Built for Sustainability: Costa Rica Resort Blends Grand and Green
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MANUAL ANTONIO, Costa Rica—Born as a concept in luxurious sustainability, Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort is one of the few accommodations in Central America built “green” from the ground up.
Resurrected within one of the most beautiful areas in Costa Rica—where the Pacific Ocean meets Manual Antonio National Park—Arenas del Mar is striving to achieve the highest level of sustainability set forth by the Costa Rican Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), which works to award tourism operators for their efforts in environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
To meet, and hopefully exceed, CST requirements, Arenas del Mar, a 38-room resort, began thinking green before construction even began. By using a mere 25 percent of the land for actual building, the resort left plenty of space for their private nature reserve, which also serves as an ecological corridor for the many species of mammals that wander through the jungle. Besides building in non-forested areas, the construction included neither tractors nor heavy-duty equipment in consideration to wildlife and terrain.
The resort itself is staffed primarily of local people, too, an essential integration and fusion of culture—particularly, the Quepos and Parrita communities. And everyone, it seems, has eagerly adapted to the sustainably-minded resort through extensive training. Here, guests will find such eco-friendly attributes as: solar heating panels coupled with super efficient energy saving water heaters, only electric cars on-site, an underground electrical system, and a comprehensive recycling program.
Other low impact aspects of Arenas del Mar include:
- Subterranean electrical systems to protect wildlife
- Waste water treatment plant which recycles waste water for irrigation
- Over 5,000 native plant species
- Interpretative signs for identifying the flora
- On-site vermicompost (worm composting) facility
- A solar drying room to minimize the use of fossil fuels
- Full time occupational safety and environmental supervisor
- Roof tiles made from discarded bags used in the banana industry
Whether guests to Costa Rica yearn for an elegant retreat or an adventurous excursion, they will be met with certified sustainability at Arenas del Mar, one of the region’s leaders in environmental consideration.
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