Do you frequently find yourself recycling everything in sight even your neighbor’s goods?  Are you always consciously thinking about what the stray balloon in the sky can do to the environment?  Well if you said yes, then you are like me and are in search of exotic locations who share the same passions for the environment.  Recently I have come across the newest resort of this kind in Costa Rica.  It is the Arenas del Mar and it is located next to the Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  In fact it has yet to open and will be ready for guests in October 2007. 

All of the hotels, inns, B & B’s, etc. are invited to participate in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism, a program designed by the Costa Rican Tourism Ministry.  It serves as a guide to build and operate a sustainable resort.  The certificate is based on four items.  1-Physical-biological parameters, the interaction between the company and the environment, 2- Infrastructure and services, 3-External clients, the company interaction with clients and how much it allows and invites clients to contribute to the cause, and 4-Socio-economic environment, the interaction between the company and the local community. There is a scale 1-5, 5 being the highest the company can get.  To learn more about the program or find hotels and their ratings go to http://www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/EN/home.shtml. 

The Arenas Del Mar takes pride in incorporating the environment with its structure.  It is the first 100% sustainable project in Costa Rica.  Some of the features include energy efficient water heaters and light bulbs, only electric cars are allowed on the premises, the roof tiles are recycled plastic bags from the banana industry, and they will have an on-site recycling center.  There will also be a solar drying room to minimize the use of fossil fuels for drying clothes, only native plant species will be planted, and they will recycle the waste water.  These are just of few of the precautions that they have taken to become the third hotel in Costa Rica to receive the highest possible rating (Lapa Rios and Finca Rosa Blanca are the other two).

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Filed under: Travel on July 24th, 2007