Hotel Belmar, a family-owned and operated property, has introduced a carbon-negative initiative that encourages guests to participate in the “Offset Your Footprint” program by matching all donations. The program is created by the Monteverde Community Fund. It offsets the impact of tourism, growth and environmental changes by equipping the community of Monteverde, where the hotel is located, for challenges associated with change by planting and protecting trees, and preserving water in the region, to name a few.
“Since opening our doors more than 35 years ago, our mission has been to protect and enhance the local environment that attracts so many visitors to our hotel annually,” said general manager Pedro Belmar. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that guests can feel good about visiting a hotel that allows them to make a positive impact on the local community, and they should feel good leaving here knowing they did their part as well.”
Hotel Belmar earned the carbon-neutral certification by INTECO and Essential Costa Rica. It has been certified as carbon-neutral for several years, so all donations as part of the new initiative will result in a carbon-negative trip for hotel guests who choose to participate. The hotel offers a range of sustainable programs and activities.
Additionl programming: The “Farm to Table Gastronomy Program” enables guests to learn about low impact farming while visiting the hotel’s organic garden and harvesting fresh ingredients that are used in the hotel’s restaurants. The hotel also created Finca Madre Tierra, Costa Rica’s first carbon-neutral farm, offering an authentic farm experience where guests can learn about sustainable agriculture, pick coffee beans and grind sugarcane.
The newest addition to the Hotel Belmar experience is Savia Private Reserve, where guests can enjoy eco-adventures with a purpose. The eco-adventure park allows guests to explore the cloud forest through hanging bridges and activities such as zip lining and hiking.
The hotel will be celebrating Earth Day this year by working with the Monteverde Institute, a non-profit association, to prepare the community for the upcoming rainy season. Guests and visitors can work alongside hotel staff and community members by planting trees to reforest the area.
For more information, visit www.hotelbelmar.net.
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