If you've spent any time in the hospitality industry, you know the word: seasonality.
For decades, tourism in Costa Rica and Central America has operated around a simple binary. There is the “High Season”—the dry, sunny months between December and April, when travelers flood our beaches and cloud forests. And then there is everything else: the “Low Season,” the “Rainy Season,” or what marketers eventually rebranded as the “Green Season.”
When we started the Cayuga Collection almost 25 years ago, we realized early on that Kermit the Frog was right: it’s not easy being green. But more importantly, we realized that if you truly want to build a sustainable hospitality company, sustainability cannot be something you switch on for six months and off for the rest of the year.
A few years ago, we decided to change the narrative entirely.
We stopped treating May through November as a time to lower our standards, slash rates, and wait for the sun to return. Instead, we started calling it what it truly is: Wildlife Season.
What began as a simple marketing experiment became something much bigger. Guests embraced it, but more importantly, it changed the way we thought about our own business.
Today, Wildlife Season proves that flattening the tourism curve isn’t just good business—it’s essential to the long-term health of the places we call home.
Here’s what we’ve learned.
What Does Wildlife Season Actually Look Like?
One of the biggest misconceptions about traveling during Wildlife Season is that people imagine constant rain.
The reality is very different. This short video shows what guests typically experience—from sunny mornings and afternoon showers to the wildlife, forests, and landscapes that make this one of our favorite times of year.
Sustainability Is About People (And People Need Year-Round Jobs)
Let’s be honest: you can’t call yourself a socially responsible hotel if the people who make your operation possible only have financial security for half the year.
The dirty secret of seasonal tourism is the layoff cycle. In traditional resorts, when the high season ends, headcount gets cut. Staff are sent home, hours are slashed, and local families are forced into months of economic uncertainty—or seasonal migration.
At Cayuga, over 95% of our staff across Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua are locals, many from the communities surrounding our lodges. Through our Wildlife Season initiative, we’ve been able to smooth out our occupancy curve and commit to year-round employment.
When our housekeepers, chefs, guides, and gardeners know their paycheck is secure in September and October, they can invest in their homes, support their children’s education, and build long-term careers instead of simply getting through another season.
Just as importantly, because our staff remains steady, the money our guests spend stays local all year. Studies on tourism leakage show that in many mass tourism destinations, as much as 70% to 80% of visitor spending leaves the local economy.
Just as importantly, because our staff remains steady, the money our guests spend stays local all year. Studies on tourism leakage show that in many mass tourism destinations, as much as 70% to 80% of visitor spending leaves the local economy. At Cayuga, upwards of 92% to 96% of our spending remains within the countries where we operate.
Year-round occupancy keeps that engine running—not just for us, but for local farmers, fishermen, drivers, artisans, and suppliers.
Giving the Ecosystem Room to Breathe
Every destination has its limits. In sustainable tourism, we call this ecological carrying capacity.
During the dry peak season, popular destinations like Manuel Antonio experience tremendous visitor pressure. Coastal aquifers are under maximum strain because water tables are at their lowest precisely when human consumption is at its highest. Energy grids work overtime. Trails receive their heaviest use.
Spreading visitation across all 12 months acts as a natural pressure valve.
When guests visit during Wildlife Season:
Water tables recover. Seasonal rains replenish coastal aquifers, reducing pressure on local water supplies.
Nature gets time to recover. Instead of concentrating thousands of visitors into a few months, trail use and wildlife disturbance are distributed more evenly throughout the year.
Guests experience the rainforest differently. Nobody comes to the rainforest hoping to stand in line. Visitors during June, September, or October experience quieter trails, richer wildlife encounters, and a deeper connection with nature.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognizes managing visitor volume and seasonality as essential to healthy destinations. By encouraging travel beyond the traditional high season, we aren’t just filling rooms—we’re helping protect the natural systems our destinations depend on.
Nature Doesn't Have an Off Season
Perhaps the biggest myth in tropical travel is that rain ruins a vacation.
In reality, May through November is when nature is at its most spectacular.
We didn’t call it Wildlife Season for marketing’s sake. We called it that because of what actually happens on the ground.
The Humpbacks Arrive. Between July and October, Southern Hemisphere humpback whales migrate thousands of miles to the warm waters off Golfo Dulce and Uvita to mate and give birth. Costa Rica enjoys one of the world’s longest whale-watching seasons.
Turtle Nesting Peaks. Along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, thousands of sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.
The Rainforest Comes Alive. The forests become impossibly green, waterfalls surge back to life, and wildlife activity increases during the cooler, rain-kissed afternoons.
The Costa Rica Tourism Institute consistently reports that more than 80% of international visitors come here for nature and wildlife. If that’s what travelers are coming to see, why wouldn’t we invite them when nature is at its most alive?
Inspiring, Not Preaching
At Cayuga, we have a simple rule: we don’t preach sustainability—we inspire it.
We never want guests to feel guilty about traveling. And we certainly don’t want them to feel like they’re compromising by visiting during the rainier months.
Wildlife Season isn’t about asking guests to tolerate bad weather for the sake of the local economy. It’s about inviting them to experience a Central America that is vibrant, dynamic, and alive—while knowing their visit supports year-round employment, healthier ecosystems, and stronger local communities.
We’ve discovered that doing what’s right for our communities and ecosystems also happens to be remarkably good business.
Maybe that’s what sustainable luxury has always been about—not asking people to sacrifice, but showing them that when nature thrives, communities thrive, and guests have a richer experience too.
If that’s not the future of hospitality, I don’t know what is.
By Hans Pfister
Co-Founder & CEO, The Cayuga Collection
A Different Definition of Peak
Peak season is predictable.
Wildlife Season is alive.
And for many travelers, that’s exactly the point.
For more information, contact us at [email protected].
