Earlier this year, Juan Carlos Espinosa, a Nicaraguan Architect and Yacht Designer, held the grand opening for Hacienda Puerta del Cielo, an eco-lodge he designed and had built in Nicaragua. It was originally intended as a second home for him and his family – “family is first, then work,” referring to his wife and two grown children.

He changed his mind shortly after purchasing the land. “I thought, why don’t I share this with everybody?” With “nobody around for miles”, Hacienda Puerta del Cielo Eco lodge and Spa, whose name loosely means ‘Doorway to Heaven,’ has vistas of a volcano high above and a lake below. “It’s on the edge of a precipice, it’s just outrageous,” he says.

He designed the lodge so that the guests are in the outdoor environment almost all the time. It’s a concept that he’d like to introduce more into his yacht designs, too.

To have a look at Espinosa’s results on his quest for designing the perfect luxury eco lodge, visit the Hacienda’s web site at http://haciendapuertadelcielo.com/.  The website may be down.

Travel, when conducted mindfully can be a powerful tool for positive change, inspiring awareness of environmental responsibility and social commitment.

By choosing responsible travel, you can have the fabulous vacation that you’ve dreamed of, while ensuring that the money you spend at your destination is benefiting the environment and the local people.

What is Responsible Travel?

Responsible travel is travel with a purpose. When choosing destinations, accommodations, and tour operators, consider which ones work to protect the environment and assist the local communities who inhabit it.

Who travels responsibly? Anyone can be a responsible traveler. You can get back to nature, or bathe in luxury… hike into the rainforest, or explore the city… stay close to home, or travel to the exotic location of your dreams.

Making informed choices before and during your trip is the single most important thing you can do to become a responsible traveler. With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your trip, while making a real difference to the people and places you visit.

Giving Back to Conservation & Communities

Through our new ? Go Green Belize? package The Lodge at Chaa Creek is continuing its longstanding commitment to the wise use and preservation of Belize?s magnificent natural resources and to the support and advancement of the Belizean people, their communities, and social projects.

Chaa Creek is now offering our guests the opportunity to get involved and help make a difference. We are encouraging our guests to enrich their travel experience by giving back to the well-being of the local communities that they visit.

The Lodge at Chaa Creek is inviting all responsible travelers to take advantage of our new responsible tourism ?Go Green Belize? package. The All Inclusive Green Vacation package offers discerning guests itineraries that focus on local culture, environmental conservation, sustainable development, traditional healing, the ancient Maya, and social and environmental stewardship.
3 Nights lodging in beautifully appointed luxury cottage accommodations traditionally constructed by local artisans utilizing indigenous hardwoods.
All meals with daily special recipes featuring the seven Belizean ethnic groups, Maya, Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, East Indian, Chinese and Mennonite.
A guided tour of our organic Maya farm where freshly harvested fruits and vegetables are grown for our varied regional and European menu.
Hiking on well maintained trails along our Ruta Maya Trail System where our professionally trained naturalist guides will offer environmental interpretation of the surrounding tropical forest and its plants and animals.
A guided tour of the Chaa Creek Natural History Centre where visitors receive a comprehensive introduction to the natural history, geography and cultures of Belize.
A guided tour of the Chaa Creek Butterfly Farm focuses on the life cycle and miraculous transformation of the magnificent Blue Morpho butterfly.
A guided interpretive tour of our Rainforest Medicine Trail which showcases traditional Maya folk remedies that are extracted from the plants of the surrounding tropical forest.
Early Morning Bird Walk with one of our Naturalist Guides within Chaa Creek?s 365 acre nature reserve where over 308 species of birds have been documented.
Guided horseback riding within our Ruta Maya Trail System where your naturalist guide will highlight the various unique plants and wildlife species native to the reserve.
Canoeing along the Macal River that is home to numerous species of tropical birds as well as giant Green Iguanas.
Presentation on responsible and sustainable tourism that outlines Chaa Creek’s commitment to the fundamental principles of ecotourism.

Optional:

Share a Pound Program. We encourage our guests to share one pound of their luggage space for materials (pens, pencils, etc.) to be donated to a local school or pet care supplies to be donated to the Humane Society. Guests can also financially sponsor school books for a school child.

We also encourage guests to take advantage of our Carbon Offset program on our website to reduce their carbon footprint while traveling.

Sustainable tourism must be firmly rooted within the local community and must provide true and lasting benefit to all. This is the fundamental philosophy behind Chaa Creeks commitment to community development and sustainable tourism since its inception as Belize’s first jungle lodge in 1981. We recognize full well that it is the local hard working Belizeans who breathe the life into our tourism product and form the heart of the Chaa Creek experience.

Book now at The Lodge at Chaa Creek for dates between April 13-16, April 26-30, May 1-30 and June 1-30 and get 15% Discount on this Belize Ecotourism Package.