Sustainable tourism
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Eco-traveler manual: decalogue of good practices
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Or how to travel without ceasing to focus on sustainability.
The responsible traveler is not born, he is made. In the age of over-information, it is easy to measure the scope and consequences of our choices and, much more, to improve our travel habits to adapt them to environmental responsibility. All you have to do is join the different measures that companies like El Jardín are taking to, among other things, protect the seas and their fauna and flora. These small changes in behavior when we are traveling can cause an eco-butterfly effect at the destination.
Commitment to sustainable mobility
You will reduce your personal carbon footprint by choosing to travel by public transportation. And in El Jardin there is a bus stop right outside the hotel. Additionally, with due notice, we can provide you with bicycles. Organize your transfers in advance and you will discover that nowadays it is very easy to travel with the provided timetables. Also, on this bus that will take you to Santander, you can buy tickets on board. Explore the cities on foot or by bike and, if renting a car is essential, choose one that is electric.
Choose a hotel committed to the environment like El Jardín.
These are those that contribute to preserving the biodiversity of their environment and that help conserve, care for and protect the environment.
Buy products or gifts that come from fair and local trade initiatives.
Furthermore, if you purchase a local object or product, the money invested will also serve to provide tools with which particular groups can carry out an activity or profession with which to obtain economic benefits to be able to survive all year round.
Pack your suitcase well.
This is a basic task that must be carried out sensibly and, perhaps, with a list in hand. Analyze the destination and if it is a natural park or protected area, bring beauty products that are 'friendly' to nature, that is, their compounds are 100% natural and biodegradable. In this way we will ensure that they end up diluted and decomposed safely for the environment, in the water that is disposed of through the pipes; or in the sea, when it comes to sun protection creams. Both your health and the environment will thank you.
Eat local products
Not only to try exotic flavors or traditional local recipes, but to reduce the ecological footprint. As they are produced in a radius of no more than 100 kilometers, the use of trucks, planes, trains and ships for transportation and distribution is avoided. More than a new fad, zero-kilometer products represent a change in social consciousness in which we should all participate. Plus, seasonal ingredients are tastier and easier to find.
Pursue positive impact
It is essential that the economic investment you make during your trip generates a social or environmental return. Some hotel groups have non-profit foundations, such as the El Jardin hotel which offers you the opportunity to collaborate with the protection of the osprey bird.
Take care of coastal areas through different actions that ensure the diversity and preservation of both the coastlines and their seabed.
Optimize resources, do not generate waste and collect all your rubbish.
Approach the destination consciously
There are threatened places, fragile territories to which we must travel responsibly. Protecting customs and ensuring that the traditions of its inhabitants do not disappear must be your motto, as well as not interfering abruptly in its ecosystem. When you visit a natural park or a territory full of vegetation and endemic species, do so in a respectful manner and aware of the impact that your presence could cause. Do not go off the trails and do not climb the dunes, as they can take years to recover.
From the El Jardin hotel we recommend:
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Water.
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• Do not let the water run from the taps. Make sure they are tightly closed. Closing the faucets properly contributes significantly to saving water. One drop per second becomes 30 liters/day (approximately 10% of the average daily consumption).
• Flush the toilet only when necessary. Do not use the toilet as an ashtray or trash can as 10 liters are used each time the tank is emptied.
• To be clean you don't have to be wasteful. Do not let the water run while brushing teeth and/or shaving, thus avoiding excessive water consumption.
• To help save water and detergent and thus reduce the consumption of resources and pollution of our environment, if the towels are not dirty, reuse them. Please let our staff know that you do not wish to have your towels changed.
Energy.
• Keep the lights off whenever you are not going to be in the room/apartment. Make the most of the natural light we have.
• Maintain a moderate temperature in heating systems. Just by lowering one degree we can save 6% more of the energy consumed.
• Whenever the heat is on, remember to close doors and windows.
• Do not leave the bathroom light on when you leave the bathroom.
• If you are not using an appliance (TV, radio, etc....) it is best to turn it off completely. Even if you leave it on stand-by, it could consume 1.5 watts per day.
Waste.
• Separate waste at source: cardboard and paper, plastic packaging, organic, ...
• Try to eat products that are not overly packaged.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.