With carbon emissions a large 82% lower than hotels, hostels are already sustainability success tales 🤩 However what are they doing to get there? And, in lots of instances, how are they going above and past to assist hostellers journey responsibly?
In our Sustainability Tales collection, we’re shining the highlight on hostels that shield the setting, assist native communities and protect native tradition. In earlier posts, we’ve lined volunteering, accessibility and next-level recycling at hostels from Spain to Southeast Asia. This time, it’s eco-ethnotourism in Colombia!
Able to journey extra sustainably? Watch the video beneath, then scroll for extra 👀
Casa en el Agua: paradise meets journey
Welcome to Casa en el Agua (translation: Home within the Water)! This one-of-a-kind island eco-hostel is within the San Bernardo Islands within the Colombian Caribbean, and a part of a Pure Nationwide Park. The park protects the biggest, most numerous, and most developed coral reef alongside the Caribbean coast of Colombia, making it an important sanctuary for marine life 💙
This floating oasis is actually distinctive, however its location isn’t the one spectacular factor about it – its eco efforts and drive for optimistic impression in the neighborhood are additionally making critical waves. Casa en el Agua’s the identify, regenerative eco-ethnotourism’s the sport! FYI, ethnotourism is a kind of journey that depends on respectful intercultural alternate, for instance, immersion in native communities to raised perceive their cultural heritage 🫶
Maintain studying to seek out out what they’re as much as on this thrilling area!
Sustainability technique 🍃
With a raft of eco-friendly initiatives, Casa en el Agua is minimising its environmental impression whereas making certain friends have a cushty keep:
☀️ The hostel is powered by photo voltaic power. Electrical energy hours are restricted, with energy accessible between 6pm and 8am – however don’t fear, there’s a 24-hour charging station close to reception the place you may energy up your gadgets
💦 Rainwater is collected and saved in two giant tanks on a close-by island. There’s additionally a state-of-the-art desalination system to supply prime quality consuming water throughout dry spells. To preserve water, showers are restricted to 3 minutes
🗑️ Nothing goes to waste at Casa en el Agua. Natural waste generated within the kitchen and bar is transformed into compost, glass bottles are was bricks and decorations, and aluminium cans are being remodeled right into a soccer discipline! Right here’s how… They’ve kickstarted a mission in collaboration with locals and different hostels to gather as many cans as potential and ship them to the mainland for recycling. The funds from the sale of recycled aluminum go in direction of a neighborhood mission: constructing a brand new soccer discipline for the native workforce on neighbouring Santa Cruz del Islote
🚽 There are dry bogs (i.e. no flushing) to keep away from ocean contamination. Stable waste is roofed with a dry combine – lime and sawdust, when you’re curious – that helps with pure decomposition. That is transported day by day to close by Tintipán Island, the place the hostel has a composting system referred to as Reciclandia (translation: Recycle Land) that finally transforms it into fertiliser, which is used to plant fruits and veggies for meals on the hostel! The entire course of takes 1.5 years
🚸 The hostel organises visits to Reciclandia with native kids, the place they have interaction in actions and study recycling
🍽️ Domestically sourced substances and recent seafood are used to arrange nightly communal dinners
Neighborhood empowerment 💪
From collaborating with native colleges to utilizing native produce, Casa en el Agua champions the neighborhood in some ways:
🧡 To create sustainable employment alternatives for folks within the space and provide friends an genuine expertise, the Casa en el Agua and Reciclandia groups are made up of locals, predominantly from Santa Cruz del Islote. Workers get entry to high quality healthcare and are provided coaching in customer support, conservation, mangrove preservation, sustainable practices and quite a lot of skilled abilities, opening doorways to new alternatives
📚 When the hostel first opened, many employees members didn’t know easy methods to learn or write. As they started internet hosting friends, literacy ranges regularly elevated. After a few years of interacting with English-speaking friends, considered one of Casa en el Agua’s bartenders now has a fluent understanding of the language and has began talking English too!
🏡 The workforce helps their workers set objectives to enhance their housing state of affairs, an initiative which has seen nice success
📝 The hostel runs a mission referred to as Islote College the place, with the assistance of a trainer from Canada, they carry volunteer academics to Santa Cruz del Islote to supply English classes for native kids. In addition they donate faculty provides
🌿 The Reciclandia mission boosts environmental consciousness in the neighborhood, with training and schooling programmes accessible to bolster native data and abilities in sustainable tourism and environmental administration
🐚 Casa en el Agua promotes native commerce and regional tradition by working with native suppliers to supply recent meals, supplies and handicrafts
The hostel can also be dedicated to fostering a way of neighborhood amongst friends! With a restricted variety of travellers staying at anybody time, it’s a close-knit neighborhood the place you may share tales, experiences, and meals.
Regenerative tourism ♻️
Casa en el Agua has two aims round regenerative tourism:
🪸 Implement initiatives that restore and shield surrounding marine and terrestrial ecosystems, resembling mangrove reforestation and coral reef rehabilitation
🐟 Collaborate with environmental organisations and neighborhood teams to advertise tangible sustainable practices for native biodiversity
On the time of writing, the hostel was within the early levels of laying the groundwork for these initiatives, working alongside the federal government. As soon as they’re up and working, friends will have the ability to get entangled too!
How one can get entangled 🫵
You could possibly simply spend your days right here lounging in hammocks, sipping on tropical cocktails, and absorbing the solar – however how are you going to get entangled in Casa en el Agua’s good initiatives?
Be part of ethnotourism actions
Dive into cultural heritage with a go to to Santa Cruz del Islote, probably the most densely populated island on Earth. Get to know the neighborhood and the historical past of this synthetic, artifical island the place 100 sq. metres is dwelling to 1,200 folks. Regardless of the tight quarters, the island is surprisingly peaceable – until there’s a competition! 🎶
Be part of eco-activities
Snorkel proper off the dock, discover the close by mangrove and coral reef ecosystem, paddle by the ocean in a kayak, or rent a stand-up paddle board. It’s also possible to go on a seaside day tour, be a part of a bioluminescence tour, and check out watersports chances are you’ll not have heard of (however ought to def add to your must-try record) like Subwing and Disc-go 🐠
Recycle
Comply with the hostel’s eco-friendly tips, like totally sorting waste and choosing reusable bottles.
Purchase native
Assist native commerce by buying merchandise made by native artisans, accessible at Casa en el Agua.
Able to book your stay? Vamos! ✈️
Good to know:
🎒 Go away massive backpacks and heavy suitcases behind – the boat from Cartagena has a weight restrict which implies passengers are restricted to 8kg of carry-on baggage. The boat firm presents baggage storage amenities on the mainland
💵 Convey money – most of the native fisherman who provide recent seafood for nightly dinners on the hostel don’t have financial institution accounts. Make certain to pack some Colombian Pesos
🛜 There’s no Wi-Fi, providing you with the chance to unplug from the digital world. Disconnect to reconnect!
😎 Convey a water resistant, excessive SPF sunscreen and dependable mosquito repellent
Extra Sustainability Tales:
Sustainability and Community Impact Mad Monkey | Hostelworld
Sustainability Stories: Volunteering at Rio Hostel Buritaca – Hostelworld Travel Blog
Sustainability Stories: Recycling at St Christopher’s Inn, Barcelona – Hostelworld Travel Blog
Sustainability Stories: Championing Accessibility at INOUT Hostel – Hostelworld Travel Blog