nueva Eco Lodge was founded on the principle of being both a paradise and a living classroom. In other words, it’s about more than just a tranquil vacation in a beautiful destination. Guests have the chance to learn about sustainable practices that they can continue implementing, long after their vacation ends. If that’s not the total package, we don’t know what is.
The Path To The Spa
Poolside Farm To Table Dining
Th Restaurant At Finca Luna Nueva
Location Is Everything
This eco hotel in Costa Rica is located just outside La Fortuna, one of the most attractive destinations in the country. La Fortuna has become quite the hub of tourism, with an abundance of adventurous activities, waterfalls, and volcano views. That being said, if you want to experience La Fortuna without the crowds – Finca Luna Nueva is the perfect place to stay.
- 30 minutest to La Fortuna
- 2 hrs to San Jose Airport
- 3 hrs to Liberia Airport
Furthermore, the hotel’s website includes clear instructions about how to reach the property from just about anywhere in Costa Rica. During our trip, we traveled to La Fortuna from Santa Teresa, a beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula. In total, it was about a 5 hour travel day.
If you’re interested in getting to know the best beach towns in Costa Rica, you can read our post on Montezuma vs. Santa Teresa: Which Beach Town In Costa Rica Is Right For You?
If possible, try to add a stay at Finca Nueva on to the front or back end of your trip. It’s a great destination to hit along the way to other parts of Costa Rica, or on your way back toward San Jose!
Pathways Around The Property
Ariel View Of The Pool And Restaurant
What Makes A Hotel Eco-Friendly?
Now, this is a valid question. After all, there are many hotels today that have a sustainability page on their website. But there’s a difference between businesses that are making slow progress toward changing their environmentally harmful practices, and those that put sustainability at the center of everything they do. Thankfully, Finca Luna Nueva is the latter.
- Regenerative Agriculture
- Farm to Table Dining
- Regeneration of the Rainforest
- Spring-fed and Solar-heated Jacuzzi
- Sacred Seeds Sanctuary
Finca Nueva's New Dome Suite
A Bedroom In The "Family Bungalow"
Rooms & Villas at Finca Luna Nueva
Next, let’s talk accommodation. Rooms at Finca Luna Nueva ranges from suites, to bungalows, to private homes. Pick your perfect casita based on how big your travel group is. For example, we chose a Family Bungalow for our group of 6. This bungalow was equipped with two private bedrooms (one with a queen bed and one with two single beds) and two single beds in the foyer. What’s more, this room cost us just $180 per night, which is the high season price. Split that price between 6 people, that’s just $30 per person, per night to stay at this eco resort.
If you want a bit more luxury, book Finca Nueva’s new Dome Suite. It’s the total package with its king sized bamboo bed and secluded rainforest views – perfect for a romantic getaway.
Unfortunately, none of the rooms include kitchens. However, a daily breakfast buffet of fresh farm to table food is included with the price of your stay. Plus, that’s just the beginning of the delicious food farmed and prepared on site…
Farm To Table Breakfast At Finca Nueva Lodge - Day 1
Farm To Table Breakfast At Finca Nueva Lodge - Day 2
Dining At This Eco Hotel In Costa Rica
Regenerative Agriculture
Let’s eat – sustainably grown food. This eco hotel in Costa Rica is championing the movement toward regenerative agriculture, a method of farming that actually works to reverse climate change.
Regenerative agriculture improves soil fertility and helps deal with the excess CO2 in the atmosphere. Additionally, this practice creates healthy soil, which we need more than ever.
According to Regeneration International, soil scientists agree that if current rates of soil destruction continue, we won’t have enough usable topsoil to feed ourselves in the next 50 years. During your stay at Finca Luna Nueva, you can take a farm tour and learn about the incredible benefits of this innovative form of agriculture.
Farm To Table Fare
The food at Finca Nueva isn’t just good for the earth – it’s good for you too. Enjoy freshly squeezed juices as part of the daily buffet, gut-friendly foods like Kimchi, dairy from the lodge’s own farm, and fresh vegetables grown on site.
For breakfast, you’ll enjoy a variety of Costa Rican dishes from the included buffet. Next, lunch can be ordered off a menu at the poolside bar (just ask) or you can choose from a variety of snacks like Yucca chips and Ceviche. Finally, dinner will depend on the number of guests currently staying at the resort. With enough guests, dinner will be a full buffet style meal. If not, you’ll get to choose from a rotating menu based on foods that are in season.
Embrace this chance to try authentic Costa Rican food that’s nutrient dense and ethically made – we can’t imagine a better way to eat.
Solar Powered Jacuzzi
Bamboo Yoga Pavillion
On-site Amenities
A spring-fed, solar heated jacuzzi. A salt water resort-style pool. Oh, and did we mention the bamboo yoga pavilion? Need we say more? Finca Nueva offers all of these amenities, plus a variety of on site activities for guests.
Moreover, both the pool and spa are open 24 hrs a day – so you can unwind in the jacuzzi after dinner with a cocktail from the pool bar. The lodge also offers a variety of massages and spa services for an additional charge.
A Typical Day At Finca Luna Nueva
Start your day in the yoga pavilion. Use one of the provided mats and guide yourself through a practice – even if that looks like simply sitting on your mat, listening to the sounds of the jungle. Enjoy moving your body first thing in the morning, try your hand at meditation, or simply sit in stillness.
Next, head down to the poolside restaurant for the farm-to-table breakfast buffet. Then, it’s time to head out for a hike. The hiking trail nearest to the lobby will take you out to a Birding Pavilion – where you can view hundreds of bird species.
Following that, continue on your walk to the Bamboo Tower. This is a large structure that you can climb for stunning views of the Arenal Volcano. Along the way, you’ll see wildlife and plants. During our time at the resort, we got to see a sloth that hung around in a particular tree for the entirety of our stay!
Once you’ve finished your hike, it’s time to relax by the pool. Recharge with fresh drinks and snacks as you lay out beside the saltwater pool. But don’t forget to save room for the dinner buffet! If you’d like, you can book a Chocolate Tour for the afternoon, and learn how to ethically bake one of the most popular desserts.
Drink Of The Gods On The Chocolate Tour
Cocao Beans From Their Organic Farm
On-Site Tours At Finca Luna Nueva
Speaking of tour offerings at this eco hotel in Costa Rica, you should definitely try at least one of these learning experiences during your stay. See the full list of tours offered onsite at Finca Nueva here.
Chocolate Tour
Of course, we had to try to the Chocolate Tour! During this tour, guests learn about the way chocolate was made 1,000 years ago, to how it’s made today. You get to make your own chocolate step by step, grinding the cacao into a fine powder and adding the desired spices. Plus, you get to learn about the healing powers of chocolate.
Additionally, you’ll get to enjoy two homemade chocolate drinks – including a Drink of the Gods and Hot Chocolate. Finally, once you’ve finished your chocolate, it will be frozen and delivered to you later that same night.
While we enjoyed eating our chocolates, we most loved getting the chance to learn about the process of making it. For example, we learned that cacao butter is a natural byproduct of producing cacao powder, but it gets unnecessarily extracted in the process of creating chocolate!
While delicious chocolate can be made using this cacao butter – it’s instead sold to the cosmetics industry for use in beauty products – and chocolate gets filled with emulsifiers and unhealthy additives in its place. Large chocolate companies can make more money this way, by removing the natural ingredients that are good for people and selling them to the beauty industry. Unfortunately, much of the chocolate you see in the store will have gone through this process – and lost its health benefits as a result.
Our guide encouraged us to purchase chocolate with at least 70% cacao that lists minimal ingredients on the label! Upon eating these sweet treats ourselves, we were able to see that the natural process of making chocolate produces equally delicious results.
Beautiful Greenery At The Eco Lodge
Natural Pool
A True Eco Hotel
The best ecotourism offerings combine education, conservation, and opportunity to give travelers experiences that will change the way they see the world. This was precisely the experience we found at Finca Luna Nueva Eco Lodge. While there, we learned something new about how to better care for our world every single day.
On top of this, being surrounded by such natural beauty inspired us, refreshed our minds, and reminded us what we’re working to protect. This eco hotel in Costa Rica will break down any stereotypes you may have about environmentally conscious travel being expensive or inferior to other forms of tourism.
If you want to keep exploring eco hotels in Costa Rica, our post about The Best Eco Hotel In Montezuma is made for you.
Front Porch Of The "Family Bungalow"
All Day Bar At Finca Nueva Lodge
Chocolate Tour At Finca Nueva Lodge
Wrap It Up
In closing, Finca Luna Nueva will steal your heart – inviting you into a space where you can both unwind and find inspiration at the same time. This rainforest eco lodge will encourage you to be more aware of the impact of the small choices you make every single day. From the chocolate you buy at the store, to the hotels you choose to book as you travel – your choices say a lot about your commitment to the planet. More than that, they add up over time to make a big difference in our collective effort to leave this world a better place.
We recommend Finca Luna Nueva wholeheartedly – and we hope that this eco hotel in Costa Rica can serve as a model for other hotels that want to implement eco-friendly practices across the globe.
If you’re crushing big time on Costa Rica and want to know more, check out our full 2023 Costa Rica Travel Guide.
xoxo,
Baggage girls
