Costa Verde offers Costa Rica’s most original eco-suite: a vintage airplane in the rainforest.

Costa Verde nestles in the rainforest above the Pacific Ocean, next to Manuel Antonio National Park. Like many hotels in Costa Rica, it is low-rise with impressive green credentials. The owner, an ex-Peace Corps volunteer and an environmental activist left a 30-acre biological corridor around the property with the rainforest grounds sustainably maintained.

Wildlife is literally on your doorstep, as ridiculously cute squirrel monkeys perform acrobatics in the trees. The hotel’s motto is actually “still more monkeys than people.” You can’t get closer to nature than the open-air studios with no AC, no TV and no glass windows but with breezes that will keep you cool, and wild forest sights and sounds will keep you entertained (think iguanas, sloths and toucans co-starring with mini-primates).

What could be more environmentally responsible than a recycled accommodation? Here you can stay in an old passenger airplane – still in mid-air (kind of). The “727 Fuselage Home” is a suite 50 feet up in the jungle, with two beds and two baths, accessed by a private staircase with balcony views of the sea.

The hotel’s other aviation-themed talking point is a C-123 cargo airplane used in Nicaragua in the 1980s, which now serves as a restaurant and bar. El Avion, which was a CIA-funded Contra transport, sits cliff-side in peaceful retirement – if only those walls could talk…

Rates for the 727 suite start at $400/night plus tax; open-air studios $127/night plus tax; views, U.S. political scandal ghosts and wildlife shows included.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: The Costa Verde Hotel appeared first on EcoSalon.

Spend your days by the sea in the treetops, and playing with nature at Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge in Nicaragua.

Imagine if you could reset your day to the sunrises and the sunsets without the hassle of agendas, cell phones and meetings. For many of us, this would mean a complete readjustment of our clocks but for the owners of Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge outside of San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, this is the norm and they invite all of their guests to “play with time” as well.

Located 15 miles north of the Costa Rican border, Morgan’s Rock is located within a 4,400-acre nature preserve and sustainable tree farm, which 1.5 million trees have been planted in over the past 10 years. The resort is said to be one of the country’s oldest high-end eco-resorts, and the land is rich with history as well.

The 15 well-appointed bungalows are set into the hillside of the jungle and outdoor queen-sized hanging beds allow for breathtaking views of the water (13 of which are accessible only by a 100-meter pedestrian suspension bridge). Inside, each of them are open and have fully screened walls so you can hear the sound of the ocean and nature at all times.

If you go: Morgan’s Rock has its own private beach (equipped with hammocks and loungers) and a hatchery for giant sea turtles. Rates start at $322 per night and are all-inclusive.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge, Nicaragua appeared first on EcoSalon.

VivaTerra, the leading retailer of distinctive eco goods for the home, is offering an Eco Escape to one lucky winner, provided by WanderTours.

Winning a trip anywhere is pretty cool. But winning a trip of your choice to an exotic destination? Now that’s what we’re talking about. From today through September 30, 2011, our fabulous sister site, VivaTerra, is offering a $5,000 eco escape to a grand prize winner, provided by WanderTours. The travel voucher can be used for either a scheduled tour or a custom tour, which will be created specifically for the winner.

WanderTours features both women-only and coed tours, and offers explorations that are as sustainable as humanly possible. Local guides are employed, making it an even better experience, and tour groups are kept small to reduce the impact on the countries they visit. The winner will discover some of the world’s most fascinating regions including Papua, New Guinea, Bhutan, India, Vietnam and Cambodia.

You must be 18 and a U.S. resident to win. Full terms and conditions are available on the VivaTerra website. Otherwise, what are you waiting for? Enter now!

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Win a $5,000 Eco Escape from VivaTerra appeared first on EcoSalon.