“Serenity and peace combined with stunning natural beauty” are the words that have been used to describe the setting of this eco resort.

Spot: Jicaro Island Ecolodge

Location: Granada Isletas, Nicaragua

The Good Stuff: Set on a private tropical island with only 9 two-story casitas, Jicaro Ecolodge is an upscale nature resort. An ideal setting for a variety of travelers who want to experience adventures, romance, and rejuvenation.

What We Love: A secluded island getaway, Jicaro is the perfect upscale alternative to hotels and resorts in downtown Granada.

 Green Cred: Water is heated with solar panels; focus on reduce, recycle, reuse; all staff are from the local area and food and other products such as food and furnishings are sourced locally as well. Use of organic and biodegradable soaps, cleaning detergents and spa products; Chlorine free systems to clean water in the pool, Energy efficient lighting and illumination throughout the island.

Shady trees make the best beach umbrellas. Nestled among trees and lush vegetation on the secluded Santa Teresa Beach on the western coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, we found ourselves at Latitude 10. Sustainability is just given equal weight here as comfort and relaxation. We drove from the Arenal Area, through the long thin town of Puntarenas. A lazy ride on the ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya, and finally an adventurously bumpy road towards Montezuma and past Mal Pais got us here to Santa Teresa Beach. The total length of the trip was around 6 and a half hours (we didn’t time our arrival at the ferry just right, being in no hurry, and we stopped and ate at a favorite restaurant at Hotel Tambor Tropical in Tambor).

 It was dark by the time we got to the road that runs up the coast through the little surf towns here. Surfers returning from their wavy day gave us a tropical welcome as we were looking for a sign for our hotel… Guess what? Latitude 10 is a Costa Rica beach hotel, very much a boutique property, striving to be as sustainable as possible. Low-key hominess in a beach-luxury atmosphere is also a goal. So there are no signs at all along the road. It’s a move that warms our hearts, as the overabundance of signs in some areas of Costa Rica and other tourism destinations detracts markedly from the experience. It did take us a little longer to get here, since basically the only way to find the hotel with the naked eye at night is to know where it is. Or get here during the day so you can see the small sign in the entrance. Our solution for arriving at night – stop at a friendly looking clapboard house and ask the locals how to get there. Two minutes later and we were here.

The beach right in front of the hotel has a soft strip of sand and then is rocky as you move out toward the ocean, creating some inviting pools with all kinds of marine life. An ideal beach scenario for the young kids with us.  Just two hundred yards down the beach is the wide expanse of sand known as Mal Pais, with a sprinkling of surfers and surf wannabe’s. Or just as inviting for those of us who love to run on the beach. Low tide lets you run for miles.

The area gets a little more crowded when Costa Rica surfing really kicks in after the middle of November. But on a glorious August day, there was just the ride balance of sun, surf, scenery and local beach scene flavor. After working up a lather running in the sun, there was an interesting surprise in the open-air shower of our huge bathroom.

Latitude 10 has done a wonderful job designing gigantic bathrooms for each of the detached units here. Instead of looking up at a white ceiling while showering, you look up at the canopy of the tropical forest. This does, however, create some unexpected housekeeping challenges. My post-run shower had to wait a few minutes while the attentive staff got the astonishingly large amount of Howler monkey scat cleaned out of the shower floor. Pretty sure it was the large male leader of the troupe, and as he swung by he decided to leave us that little gift to remind us that we’re in his domain.

Back inside our suite sitting on our private balcony facing the ocean, just a few yards from the beach, the friendly lizards, iguanas and some other rainforest insects stared at us curiously. With the high tide’s waves crashing on the rocky beach outside, feeling very much a part of the surrounding environment, I picked up the little hotel manual (printed on recycled paper).

Is Latitude 10 for you!? Read the four following hotel highlights below and decide for yourselves.

- Latitude 10 casitas are tucked amongst the native vegetation, the wooden structures have shades but no windows.

-There are no locks on the doors

- There’s no a/c

- The bathrooms are completely open-air with large hot water showers and gardens (and regular wildlife visits)

Overall my take is that it has an upscale feeling, but is not overdone.

Seriously, this is a question that has come to my mind so many times as well. And I always have a hard time answering it, as I would love to go so many places, that I can’t think what will be my preferred choices. Oh wait, there’s no limit on the cost of the trip… I think I would just travel the entire world. What about you?

During the Christmas holidays, our family of 4 took a trip to Costa Rica. We were 2
middle-aged (but in pretty good shape physically) and active adults, and a 19 and 17 year old. It
isn’t easy to plan a trip that will satisfy all of the wishes and wants of 2 adults and a college age
and a high school age teen. Usually, we plan our own trips, but this one called for some savvy
and well-informed assistance.
We had read in Conde Nast Traveler magazine about some travel agencies that specialized in
Costa Rica, so I took their recommendations and called 4 places. I gave each one a description of
our group, and our wish lists and priorities, as well as the time frame. We then carefully read and
evaluated the proposed tips itineraries and budgets.
Greenspot stood out from the beginning. We liked their suggestions, and felt that they “got”
what our family is like and what we were looking for. And they were so pleasant and easy to
deal with.
The trip turned out to be absolutely wonderful- we’d do it all over again in a minute! We were so
happy with all of the choices of accomodations and activities. What made the trip so enjoyable
and stress-free was that the logistics were flawless. Greenspot made sure that, at every transfer,
we were met by drivers who knew exactly what to do and where to go. They were always there,
waiting for us, pleasant and prepared to do their jobs. So we could relax and just enjoy
ourselves.

Read more about some of our highlights of the trip next.

One of the most famous colonial cities in the world, Cartagena de Indias was named by the Spanish after a city in Spain, and given the name “of the Indies” to distinguish it from that city, marking its location in the West Indies.  Founded in 1533, Cartagena underwent several pirate attacks, forcing residents to build a wall around the city and several fortresses with underground tunnels for making quick escapes. The wall and fortresses still stand strong today and create a unique backdrop to the colonial architecture. Unfortunately I only have night views of the Castillo de San Felipe but it gives you an idea.

 

We spent some time exploring and were treated to a stay in one of the most beautiful boutique hotels, Bovedas de Santa Clara, in the “old city” among cobblestone streets, brightly coloured buildings and flowering balconies.  Just walking through the streets and plazas is an unforgettable experience in a colonial city such as this.

There is SO much more to see, we all would have loved some more time here, knowing it is a special place. But we were whisked off to another island off the coast of Cartagena for more diving and some time on the beach at one of the several islands that can be reached by boat within a couple of hours from the city harbor.  The hotel was fairly simple but nicely designed from the outside with high thatched roofs and an open concept. The beach was small and private, and nice for relaxing. Unfortunately the food did not live up to the amazing restaurants we’ve been to so far, including the simple, typical places. Speaking of food…

I can’t forget our dinners in Cartagena with some of the best dishes I’ve ever had. El Santisimo right near our hotel in Santa Clara where I had mahi-mahi in a delicious sauced served in a banana leaf and candied bananas (pictured above) and Club de Pesca (Fishing Club) which was right on the water at the marina just outside the old wall. I said it before and I’ll say it again, the food is incredible here – the Colombian dishes of fish served in various sauces such as lime with coconut milk and cilantro along with fresh blended fruit juices surely make a stay here that much better.  Then we were off to Santa Marta for some more diving – can’t complain really.

Some more pictures of Cartagena – what an unforgettable place!

 

 

 

Since so many of the green hotels and ecolodges that GreenSpot.travel loves to recommend to clients have been winning awards for their efforts, not to mention receiving rave reviews for service as the latest TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards show, we’ve decided to tell you a little bit about why we choose the hotels we do and what makes them green and great.

Green initiatives range from physical building features like solar panels for heating water, low-flow toilets and showerheads, furniture made from recycled materials, to waste management such as recycling and composting. Many of the lodges also contribute to conservation through either donations of revenues, or by protecting land through private nature reserves. Going beyond environmental initiatives, several lodges contribute to their local communities by supporting schools and purchasing local products such as materials and farm produce.

Here is a great video that takes you on a green tour of Arenas del Mar, a luxury beach resort in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, to give you an idea of how the best ecolodges are blending comfort, service and sustainability. Arenas del Mar’s extensive sustainability initiatives can be found here. It is one of the hotels included in GreenSpot.travel’s Luxury Adventure in Green.

Enjoy the tour!

If you are looking to get away to the Jackson Hole area, winter or summer in the coming months, consider checking out the newest in luxury accommodations that is also hip, sustainable, and inspired to be extordinary.  Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, was planned and built with the concept that it would be both healthier for its guests and for the land it inhabits. This eco-boutique has succeeded in becoming part of the global movement to change the way the hospitality industry interacts with our planets limited natural resources.

The 72 room, 6-story Hotel Terra in Teton Village, is built on a half acre site, slope side to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, within Bridger Teton National Forest, and at the gateway to Grand Teton National Park. Eco skiers will find this alternative, low-impact, not your ordinary ski resort, to their liking. Hotel Terra is one of only six LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotels in the U.S. You won’t get your linens or the fluffy towels changed everyday, but they are all pure organic cotton. This is a place that will actually allow you to fling open windows, make organic fair-trade coffee, and shower with natural soap. In addition, you will enjoy heated slate bathroom floors, rain showers, supersized tubs and iPod docks. You will sleep on natural mattresses that integrate un-bleached, un-dyed cotton and recycled springs and you can wash your hair with organic shampoo. What else could you ask for in a green hotel?

Well, being that you asked….clothes hangers made from sustainably harvested bamboo, reclaimed skyscraper glass that was molded into soap dishes, along with sink and shower fixtures that save water. To continue this fusion of old and new, the structure was partially built with lumber from old barns and farmhouses and the roof sports reused shingles. The hotel hopes to eventually offset 100% of its energy usage with wind biomass and other renewable energy sources.

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole offers the exceptional amenities and services expected from boutique hotels, combined with environmentally sustainable building and operating practices.

For more information visit: http://www.hotelterrajacksonhole.com/ or call 800-631-6281, or 307-739-4000