Thermal Water and Sustainability

The Living Experience of La Fortuna de San Carlos 

By Tadeo Francisco Morales Gómez

President – Arenal Chamber of Tourism and Commerce

Researcher – Center for Tourism Studies (CET), Costa Rica

Thermal Water as a Regenerative Resource

Thermal water is not just a tourist attraction. It is a catalyst for transformation—a geological force charged with minerals, energy, and memory, capable of regenerating people, landscapes, local economies, and human-nature relationships. In Costa Rica, particularly in regions like La Fortuna de San Carlos, its social, ecological, and economic value is becoming more widely understood. Yet we are still in the early stages.

Costa Rica's thermalism needs vision, science, and strategy to reach its full potential.

Thermal Waters as an Axis of Regenerative Development

From Undervalued to Invaluable

For much of the 20th century, thermal springs were seen as a nuisance to agriculture and livestock. Landowners who inherited hot springs considered them sterile: "grass doesn’t grow well," "cows don’t drink that water." These lands were seen as useless rather than valuable.

Only in recent decades has La Fortuna started to recognize these waters not as obstacles but as strategic assets. What began as recreational thermal pools by local tourism pioneers evolved into a high-end, internationally competitive tourism offering.

Today, thermalism is the main economic engine of the region. It generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs, drives hotel, wellness, and gastronomic investments, and anchors other sustainable experiences like hiking, cultural activities, rural tourism, and wellness.

Institutional Support and Territorial Cohesion

This transformation was not spontaneous. It was made possible through a robust institutional and social fabric, centered on sustainable tourism development and responsible thermal resource management. The initial and sustained leadership of local entrepreneurs in La Fortuna has been vital—visionary, territory-rooted individuals who took risks and bravely invested in a different tourism model: one that respects the environment and is deeply committed to the community.

Thanks to their efforts, the first public thermal pools, community alliances, and integrated wellness-nature experiences emerged. These long-term thinkers laid the foundation of the tourism ecosystem that today supports thousands of families and has made La Fortuna one of the most visited destinations in Central America.

Key stakeholders that joined along the way include:

• Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT): Leader in promotion and sector training.

• INA: High-quality technical training in tourism, gastronomy, customer service, and wellness therapies.

• San Carlos Municipality: Leadership in land-use planning, road infrastructure, and tourism entrepreneurship support.

• Northern Zone Development Agency: Bridge between private sector, local government, and international cooperation programs.

• TEC and UCR: Producers of technical and scientific knowledge on geothermal energy, water management, sustainability, and regenerative development.

• ADIFORT: Strategic actor in community development, cultural identity, environmental education, and social cohesion.

• Arenal Chamber of Tourism and Commerce: Driver of local business coordination and participatory governance.

• Ministry of Public Education (MEP): An outstanding example is its priority school in Finca Z-13, where public primary students are taught English as a real tool of inclusion.

This last point is essential. Early English education in a community dependent on international tourism acts as a structural vaccine against gentrification. Working-class children gain language skills that allow them to access better jobs, create their own businesses, and actively participate in the local tourism economy. Tourism doesn’t displace them; it empowers them.

Thanks to this alliance between local entrepreneurship and committed public institutions, La Fortuna has shifted from an extractive to a regenerative vision, where thermal water is no longer just an attraction but a cornerstone of inclusive and sustainable development.

Scientific Evidence of Thermalism's Economic and Social Impact

A crucial step in consolidating thermalism as a pillar of sustainability in Costa Rica was the study conducted by the Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development (CLACDS-INCAE), commissioned by the CET. The analysis focused on La Fortuna's thermal waters, evaluating their impact from the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, environmental, and social.

The study confirmed that tourism-based thermal water use generates significant benefits that far exceed direct economic income:

Economic Dimension

• Thermalism creates productive linkages across more than ten sectors, including transport, food, local agriculture, art, and culture.

• Economic spillover is broadly distributed within the community, with a multiplier effect greater than that of more extractive tourism models.

• It contributes to local employment, especially for women and youth, stabilizing income for many families.

Environmental Dimension

• Most thermal businesses in La Fortuna follow good environmental practices: closed-loop water systems, wastewater treatment, and reforestation programs.

• There is strong environmental awareness among business owners, who understand the resource's dependency on ecosystem health.

Social Dimension

• Thermal waters enhance local identity and community pride. They are seen not just as tourist attractions but as shared heritage.

• The local development model includes social and educational investments, such as English instruction in a public priority school—a replicable example for other regions.

This study provides scientific validation that thermalism can be a regenerative model with measurable positive impacts on sustainability indicators. It also outlines strategic actions to scale this model in other Costa Rican regions:

• The need for a national thermalism policy to protect thermal aquifers and promote responsible use.

• Promotion of public-private partnerships for infrastructure, training, and differentiated tourism products.

• Creation of observatories or research centers to study thermal waters’ behavior, therapeutic potential, and economic impact.

This academic input supports the proposal that Costa Rica can lead globally in sustainable thermal tourism—if institutional support is strengthened and mistakes made in overexploited thermal destinations are avoided.

A Powerful Alliance

As a certified forest therapy guide, I’ve seen how conscious contact with nature transforms people.

What is Forest Therapy?

Forest therapy is a guided, science-based practice that invites people to consciously connect with natural ecosystems using mindfulness, breathwork, slow walking, and deep sensory perception. Studies from Japan, Korea, the U.S., and Europe confirm that this practice:

• Reduces cortisol and chronic stress.

• Improves blood pressure and heart rate.

• Boosts the immune system.

• Supports emotional well-being and mental clarity.

Regenerative Synergy

Combining forest therapy with thermal immersion enhances the effects. Heat, minerals, and the volcanic-geological setting promote deep rest, detoxification, and nervous system restoration.

Authors like Jacques Benveniste and Masaru Emoto have explored water’s capacity to store information, frequency, and vibration. Though from different frameworks (scientific and artistic), both agree water responds to its environment and becomes a vehicle for transformation when used with intention.

Thermal waters, formed deep underground, enriched by volcanic activity, and surrounded by rainforest, are true energetic portals. Used with respect, awareness, and therapeutic design, they become medicine for body, mind, and spirit.

Case Study: Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa – Regeneration Through Thermal Luxury

At the 2024 Planeta-Personas-Paz (P3) conference, an exemplary case of regenerative sustainability was presented: Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, located at the base of Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna. This property has not only pioneered thermal tourism in Costa Rica, but has become an international benchmark for systemic regeneration through wellness tourism.

Integrated Management with a Systemic Focus

Tabacón has adopted a transversal sustainability vision, structuring its operations around six strategic pillars:

• Culture

• Gastronomy

• Wellness

• Water

• Energy

• Biodiversity

This comprehensive approach ensures the hotel not only minimizes negative impacts, but actively restores the environment, strengthens social cohesion, and boosts local economic resilience.

Social Impact and Transformative Education

A key initiative is its work with 26 public schools in the region, benefiting over 6,000 students through:

• Donation of desks and school supplies

• Infrastructure improvements

• Support for community pedagogical projects

This is not charity—it is a deep sustainability strategy. As the company stated, "It’s not enough to say 'pura vida'; we must look at how our children, youth, and collaborators live, and act to improve their quality of life."

This is especially relevant in regions vulnerable to tourism-driven gentrification. In La Fortuna, a strong synergy with MEP allows a public priority school to teach English from primary school, preparing local children to participate competitively and with dignity in tourism. This is, plainly said, a vaccine against exclusion.

Alliances and Shared Responsibility

Tabacón doesn't act alone. Its programs are designed and implemented with support from:

• Internal collaborators

• Sustainability-aligned suppliers

• Conscious clients and guests

• Allied institutions and social organizations

This co-responsibility model breaks the paradigm of compensation/mitigation and promotes a new narrative of transformative private-sector leadership.

A Regenerative Vision

What’s most remarkable is that Tabacón has moved beyond classic sustainability—focused on minimizing negative impacts—and embraced an active regeneration approach. As said at the conference:

"This isn’t marketing, it’s action, it’s vision, it’s real regeneration."

Their purpose says it all:

"To create and inspire experiences to immerse in life."

This living legacy positions Tabacón as a model of how a luxury thermal resort can—and should—be an agent of change for its community, territory, and country.

A Call for a National Vision

In September 2025, La Fortuna de San Carlos will be part of Costa Rica’s delegation to Termatalia, the world’s leading international fair dedicated to thermalism, wellness, and health tourism. This participation offers a strategic platform to showcase Costa Rica’s regenerative model, share best practices, and connect with stakeholders from over 30 countries. It reaffirms La Fortuna’s commitment to sustainability and its position as a premier thermal destination in Latin America.

Costa Rica’s presence at Termatalia 2025 – Paipa, Colombia must be more than a tourism promotion effort. It should serve as a national coordination platform. The time has come to craft a country proposal for regenerative and sustainable thermalism that integrates:

• Science and regulation

• Local communities and ancestral wisdom

• Business innovation and real wellness

• Technical training and international positioning

How do we do it?

The recent Planeta-Personas-Paz (P3) Conference left valuable lessons for sustainable thermal experiences:

Key Insights

1. Costa Rican tourism model – Hans Fister

   
   

   "Our model distributes wealth: renting cars, hiring transport, dining in local restaurants. That sets us apart from typical sun-and-beach vacations."

   
   

   ➡ Relevant for thermalism: connecting it to guides, transport, and local F&B maximizes social impact.

2. Community tourism – Karen Lewis, Osa Peninsula

   
   

   "The most important step was asking the community what they wanted and building together."

   
   

   ➡ Key for developing thermal projects in rural areas.

3. Responsible mobility – Jacqueline López

   
   

   "Sustainability is also profitable." ➡ Thermal centers must optimize their transport, energy, and water footprints.

4. Destination management – Minister William Rodríguez

   
   

   "Communities must take ownership of their tourism products." ➡ Communities with thermal waters must lead their own development.

5. Environmental regeneration – Costas Verdes

   
   

   "The land just needed a little push, and it did the rest." ➡ Reforesting thermal zones boosts biodiversity and beautifies the experience.

6. Local sourcing – Bandera Azul

   
   

   "Lead by example." ➡ Sustainable local procurement reinforces model coherence.

Conclusion: Thermal Water Can Transform a Country

Costa Rica has everything needed to lead a new model of regenerative thermal tourism: unique natural resources, committed institutions, organized communities, and a global reputation for sustainability.

The challenge now is to move forward with strategic vision, strong alliances, and modern regulatory frameworks so this sector can emerge not just as a tourist attraction, but as a tool for collective well-being, social justice, and territorial conservation.

Costa Rica’s participation in Termatalia 2025 is not just an international showcase—it is a call for unity. All stakeholders in Costa Rica’s thermal sector must come together, align, and strengthen their voice. Now more than ever, it is essential to weave a strong, diverse, and committed alliance that proudly and boldly represents our thermal wealth. This is the moment to move from inspiration to action—to take the next step with courage, collective intelligence, and shared purpose.

PARADISE HOT SPRINGS, LA FORTUNA, COSTA RICA