Green energy

All our bungalows have solar panels which provide sufficient electricity for the AC’s to run. Solar panels are also providing the warm water in the rooms.

Waste Collection & Recycling

You will find several waste collection units throughout our resort for guests to use. These units collect waste separately: glass, paper, cardboard and others. In our waste collection center we also separate the waste that we use in the resort. The separated waste will be picked up by a variety of companies that will recycle the waste. A good example is the old oil of our fryers; this waste product is used for the production of things like body creams and bio fuel (and more).

Responsible Gardening

We do not use insecticides, fungicides or any other chemical to maintain our beautiful gardens.

Biodegradable Products

All the cleaning products we use are biodegradable; such as hand soap, dishwasher soap, washing machine soap, floor cleaner etc.

Saving water

The urinals in the restrooms of our restaurant, conference room and pool use sophisticated techniques that do not require water.

Keeping our Beach clean

Each month a different group of employees cleans the beach of Dominical. Throughout the year, each employee of Villas Rio Mar helps removing waste from the beach we all love so much.

Corcovado Foundation Partnership

We are a friend and sponsor of the Corcovado Foundation. We ask each of our guests if they want to donate USD 1,- (or more) when checking out.

Reforestation

In partnership with Cuna del Ángel Hotel, Villas Rio Mar helps to plant trees every year. The trees are usually planted in Marino Ballena National Park.

Employee incentives

We give incentives to the employees that want to help us with the Eco friendly activities as mentioned above.

Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST)

The Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program – CST – is a product of the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT). The CST was designed to differentiate businesses of the tourism sector, based on the degree to which they comply with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management. CST is regulated by the Costa Rican National Accreditation Commission.

The sustainable certification is divided in 4 environments, with different practices for each:

Physic-Biological environment

• Evaluate the negative impacts the company’s operations can cause
• Encourage customers to visit protected areas
• Inform about climate changes
• Monitor water and energy consumption
• Manage wastes

Politics of service environment

• Establish politics, vision and mission
• Train the staff
• Consumer friendly environmental products
• Use friendly environmental cleaning products
• Have procedures and installations in case of emergency

External customer environment

• Inform customers about the place and actions made
• Signs in the rooms about sustainable practices

Socioeconomic environment

• Hire people from the community and the area
• Use local products and services
• Inform about activities available in the community

Sustainable tourism

Stay at a hotel or ecolodge which respects the sustainable tourism values and travel with a responsible attitude.

Please contact us in case you want to participate in sustainable programs as carbon compensation or when you want to donate to national parks like Corcovado.

During the tours and activities, respect the following recommendations:

• Do not leave trash
• Do not feed the animals
• Do not extract flowers or plants from national parks and private reserves
• Always stay on the trail
• Be silent, do not disturb the wildlife
• Do not use the flash while making pictures of wildlife
• Also at sea; do not touch the fishes or other living organism like sea stars
• It is not allowed to have fires within protected areas
• It is not allowed to consume alcoholic drinks in protected areas
• Don´t waste drinking water; close the drinking fountain when you are done
• Bring your own water container
• Don´t throw toilet paper in the toilet of protected areas, always in the bin