It was time for us to go back home, and think about what we’ve seen in this wonderful paradise, called Mexico. The people, the food, the culture and the history makes of it, a must destination to visit.
We would be certainly offering an itinerary to Mexico in the upcoming months, and would guarantee that you will have a great time while visiting.

Off to have breakfast to the Akal-ki hotel, the kind of the hotel that gives you the peacefulness and quietness in your mind and body. A place where groups of yogis, have their retreats and where families and couples connect to each other in the ambiance offered by the Bacalar lake, lake  of the 7 colors.
Akal-ki is located in front of the Bacalar Lake, the turquoise waters are product of the deep green tone of the mangroves and reed beds. Being the second largest sweet water lake in Mexico, just 3 hours from Cancun, and featuring  one of the most impressive and deep “holy holes” in the whole Yucatan Peninsula , with an estimate deepness of 600 ft. Akal-ki, a place founded to retreat yourself and purify your soul, as Luis explained to us while having a delicious breakfast. With just 11 bungalows that accommodates from 2 people to families of 6, their operation runs under sustainable practices. Great food, upscale service and comfortable lodging, makes visitors return every year.
After touring Akalki, we headed to the famous Cancun, I have to say that I was “excited” to see what Cancun looked like, as I’ve heard so much about it, all these years. Before we got there, we stopped at Playa del Carmen, a very busy place for my taste. Crowds of people walk the strip during the day and as the night falls, between sombreros and colorful souvenirs stores. We arrived at Dreams Cancun, located 15 minutes from the center of the area, where the action really is. The hotel is a mega-resort with buffet meals and swimming pools, where you can just sit under the big umbrella and have your margarita. It was nice to hear that even though they are an all-inclusive hotel, they still have a green department, which is working with Rainforest Alliance’s help, to operate under sustainable practices as well. There was just one thing that put me out of balance, “swimming with dolphins”?!, an optional activity we were offered to do. What do you think about it?

After breakfast at the Hacienda Tres Rios, we departed on our one hour drive to the third most visited archeological site in the area, Tulum. As I mentioned on day 3, the archeological site resembles the existence of a disappearing Mayan culture and their believes. Our guide Hugo gave us a complete explanation of the site and each of the monuments, quite a lot of information!.  The heat was so intense that Hugo had to get the group out of the shadows of the trees, every 10 minutes. We learned that the site was a major center for trading, for the arrival of the Oley Turtles and one of the best preserved coastal Maya sites. As the tour was getting to an end, we were anxious to get to the Hotel Papaya Playa, located just 10 minutes form Tulum, and where the owners would be welcoming us with a delicious lunch and to spend some free time on the white-sand beaches and the turquoise waters. The Hotel Papaya Playa is a beach front small resort, recommended mainly to backpackers, couples and families. A place that provides a enjoyable environment with a minimum environmental impact, and where you get easily lost with the music of the ocean.

It’s that time of year when I come to Costa Rica to explore new lodging possibilities, meet with our operators to talk about improvements on the logistics of the trips and visit my family. Can I call it vacation too? Hmmm, not sure.  End of July, beginning of August is my favorite time to come to my country, as it is the rainy season, yes the rainy season! Everything is so green, cheaper prices  and when the fruits that I don’t have back at home (US and Canada) are ready, as my husband like to call them “monkey fruits”, such as nances, mamones, jocotes, they are all kind of wild fruit, that’s why the nickname “monkey fruit”. Between having big breakfast with my family (gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, cheese, fried plantains and coffee) getting together with old friends, having evening conversations with the neighbors, and celebrating the annual activity to honor the country’s patron saint, la Virgen de los Angeles, is how I spend my free time when I’m down here. Every year hundreds of Catholics walk their way to her home in the province of Cartago, to give her their respects, for helping them to solve issues like illness in their families, financial situations and also for helping students to pass in high school and superior education! It is all an act of faith. A faith that stays in the Tico’s heart all year long.

The Mayan Riviera runs along the coast from Cancun to the ancient Mayan city of Tulum and just twenty minutes south of the touristy Playa del Carmen. The area resembles the existence of a disappearing Mayan culture. An area that offers a variety of activities, especially arqueological sites such Tulum, Chichen Itza and Xcaret. The other major activity is the underwater world, the Riviera Maya being home to the second largest barrier reef in the world , also known as the Belize Barrier Reef. The barrier begins in Cancun and continues along the Riviera Maya continuing to Guatemala.
After being in the car for long hours, we finally arrive at Hacienda Tres Ríos, which was recognized by the Mexican government as a “regional and national model for sustainable tourism development”.  Hacienda Tres Ríos was built after a detailed study necessary to establish “preferred use areas” to appropriately place the Hote,l and help reduce the  environmental impact that mega- resorts cause. We met with the owner and she explained how people normally question how a big resort like Hacienda Tres Rios, can operate under sustainable practices, have to say that was the question everybody in the group had.
Here are the sustainable practices they are operating under.

-Two years of environmental study
Several years were used to study the ecosystems in Tres Ríos. During that stage of Environmental Characterization and Analysis, a team of scientists and experts was assembled to undergo research in topics as diverse as digital aerial photography, geographic analysis, mangrove and jungle ecosystems, wildlife, coral reefs, geo-hydrology, etcetera. This stage was fundamental, as it provided the basic information required to orient the sustainable development of the Tres Ríos Master Plan
-Environmentally Friendly Construction
The information obtained from several studies allowed us to establish “preferred use” areas, which were used as the basis to appropriately place the Hotel Hacienda on an area with a lower environmental value within the ecosystem. The placement of buildings on lower environmental quality areas is fundamental to lessen environmental impacts and to avoid disturbing higher environmental quality areas.

-Some other low impact construction practices included
Buildings constructed on over 400 pilings, 2.8 meters above ground which allows natural water flow to continue
Use of pre-fabricated construction, assembled onsite, reducing dust contamination.
Refuse carefully sorted and recycled when possible.
Use of regional materials and finishes
4,000 plants of 11 endangered and protected species rescued
Cold water from deep well used to cool air conditioning systems
Heat generated from air conditioning is captured and used to heat water
In-room motion sensors shut down unnecessary energy use when rooms are unoccupied
A titanium-clad water desalination plant treats and filters the water, avoiding use of the freshwater aquifer
 
Do you think mega -resorts, and all- inclusive hotels can operate under sustainable practices? We are eager to hear your opinion.

Off to the open ocean to “swim” with the largest fish on the planet, the Whale Shark. This humongous sea creature can be seen around Holbox Island from June to early September. It can grow up to 40 ft., with an open mouth that can be as big as 5 ft! Even though the guide swore to me that the big fish was just interested in plankton or fish for his meal, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the idea of being in the open ocean with such a big animal.
A short 15 minute boat ride took us to where we finally saw “our shark”. Some of us were ready to jump in the water… actually it was Heidi Meza, one of the trip coordinators… she loves the ocean and everything that lives in it… it was such a joy for her that she actually made me forget for a moment how scared I was. Thanks Heidi!
The guide gave us an explanation of the logistics of the tour and what we could do and not do. At first I was wondering what these tour companies could do to offer the tour in a more sustainable way, as many people think that distracting the natural habitat of these fish doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly.
 
Well, the guide gave us some of the answers.
He said:
1-      You are not allowed to touch the whale shark. (he explained how if everybody started touching the shark, the protection they have on their skin would disappear)
2-     Don’t approach them any closer than 3 ft.
3-     You have to use biodegradable sun block.
4-     If any other tour boat arrives, we are going to take turns to get in the water. (just two people + plus the guide were allowed to swim every time, I didn’t see more than 3 people swimming with the shark at any time)
5-     Don’t swim close to the tail or in front of the shark.
 
I have to say that I was happy with the rules, no complaints.
 
The time for my turn arrived as I sat at the edge of the boat waiting for the guide’s signal (WATER!) to jump in. He gave us the sign and off the boat we went. I saw just part of the big fish on the first attempt, and the second time I saw clearly how big the thing was, and I was content to be with him in the water.  As I got back in the boat, my traveling companions started asking me about the experience and I just couldn’t hold back my tears of joy, excitement and fear. Yes I cried, for the opportunity I had to experience what was an unforgettable highlight in my life.
We came back to Villas Paraiso del Mar, where we enjoyed the turquoise waters and the white-sand beach, to continue with our trip to the Riviera Maya.

By Elizabeth • June 25, 2009

Earlier this week, I published the Find Cheap Airline Tickets Cheat Sheet. As what usually happens when we mention anything related to airplanes, we get some criticism.

“Aren’t you green?” “Don’t you care about the environment?” “Flying is terrible.”

Yes, we agree that planes are the worst mode of transportation when it comes to their environmental impact. In fact we’ve written a lot about this including about how Airplane Air is Toxic, Principles for Choosing Green Transportation, and a Guide to Carbon Offsets.

So, this begs the question, are there green flights?

 photo credit: Lara604 

Sadly, there aren’t. At least not right now. Perhaps in the future there will be green flights. It would be great to be able to fly all over the world without having a major impact on the environment. But, right now, there’s no such thing as a green flight.

So the best thing to do to make your flight more eco friendly is to:

Take a Non Stop Flight: When you take a non stop flight you’re using less fuel and thus there are fewer carbon offsets – this all leads to greener flights. (Check out our posts about the best search engines for non stop flights and our post about how non stop flights have up to 50% less carbon offsets)

Use Electronic Tickets: When you use a completely electronic ticket — eg on your PDA/Smart phone, you’re getting rid of all paper waste. Here’s an interesting article from the LA times about electronic tickets.

Search for Tickets Using Search Green Travel: With Search Green Travel you use Kayak to search, but we donate 50% of profits to environmental organizations.

Bring a Water Bottle: Don’t buy bottled water before boarding the plane. To have green flights we must stop drinking bottled water. If your looking for a new water bottle check out our smackdown of stainless steel water bottles to help you choose the best one.

What other tips do you have for green flights?

We were invited by the Rainforest Alliance on a trip to the south of Mexico to learn about the sustainable lodging program they are developing on the Yucatan Peninsula.
As you may already know, Rainforest Alliance’s vision is to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. GreenSpot.travel has been involved with Rainforest Alliance since 2007, and has found the alliance a powerful one, which allows us to be able to make a contribution to “change” in the tourism niche.

Day 1
When I decided to sign up for the FAM (familiarization trip) in Mexico, I hesitated a bit to accept, because of the fear to get the H1N1 flu.
I finally decided to come and I’m glad I did, as I realized the negative impact that some news could have on any region, when sometimes the reality of the issue is another one. 
We arrived in Cancun where the group was waiting for us. We were introduced to Barbara Derks, General Manager at Ixcanan Travel, Whitney Cooper, Center for Responsible Travel, Annett Pompner, Tourismus Schiegg, and Mariana and Carlos, destinostv.com.  That was our group!
We headed to Holbox Island, where the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico converge, where the whale shark comes to eat (July-August), where tons of pink flamingos arrive, and where we would see the turquoise waters of the Caribbean and white-sand beaches. The drive from Cancun to Chiquila was approximately 2 hours, and along the drive we started to break the ice in the group and it seemed like it was the perfect one to be in.

Once at Chiquila, the boat was waiting for us to take us to the beautiful Holbox Island, a 25 minute ride. I was so impressed by the color of the water that I felt like jumping in it at once and forget my fear of the ocean…We arrived at Villas Paraiso del Mar, our home for the first night in the Yucatan Peninsula. As its name says it, a boutique paradise in the island, 28 Jr. Suites and 6 Master Suites where families, couples, groups of friends are welcome.

I went to bed satisfied of being in the Yucatan Peninsula, exploring a new destination that is trying to operate under sustainable practices with the help of Rainforest Alliance and now GreenSpot.

I’m normally asked by my clients, if I know about any Natural Mosquito Repellent. I have to say that I haven’t found any effective one! I decided that I needed to get a bit more educated about the way mosquitoes operate to explain better what could be done, to protect ourselves from these small malevolent animals. I found this nice article on About.com, where Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. explains it here.
 
Please share with us your experiences about mosquito repellents, organic repellants, and anything related to the subject, we would love to learn from you.

A number of months ago, we welcomed Stephen Brooks to Nature Blog. Stephen is a very high energy guy, who is on a mission in Costa Rica. He is an environmental warrior, a proponent of eating healthy foods, and an advocate for sustainable living. Presently, he is very involved in launching the Machuca community, an eco-village project in San Mateo de Orotina, located in the north Pacific region of the country. This serves as the back drop for Stephen’s current contribution. He has a great perspective on where we are at and where we need to be going and I encourage you to read on.

“In 1995, while on vacation in Costa Rica, I witnessed a playground full of indigenous children getting sprayed by a crop duster while playing Soccer. I learned how in order to grow cheaper and cheaper bananas entire ecosystems and countless lives are being destroyed, and this realization changed my life forever and led to a series of business mostly focused in Costa Rica.  I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could a society that has achieved so much be so destructive? We can zip around the world on jets and video chat through our cell phones and yet most of the food we eat is grown with harmful chemicals, while the last remaining sustainable farmers are less and less able to stay in business. So those who should be teaching the whole world how to become sustainable are themselves being lost to unsustainable global trends. We have to turn this around. We can’t think of anything more important to do and so that is what we are devoting our lives to. Whether its through the development of sustainable communities (Kopali Communities) or through the marketing of products grown and produced by sustainable farmers (Kopali Organics).

 It is always hard to imagine just how much work it takes to go from a dream to a real project that actually works. But after we experienced what it was like to live in harmony on a sustainable farm, we realized there are few things more important than working to make this way of life possible for others. Also, there is a race against time. Every day thousands of acres of irreplaceable rainforest and other ecosystems are being destroyed forever, countless family farmers are being driven off of their lands, and invaluable knowledge of how to live sustainably is being lost forever. All the while all kinds of real estate developments and planned communities are being developed in countries all over the world, sometimes even claiming to be “eco-friendly”. Creating successful and viable alternatives, is work we are called to do, even when the going gets tough. What else are we going to do?

Many people have a strong desire and calling to live in a sustainable farm based community. Many people have even been dreaming and planning this for a long time. But finding and securing land with good weather, water, fertile soil and where it is legal to live and farm are obstacles that very few have overcome. Also setting up the basic physical infrastructure to start living on the land is much more difficult than most people can imagine. So for too many their dreams remain just that, dreams. With Kopali, even though we are just getting started with the actual community of people who will live on the land, what’s already in place is a farm that has eternal spring weather, countless varieties of tropical fruit trees dripping with fruit, a river that you can dive into and swim in crystal clear water, lots that each have a legal title, spectacular communal gardens, a greenhouse filled with hundreds of varieties of edible and beautiful plants, ponds stocked with tilapia and fresh water clams, and the list goes on

Working wherever you are doing whatever you can to live more sustainably is critical regardless of where you live. Costa Rica is a very important country because of its unparalleled biodiversity, eco friendly laws, absence of military, perfect weather, and a ‘good life’ loving culture. And foreign interests and investments are already affecting the country in not so good ways. So for us working in Costa Rica to create alternatives to the otherwise destructive development practices that are becoming more and more prevalent is critical. Kopali will be a community where people of many different nationalities, including of course the local Tico (Costa Rican) community will be able to practice and teach sustainable living at its best. But that does not mean that Costa Rica is the only place to practice and teach sustainable living. Wherever we are, we all have to learn how to live in harmony with our communities and with the planet we all share!

The first time we learned how much CO2 is released into the atmosphere when flying back and forth from Costa Rica, we started a project called the Sustainable Solutions Caravan that drove buses that we modified to run on recycled vegetable oil as fuel from California all the way down to Costa Rica. It was one of the most effective and fun projects we ever did. We had the opportunity to not only prove that we could travel the distance on renewable (free) fuel, but also, because of all the media attention we got, we had the honor to speak to millions of people about sustainable solutions. These days we are not running the bus tours, but we are very aware of the trade offs involved in traveling. All of our travel is pretty much devoted to promoting sustainable lifestyles, and also the products grown by the network of farmers around the world that we support through our organic and fair trade snack line, Kopali Organics. We do our best, we are looking into carbon offsetting as much as possible, and still we look forward to the day when we ourselves travel less.

We live in an interconnected and globalized world. This is not going to change, or at least its not going to change any time soon. We are huge fans of local living communities that support local businesses, local farmers, and lifestyles that promote smaller ecological footprints.  There is so much talk about eating “locally grown” food.  How local can it be?  Can the land we live on also provide the food that we eat.  Can a planned community be created that takes this into account and works this into the very design and make up of the land it sits on.  That is what we have done here.  I have yet to experience this anywhere in the world.  I have seen a family or a few families living on land where they are able to grow most of the food that they eat, but a whole community or village striving to do this together???  Kopali Communities is the first!”