Elvira, his mother, was an adventurous woman. She dreamt of a house by the sea with plenty of food, water and peace, and a view of an endless horizon.She arrived on the Colombian Pacific coast and found a dark but powerful and fertile beach. Its sand seemed to talk to her; it wasn’t white like on the Caribbean, but hosted streams and creeks that enabled life in all its forms.
“Getting to heaven isn’t easy”, whispered Elvira to her son when they traveled, under heavy rain or bright sunshine, the 14 kilometers that separate the Bahía Solano airport from this paradise: El Almejal. Back then, César Isaza was just a baby that, much like the mangrove, started to take root in the salt water.
That was over 40 years ago. The hidden cabin has since become a place to share with friends and family. Today, under the guidance of César, El Almejal Ecolodge & Rainforest Reserve is one of the most well known ecolodges in America, winning twice the first place in the National Sustainable Tourism Awards, and being highlighted by the International Tourism Organization as one of the 65 best examples of ecotourism in the World.
César grew up listening to the waves and watching every year the humpback whales. He studied Tourism Business Administration, specialized in Ecological Tourism and then took a diploma course on Zero Emission Methodologies. As both a student and a traveler, he gained the knowledge that he incorporates today in the everyday operations of El Almejal.
“We live in a constant search for the balance between the ethical, sustainable and responsible use of our resources, and the firm intent of providing our visitors with an excellent travel experience” says César, proud of the long journey full of purpose that the ecolodge has traversed. He explains that El Almejal has four guiding principles in all of its practices:
Conservation
“We decided to protect 80% of the lodge area and declare it a natural reserve. It’s over 47.000 square meters of tropical rainforest with thousands of species of birds, insects, mammals and reptiles. It’s amazing that each traveler can explore and contemplate the tiny butterflies that blend in with the orchids, the giant trees and the shapes of their leaves that don’t exist by chance.
Besides, we’re the first in the country to develop a program that directly involves a vulnerable species: the sea turtle. In partnership with a community association called Caguama and of course, with our visitors, we’ve released over 115.000 newborn Pacific ridley sea turtles”.
Sustainability
“We have a water treatment plant so that our visitors can have free fresh water during their stay. We don’t sell anything in plastic bottles, cans or Tetrapack packages, in order to protect the beaches and jungles from waste that takes years to biodegrade. We have an organic garden with composting. We adapt everything that happens in our little universe to turn it into a circular process”.
Information and awareness
“The symphony of the forest, the lullaby of the ocean, the conversation of the jungle awaken our traveler’s senses. But of course, it’s one thing to walk among the trees and another one to know the incredible strategies they have to survive; it’s one thing to see the whales and another one to understand where they come from, how their young drink milk in the sea and why they make such a journey.
Giving tourists amazing and priceless information is the true way to achieve their transformation. That’s why our tours have a rich mix of science and educational content. Learning creates awareness and establishes a connection from deep within us”.
Promoting local business
“A big part of El Almejal’s ecosystem is the people and the community. That’s why we have business incubator projects for small businesses, so that our guides can become entrepreneurs putting to use their knowledge about nature and Pacific culture. We’ve now hatched five microenterprises, which means that people’s income increases by 6 or 7 times, benefiting their families and their communities' employment rates”.
While he talks about the hotel, César gets distracted looking at the sunset. The warm colors of the clouds right before the night falls still mesmerize him, filling him with awe and gratitude. With an open heart, he shares an invitation to travelers: visit Bahia Solano, Chocó, let the place leave a mark on their souls and leave their mark on paradise by supporting conscious tourism.
