Most of us can’t resist the idea of a holiday somewhere sunny, but these days there’s a certain amount of guilt attached to jetting off overseas if you’re particularly eco-conscious. After all, the impact of travel – not just of flights, but of your time spent in your chosen destination – can be bad for the environment. Fortunately, there are resorts that understand this and do their best to be eco-friendly, such as Porto Sani Village.
Situated in Halkidiki in Greece, Porto Sani Village is part of the Sani Resort, which has a great reputation for its environmental initiatives. And, while that’s good news for local flora and fauna, it’s also brilliant for those of us keen to have an eco-friendly holiday somewhere sunny, beautiful and packed with things to do.
To give you an idea of the kinds of things the resort does to help conserve the environment, I’ve put together a quick list below.
Sani Green Programme
The resort’s green initiatives all stem from its umbrella project, the Sani Green Programme. So, pretty much everything I’ll mention below is part of this main scheme, but I’ll just talk briefly about some of the other things that have been implemented as a result of it.
• Solar energy is now used to help meet hot water needs
• Cooked and used oil is recycled into biofuel
• Standard light bulbs have been replaced with energy-saving lightbulbs
• Organic waste from gardens and kitchens is turned into compost
• Tree-planting in fire-damaged areas of Halkidiki
Sani Wetlands
One of the fantastic things about coming to Sani for your holiday is that the natural landscape here is truly incredible, with the Sani Wetlands being particularly impressive. This 110-hectare area is right next to the resort’s hotels, and it’s home to a lot of rare and endangered birds (more than 200 species in total, in fact).
To help protect these birds, which are under threat from things such as climate change, the resort has joined forces with the Hellenic Ornithological Society. What’s more, you can also see things like bird rehabilitation schemes in action with a private tour, so it’s a great place to visit if you’re keen on learning more about environmental protection (in between time spent on the beach, of course!).
Sani’s beaches
Speaking of beaches, Sani is renowned for the cleanliness of its stretches of sand – so much so that a number of its beaches are awarded Blue Flag status year after year. As well as meaning this is a great place for families with young children, it also generally makes the coast here a really lovely place to be. After all, there’s nothing more disappointing than heading to what you think will be a little slice of paradise only to find dirty sand and polluted water.
Sani Forest Team
Sani is also home to some gorgeous forests, and there’s a dedicated team – the Sani Forest Team – in place to help ensure the trails that run through them are well managed. Considering there are 1,200 acres of private forest, that’s quite a task!
The Sani Green Team, meanwhile, monitors the resort’s progress and environmental targets on a day-to-day basis to make sure high standards are maintained. There are loads of different areas being looked at, including energy efficiency, water conservation and the use of renewable energy.
Plus, you’ll find handy schemes in place that allow you to do your bit too. For example, recycling bags are provided in your accommodation, while you can opt to have your sheets and towels washed less frequently – rather than daily – to help conserve water.
You must log in to post a comment.