3 Green Hostels in the Americas

Hostels, in general, are quite green, since they efficiently pack people into rooms in a “nice, cozy way” and they limit the facilities they provide to the essentials.

Even so, not all hostels are created the same and some are definitely greener than others. The good folks at hostelbookers.com have done us a little favor and highlighted 3 great “green hostels” in the Americas that are worth staying at if you are headed to their areas.

I’ll also publish a piece they’ve written up for us on green hostels of Europe tomorrow.

For now, here is what they have to share with the good readers of Ecolocalizer:

Green Hostels in the Americas

Since the emergence of a market for ecotourism, the Americas have played home to an ever-increasing number of green hostels. Catering to a market of environmentally aware travellers, these accommodations have been popping up in locations from Hawaiian beaches to downtown Chicago to the mountains of Costa Rica….

Hedonisia Hawaii Eco Hostel: A unique hostelling experience if ever there was one, all the electrical needs of Hedonisia Hawaii are met by a nearby geothermal powerplant. At the same time, the hostel aims to recycle all bottles, glass, cans, plastic, paper, scrap metal, old clothing and other items by taking them to a nearby recycling and reuse centre. On a slightly more unusual note, located in a private tropical garden at the back of Hedonisia is an ‘eco friendly toilet-with-a-garden-view’ complete with ‘bidet bum washer’ to minimise toilet paper use. Not green enough for you? Why not try out the eco-friendly female-friendly ‘Pee Garden’ and avoid toilet paper or flushing altogether!

Cabinas Tina’s Casitas: Situated in beautiful Costa Rica with a view of the Monteverde Mountains and Pacific Ocean, just about everything in Cabinas Tina’s Casitas is geared towards the environment. Staying in one of nine rooms in four traditional ‘casitas’, guests are surrounded by rustic furniture designed to blend in with the natural environment, while days can also be spent in the midst of nature, visiting the Frog Pond, the Serpentarium and Reptile House or the Butterfly Garden. From May through to October, the hostel is involved in a tree-planting project to reforest the Pacific slope and preserve local flora and fauna.

Un Destino No Turistico Eco Camping and Hostel: Lying off the beaten track in Chile’s Patagonia, Un Destino No Turistico offers the complete eco-experience, with a solar shower, composting toilets, solar cooking, grey water collection and an on-site fair trade shop. While you won’t get any TV or cell phone coverage here, guests may take a tent out for a night of camping or read one of the many books available on permaculture, organic agriculture and renewable energies. If you want to keep costs down make sure you arrive by bike to get a 10% discount on your stay! Now that’s certainly an incentive to go green.

Look like some great green hostels!

And don’t forget to check out the green hostels in Europe they share with us tomorrow!