The first EcoSalsa CD called Movimientos was recenly launched to the market. The CD is a musical tribute to ecotourism, Costa Rica’s National Parks, latin rhythms and the most distinguished sustainable hotels and resorts in Costa Rica. The funds raised from this CD will help in supporting the Cayuga sponsored Equilibrium Foundation. Arenas Del Mar has a song and a special video was made for the song. Check it out!

Curious to learn about how a resort can combine top-notch service with the highest levels of sustainability? Go behind the scenes to find out how Arenas Del Mar has incorporated elements of environmental stewardship and social responsibility into its day-to-day operations, allowing guests who stay with us to truly leave a positive impact in Manuel Antonio. From biodegradable cleaning products to earthworm powered composting, this tour is truly fascinating and inspiring for all guests interested in conservation, sustainable development, ecotourism and green living.

Blue Flag Celebration

On April 4, 2009, Arenas del Mar Beach & Nature Resort’s hosted a small ceremony to celebrate its efforts to obtain the prestigious Blue Flag certification for the third consecutive year in a row.
The event was held at Playitas Beach, and included the participation of special guests such as Kids Saving the Rainforest (who participated in the hotel´s onsite sustainability tour and later gave a small talk explaining the importance of refraining from feeding monkeys). Juan Pablo Aguero of ASCOMOTI, Dallas Boyd of the Chamber of Commerce of Aguirre, members of the security forces, Fabian Palma (General Manager), Jorge Arrieta (Operations Manager Cayuga), José Pablo Fernández (naturalist guide) and Kalinga Rodriguez (Sustainability Director).

For more information about Costa Rica’s Blue Flag Certification, please visit http://www.arenasdelmar.com/comunity_development.html.

Green Drinks

On Monday, March 30, 2009, Arenas del Mar held its first Green Drinks event of the year. Every month, we will be organizing this activity in order to promote the concept of sustainability both among local community groups, businesses and community members in Manuel Antonio, as well as to encourage our guests to learn about, and appreciate, sustainability efforts in Manuel Antonio during their vacation. Participants are encouraged to enjoy a green-colored drink, as well as share ideas, experiences and stories about all things “green”. For more information about Green Drinks, visit http://www.arenasdelmar.com/comunity_development.html.

We invite you to participate in the Green Drinks event held each month at Arenas del Mar Beach & Nature Resort. For more information please contact Kalinga Rodriguez (ADM Sustainability Director) at 2777 2777 ext. 8217 or by email at sostenibilidad@arenasdelmar.com.

CST Training

On March 26, 2009, we attended a training lead by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) to train hotels and tourism operators on how they can work to obtain Costa Rica´s prestigious Certificate for the Sustainable Tourism (CST).

This activity was carried out in the ICT building, where were discussed major issues, including the structure of the evaluation process, the types of documentation that needs to be presented, and more.

At Arenas del Mar, we are currently in the process of preparing for our evaluation. We have completed a number of important steps and are expecting to receive five leaves (the highest level of certification). To learn more about our sustainability program at Arenas del Mar, click here:http://www.arenasdelmar.com/sustainability.html

Art Exhibition at Arenas del Mar

On February 27 and 28, 2009 we at Arenas del Mar organized an art exhibition that showed the works of Costa Rican painter Felix Murillo. The presentation consisted of ten different exhibitions of the artist’s original work and a number of his prints. The event was held at the El Mirador Restaurant and a number of community members, as well as guests, were present at the event (some of whom even bought some of his work!). This is the first of many events that we hope to host at Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort in order to promote Costa Rican culture and art in the local community.

See photos below.