Albergue Cerro Escondido Lodge

    This isolated lodge inside the Karen Mogensen Reserve can only be reached on horseback or by foot. Trails have lovely views of the Gulf of Nicoya and its islands. Once you’ve crossed the ridge, you see the cabins nestled in a mountain valley. Nearby is an old farmhouse where a local family cooks for you. In the morning you can hike up for excellent birding in primary forest, or hike down to the enchanting Bridal Veil Falls with its crystalline swimming hole. A wonderful adventure ($25-$40 including meals; three-day eco-camp, $125).
    The Karen Mogensen Reserve protects the watershed for the lower Nicoya Peninsula. Combine a trip here with trips to Playas Montezuma, Santa Teresita, or Guanacaste beaches. Curu and Cabo Blanco Reserves are nearby.

Monte Alto has been protecting the source of the Rio Nosara since 1992. Located 4 kilometers above the pleasant town of Hojancha, Monte Alto Reserve has a lodge, an orchid garden, a small museum and hiking trails. Hojancha was awarded Costa Rica's Healthy Community Prize in 1998. It’s about 20 minutes southeast of Nicoya, and is en route to all the Guanacaste beaches. .
Monte Alto is a good base for trips to the rest of the Ruta Verde Chortega, a circular route through Guanacaste linking sustainable ecotourism projects  like the Casa del Sol, where local women teach their neighbors how to make solar ovens, or Isla de Chira where fisherwomen lead tours of the mangroves.

Heliconias Lodge and Rainforest

Heliconias is a gorgeous rainforest with four hanging observation bridges, very similar to the Skywalk near Monteverde. They have cabins, a great restaurant, and offer tours of the Rio Celeste. Heliconias is famous as a nesting place for the Ornate Hawk Eagle. It is located near the town of Bijagua, about an hour north of Canas on the road to Upala, near the entrance to Parque Nacional Volcan Tenorio ($35-$60 including breakfast and access to rainforest trails).