How to Be an Eco-Conscious Traveler Staying Close to Home Finding local adventures, such as walking in unexplored corners of your neighborhood or visiting museums in your city, is among the greenest forms of travel. If you want to venture just a little farther, consider driving a few hours to a beach or forest. Even a small adventure can feel a world away. Visit Places That Need Your Support Another way to spend your hard-earned dollars is to travel to destinations rebuilding after disaster. Puerto Rico, for example, has developed a robust tourism sector since weathering a devastating hurricane in 2017. The island, which also faces sea level rise, was picked as The Times’ No. 1 destination in 2019, in part because it represents many fragile places around the world. Travelers can help further by volunteering in environmental and social projects helping to rebuild devastated communitie If You Want to Visit More Popular Tourist Destinations If you do choose to visit crowded and popular cities, consider doing so outside peak summer months, say experts. Stay longer, choose accredited accommodations (using a site such as bookdifferent. com, which ensures claims to sustainability are checked by third parties), and find local activities that give back to residents, instead of the most popular activities, which can also often be tourist traps.
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Eco-Friendly Vacations Get away from it all and help the environment at the same time? Yes, it is possible. Check out these ecofriendly vacations you can enjoy with a clear conscience.
Rancho La Puerta, Mexico Rancho La Puerta is an amazing destination spa which has been a green getaway since its beginnings in 1940. The resort has an on-site garden with 22 full time gardeners which produces vegetables for the resort kitchen. The gardens are fertilized using composted organic matter and employ natural pest management. You will see many migrating birds on the property which has become a sanctuary for them on their migratory path. There are 200 different plant species at Rancho La Puerta which remain as undisturbed as possible. The resort is a leader in their community, offering innovative eco-friendly ideas to those around them. For example, at the end of the Christmas season, Rancho La Puerta’ wood chipper is used to turn Christmas trees into mulch for the grounds. At Rancho La Puerta, you will find green buildings and furniture, innovative water conservation practices, energy conservation and recycling. www.rancholapuerta.com
Blue Lagoon, Iceland Blue Lagoon is an awesome spa destination which is 100% powered by clean geothermal energy. The resort built a special power plant which meant drilling deep wells up to 2,000 meters into the ground to tap into the 240 degree geothermal fluid. This is used to create electricity and heat water for central heating at Blue Lagoon. This innovative power plant is the only one of its kind in the whole world. The design of the resort reflects harmony with nature. The entrance to Blue Lagoon leads across a footpath cut through lava rock and past a beautiful lava wall built from 70,000 lava pieces. www.bluelagoon.com
Nimmo Bay Resort, British Columbia Nimmo Bay Resort is a sustainable hideaway in the British Columbia wilderness. The resort uses a waste management system which cleans black and gray water so that only clean water is returned to the surrounding nature. Nimmo Bay works with local suppliers to be able to serve their guests sustainable foods and other products. Fishing at Nimmo Bay is catch & release in order to protect the local fish population. The resort is helping protect wild juvenile Pacific Salmon from sea lice. http://nimmobay.com
