Sustainable Tourism at
Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort
Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort , one of the first truly sustainable resorts in Costa Rica, was built in accordance with Costa Rica«s prestigious Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST). The resort itself seeks to demonstrate that sustainability can be incorporated into a resort-like setting (where typical practices tend to be both destructive and damaging to the local environments and communities) by combining elements of conservation, luxury, community development and innovative building techniques.
Conservation
The total construction of Arenas del Mar covers less than 25% of the property itself; the rest will become a private nature reserve that will act as an ecological corridor that expands the area surrounding Manuel Antonio National Park (one of Costa Rica’s most popular national parks and home to monkeys, sloths, rare birds and other creatures of the rainforest). In the next few years, Arenas del Mar will be participating in an extensive reforestation program, planting over 7000 native species of trees on the property.
Best Practices and Sustainable Development
At Arenas del Mar, sustainability has been a key feature since the planning and construction phase. A few of the sustainable features of the physical property itself include:
- Solar panels to heat hot water coupled with energy saving auxiliary heating systems
- Underground electricity systems that do not interfere surrounding wildlife
- Ionization systems to clean swimming pool water
- An advanced vermiculture-based compost system to recycle organic waste
- Energy efficient Light bulbs
- Extensive recycling and waste monitoring programs
- An advanced wastewater treatment plant
- A policy of only allowing electric cars on property
- Roof tiles made from discarded plastic bags from the banana industry
Supporting Local Communities
Arenas del Mar works rigorously to improve local communities, offering unique opportunities and trainings to employees, as well as supporting local projects that work towards environmental improvement and a more sustainable future for Manuel Antonio and Costa Rica.
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