Posts Tagged ‘ecotourism’

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.

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Posted in Eco Travel Tips, La Cocotera Updates | 1 Comment »

El Salvador Ecotourism: Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

Friday, October 16th, 2009

olive-ridley-turtle

One of the great advantages of ecotourism is the opportunity to witness nature’s wonders first hand. Just one of the many unique and amazing animals that reside in our little area of El Salvador is the olive ridley sea turtle. If you are lucky, you may be able to see this sea turtle on the Barra de Santiago beach.

Olive ridley turtles get their name from the coloring of their heart-shaped shell, which starts out grey when they first hatch, but becomes olive green once the turtles are adults.  Olive ridley turtles are one of the smallest species of sea turtle, with adults reaching 2 to 2.5 feet in length and weighing 80 to 110 pounds.

Female olive ridley’s have a remarkable way of nesting that sets them apart from other animals. Large groups of turtles gather off shore, then simultaneously come ashore to nest and lay their eggs. The  nesting rush is known as an “arribada”,  which is Spanish for “arrival”. During these arribadas, hundreds to thousands of females come ashore to lay their eggs.

The olive ridley turtle’s conservation status is threatened, which means it is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve. In breeding populations on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, the Olive Ridley turtle is endangered. The main cause of the historical decline of the olive ridley sea turtle is the collection of eggs and killing of adults on nesting beaches.

turtles

At La Cocotera Eco Resort, we sponsor a turtle release program that allows guests to participate in the release of baby olive ridley turtles into the Pacific ocean. Our eco lodge aims to promote ecotourism and inspire guests to help preserve our natural environment. We purchase the eggs from locals and raise them until they are ready to be released. If you would like to learn more about our eco resort and the turtle release program, contact us at info [at] lacocoteraresort.com

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Posted in Activities & Events, Arts & Culture, Eco Travel Tips | No Comments »

El Salvador Featured in New York Times Travel

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

olivebabies

El Salvador is slowly earning a reputation as the ideal place for sun, surf and peaceful solitude. Travel to this tropical area is on the rise as word gets out about ideal surfing conditions, unique wildlife, beautiful beaches and captivating culture. For those who seek a travel experience a little bit off the beaten path, but with the trimmings of a picturesque beach vacation,  La Cocotera ecolodge should be your first stop. In her article for the Travel Section of The New York Times Online, Bonnie Tsui dotes on the charm and beauty of El Salvador:

“A lingering reputation of El Salvador as a war-torn place has kept many foreign visitors at bay, but the country’s beaches, volcanic craters, pristine cloud forests and bird sanctuaries are setting it up to be the next Costa Rica, without the crowds. Authentic local experiences abound: rustic roadside stands everywhere sell pupusas, the country’s famous corn tortillas, usually filled with gooey cheese and refried beans. Out on the water, seasoned oyster divers, their floats and nets bobbing on the surface, are ready to chat between trips down to the rocky seabed.”

Like any area that experiences a spike in travel, big hotels have begun to sprout. By traveling to smaller coastal villages such as Barra de Santiago, you will experience the same El Salvador that Tsui describes. With waves that are  mellow but challenging, mouth-watering local fare, friendly local people and plenty of opportunity for nature exploration,  staying at an El Salvador ecolodge is a travel experience you don’t want to miss.

Read the full article on El Salvador travel at travel.nytimes.com

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What is a Turtle Release Program?

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

turtle release program in central america

Turtle Release programs are a type of wildlife conservation program in which participants can adopt a baby turtle and help release it into the ocean. These types of programs not only help preserve these animals, they’re also a great way to learn about the turtles and their habitat.

At La Cocotera Eco Lodge, guests have the opportunity to take part in this wonderful project. Our Turtle Release Program is for the Olive Ridley turtle, one of the smallest species of sea turtle. It is named for the olive-green color of its heart-shaped shell. Olive Ridley turtles are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The turtles nest on the La Cocotera beach and instead of letting the eggs be eaten, we purchase them from locals and allow them to hatch, raise them and release them. This turtle release program in Central America allows La Cocotera to safely release thousands of Olive Ridley turtles each year. Come experience this wonderful event and set baby turtles free in the ocean!

olivebabies

Want to learn more? We are a proud sponsor of a variety of ecotourism activities including nature tours of local forests, kayak bird tours, and a Species Reintroduction Program for the Scarlet Macaw. Find out more on our Ecotourism page!

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Posted in Activities & Events, Eco Travel Tips | 1 Comment »