The blue morph butterflies floating above our heads were certainly enchanting, and the rare sighting of the ochre belly fly-catcher was something I can boast about back home at the annual Audubon Society meeting. But it was the monkeys that my children were itching to see, especially after I told them the Costa Rican rainforest is best known for the furry critters. Then, magically out of nowhere, they appeared. Four white-faced monkeys jumping from vine to vine of the thick-rooted ficas tree. We marveled at the little fellas as they ran, jumped, and taunted each other.

We were nestled in a sliver of rainforest bordered on both sides by a sublime stretch of Pacific coast sand. The crescent white beach is hemmed in by rugged cliffs, creating a tropical paradise called Manuel Antonio National Park. A little over 1600 acres, Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular destinations for families in Costa Rica, as it should be.

Two miles down the road from Manuel Antonio is the finest family-friendly option in the area, Si Como No. It was more than 30 years ago when an art director in Hollywood named Jim Damalas first visited Manuel Antonio National Park and fell under the spell of the magical rainforest. On his return trip, he would invest in 40 acres of pristine Costa Rican forest overlooking the Pacific. He blended hotel rooms into the rainforest canopy, created bridges above creeks, installed solar-power heaters, a compost for all food waste, and sent all his glass, plastic, and aluminum recycling to a local woman's auxiliary where it was reused. In 1992, Si Como No Resort & Spa opened as one of the first genuine eco-resorts in the world.

Damalas has reaped accolades for his eco-friendly design, becoming one of the foremost figures in the sustainable tourism movement. He's constantly working to save the dwindling rainforest, lately devoting himself to the rescue of the Mono Ti Ti monkey. The gentle creature is quickly disappearing from its jungle habitat here, numbering just 1,000. He also built student dormitories on site so burgeoning scientists can study the great wealth of biodiversity found in the ancient rainforest. So, when you book a room at Si Como No, you can feel good that your money supports saving the rainforest.

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