Go here to bid on a vacation at the Arenas del Mar hotel in Costa Rica, pictured above.

by Brook Wilkinson

Taking a page from popular travel auction sites Luxury Link and SkyAuction, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) has debuted a new monthly feature that lets supporters bid on travel packages. First up: Costa Rica. From now through February 28, you can bid on 13 different hotel and tour packages in Costa Rica, all provided by TIES members. Most of the proceeds go to TIES, a non-profit that supports ecotourism initiatives around the world, with 5 percent going to a community-based organization in the featured country. This month that money will benefit the Yorkin community, which has established an ecotourism program to help them recover financially from devastating floods that hit last November.

I've been to three of the hotels offering auction packages this month--Lapa Rios, Finca Rosa Blanca, and Arenas del Mar--during a trip I wrote about in our August 2008 issue, so I can promise that you won't go wrong by bidding on any of those packages. Lapa Rios is a lovely jungle lodge on the Osa Peninsula, and is the only property in the world to be named to both Condé Nast Traveler's Green List and Gold List. Finca Rosa Blanca is a charming coffee plantation outside San Jose, a great place to start or end your trip, and Arenas del Mar is a beach resort by the same owner, which earned a place on our 2008 Hot List.

Right now, you can still bid well below market value for all three of these packages, and ten others. It's a great way to support a worthy organization, and get a green vacation out of the deal.

Further reading:
* Gold List 2009
* Responsible Traveler: Making a difference