LOCATION: Tulum
VIBE: eco-chic
USP: sustainability
Travel and sustainability have not always seen eye to eye. But over the past few years, there has been a surge of interest in sustainable hotel management and an equally strong drive from the vacationing consumer to spend their money in an eco-conscious environment. In a quest to find hotels with almost entirely green accommodation and verging on net-zero ambitions, I present to you Villa Pescadores, an eco-luxury hotel in the heart of Tulum.
[VIDEO]
The Tranqui Vibe
In Mexico, like in any country, Spanish slang, colloquialisms and interesting idioms crop up all the time. One used on a daily basis is…‘tranqui’. It’s a colloquial abbreviation of tranquilo, meaning calm and peaceful, without any worries or disturbance. Now, being the international company that we are, we love a concrete definition… but after much umming and ahing, the word has been described to us as simply: ‘chilled vibes’. This is exactly the word that crossed our mind when we walked into Villa Pescadores for the first time. Tranqui.
Such a calmness and peace. Almost a spirituality. Where rustic meets luxury. Thatched beach palapas, constructed almost entirely from local wood, seem to melt into the surrounding greenery. The hierarchy here is clear: landscape and nature reign supreme as king and queen of the jungle, while the man-made hotel has to simply fit in; the palapas are built around the existing palm trees, with some sprouting up through the wooden decking. The atmosphere here is undeniably eco-chic.
The hotel zone of Tulum has become one of the most instagrammable locations of 2022. But, as an influencer’s paradise, this comes with an increasing price tag and a constant concern for the most manicured, boho-chic aesthetic.
Villa Pescadores feels markedly different in this respect: unpretentious, low-key and no-frills.
250m of white, flour-like sand stretches from reception, past the line of beach palapas with hammocks strung up on their front porches, to the beach where fishermen’s wooden boats bob lethargically in the shallows.
It’s a totally barefoot affair here…you can leave your sneakers at home ;)
Eco-chic
And noowwww we’re getting to Villa P’s USP. The reason why we love it.
This is just one of 6 hotels in the stunning Ahau Collection, based in Tulum. And they are most certainly the definition of eco-chic. Villa Pescadores, along with two other Ahau hotels, have recently being added to, and are participating in, the UNESCO “Sustainable Travel Commitment”.
Not only this, but these same 3 hotels have achieved Green Key certification in Mexico. To those of us nodding along but secretly thinking ‘uuummmmm. Meaning what exactly?’ don’t worry, we googled it too. A prestigious eco-label awarded to more than 3,700 hotels and other hospitality establishments in over 60 countries. Strict criteria and all rather extensive so we wont go into it. But let’s put it this way…we’re not talking a couple of bamboo straws here and there…its more of a pledge - a lifestyle.
Origins
The name Villa Pescadores, meaning ‘fishermen's villa,’ is an ode to its surrounding area that belongs to the cooperative society of fishermen of Tulum. The fishermen built the huts in 2002 for their own use, but in 2014 they signed an agreement for the huts to be turned into a hotel. The rustic-chic beach cabins built on stilts lie on same footprints where the original fishing huts once originally stood. Cool, right?
As they state on their website, ‘everything the Ahau Collection of resorts and hotels does is with a mindful eye on the earth.’ The collection is even named after the Mayan sun god ‘Kinich Ahau’, translating to ‘Universal Consciousness’. I mean, its pretty black and white here…they are quite clearly committed to preserving and respecting Mother Nature.
So there you have it. A hidden eco-chic gem in Tulum with an immaculate vibe and earth-loving consciousness.
Just a little snippet of paradise…hope you enjoyed!
And if you’re ever in Tulum, you should know that DreamArt Photography is now doing sessions in Tulum! For more info, contact us.