Rio Perdido Thermal Spa | Bagacas Costa Rica | VIDA

VIDA was engaged in late 2010 by Costa Plan to join an established design team to provide Landscape Architectural services for the already master planned and designed destination spa and thermal river experience. The site is located a short drive from the town of Bagaces in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The property is estimated to be around 230 hectares and features spectacular views to the Miravalles Volcano, Rincón de la Vieja Volcano and the alluvial plains of the Pacific Coast. The property features a thermal river that dramatically cuts through the property exposing rugged cliffs and a scattering of enormous boulders remnant from volcanic activity.

Following our first site visit and a review of the planned facility, VIDA made several recommendations to the client team which fundamentally changed the way they had been looking at the arrival experience, the routing of the required infrastructure, the external spaces and the overall guest experience.  Supported by the client team, VIDA re-planned and designed the arrival experience, guest transfer area, the main road, the routing of the services, the pool and resort-style facilities as well as working with the architects to improve the entry points and exits from the main building to create a more attractive and memorable guest experience. VIDA’s team have also routed a circuit of nature-based and interpretive trails connecting the thermal river experience, a suspension bridge crossing the lush canyon of the thermal river and several lookouts.

Rio Perdido was recently awarded the Rene Frank award for Tourism Real Estate Development. VIDA is currently working on the planning and design of the first phase of lodging to include 18 independent cabins in collaboration with the client and architects Project CRD. The lodging will open in mid 2013.

Rio Perdido Thermal Spa | Bagacas Costa Rica | VIDA

Scale |                                     230 Hectares

Client |                                    Costa Plan

Project Team |                     C2 Architects + Estudio 27 + Garnier Arquitectos + OUSIA design + VIDA

Scope |                                    Master Planning + Full-service Landscape Architecture

Completed |                           June 2012