Posts Tagged ‘eco friendly resort’

What Makes us an Eco Friendly Resort?

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

la-coco-restaurant

As an eco-friendly resort, we constantly strive to ensure that our hotel and practices always put the environment at high priority. But what does that entail exactly? We wanted to take the time to share with you what makes La Cocotera truly an eco friendly resort.

La Cocotera was built following the “green leaf” system utilized by the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST).   The planning of the resort involved mapping out how to carefully minimize footprints on the land and ensuring that structures were built around the natural landscape. Local natural materials such as palm fronds, sustainable teak wood, plant vines, natural stone and hand woven fabrics are used throughout. In fact, all the wood used in construction was derived from sustainable teak plantations.

Energy conservation and recycling are also important elements of our eco resort. We use solar energy, energy saving lightbulbs and kinesthetic power flashlights. We have a biological (not chemical) waste water recycling treatment plant and we utilize gray water recycling as well as black water recycling, which not many hotels do. All trash is presorted for recycling before it leaves the property.

At La Cocotera, we pride ourselves on the freshness of the food we serve. Mangoes, cashews, almonds and our own citrus trees are all grown on the property and we use them in our desserts.  We will soon be buying Tilapia fish from the local elementary school, which is raising them, and will be adding a vegetarian menu. For drinks, we use plastic cups made from corn  which are 100% compostable.

A few of our other eco friendly resort features are:

  • Environmentally safe products, shampoos and soaps
  • All cleaning products are environmentally safe
  • Ionization pool filtration, rather than chlorine and other chemicals
  • All rooms are non-smoking

Being a green hotel is more than just having environmentally friendly practices in place. We also educate our guests by offering a free Behind The Scenes Eco Tour that shows you all we are doing to be green. We educate all our staff in the same way.

As an eco friendly resort in El Salvador, we are glad to offer world-class accommodations in a beautiful and unique setting. We encourage environmentally conscious travelers, nature and luxury lovers alike to visit our green hotel in El Salvador for a different vacation experience surrounded by nature, far away from the stresses of everyday life.

Barra de Santiago Myth: The Legend of Chasca

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

La Cocotera Eco Friendly Resort Estuary

The estuary and mangroves next to our eco friendly resort in Barra de Santiago may have a little more magic than just the chirping of birds and rustling of wildlife. Popular among villagers is a myth called The Legend of Chasca, a tale about the goddess of fishing.

According to the story, Chasca was once a beautiful princess who fell in love with a Prince named Acayet.  When Chasca’s father, Pachacuet, discovered their love affair, he ordered that Prince Acayet be killed.  Devastated by the news of her lover’s death, Chasca threw herself into the waters of La Barra de Santiago, and was never heard from again.  To this day, people  say that Chasca still appears on some nights, sailing in a white canoe and that it is a sign of good fishing conditions. On these nights, the villagers recite these verses:

“Fisherman the moon is out
Unwrap your fishing net
This night is of good fortune
Since the beautiful white canoe is coming,
Fear not, Chasca is good,
There is nobody like Chasca.”

Source: http://elsalvadorturismo.gob.sv/ingles/ahuachapan.htm

You too can paddle through the enchanted waters of Barra de Santiago when you stay at our eco friendly resort. To learn more about La Cocotera and our beachfront accommodations, visit www.lacocoteraresort.com

“Responsible Traveler” Pledge for Eco Resorts and Visitors

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

A corner stone of our tropical El Salvador eco resort is, of course, a great concern for the environment that is shared by many of the patrons and guests here. Beyond booking an eco-friendly resort for a vacation, an organization called the World Heritage has put together an online Responsible Travel Pledge, a list to help travelers remain mindful during their journey. By signing the Friends of World Heritage, the list hopes to empower others and help preserve the natural and cultural attributes that make places you visit, like El Salvador, unique.

Actions that visitors can take to alleviate any ecological footprint are understated but important. The Responsible Travel Pledge challenges travelers to incorporate three basic tenets when planning a trip and when traveling to a World Heritage site:

  • Discover the natural and cultural beauty of World Heritage sites by learning about the history, customs, folklore, and biodiversity that make them so special.
  • Share their commitment to these sites with hotels, tour operators, and other travel-related entities.
  • Preserve the natural and cultural values of World Heritage sites by following designated trails, respecting local rules and customs, and not removing archaeological or biological treasures.

By signing the Responsible Traveler Pledge, travelers can take small but important steps to preserve  more than 850 places that the international community has recognized as World Heritage sites, and help ensure that these natural and cultural treasures remain for generations to come. Visit www.globalproblems-globalsolutions.org to learn more about World Heritage sites and to sign the Responsible Traveler Pledge.