Los Quetzales Ecolodge & Spa fosters synergy among the hotel, its neighboring communities, and surrounding ecosystem. Local purchasing and hiring policies, environmental stewardship, and community development programs are creating a healthy, welcoming, and authentic setting for caring visitors from all over the globe.
400 hectares of watershed of the Chiriqui Viejo river is preserved and protected since 1970. This cloudforest reserve, now inside and bordering Friendship International Park, and Volcan Baru National park, includes over 60 hectares, reforested with heliconias, giant ferns, palms, and a variety of native hardwood trees that produce aguacatillo fruit that the Resplendent Quetzal and other bird and animal species feed-on.
Carrying capacity limited by law (detailed in environmental impact study) to 24 persons in our 400 hectares of pristine cloudforest, and is limited to 8 cabins (3 presently in construction over previous housing sites) minimizing disturbance of the flora and fauna of it's ecosystem. Hiking trails have respected the terrain's natural topography.
We provide jobs and training to over 45 persons in the ecotourism business, who otherwise would need to migrate to cities, seeking jobs, or find work locally in non-sustainable agriculture, promoting the erosion and contamination of soils.
We encourage schoolchildren from all over the country to walk our trails with our motivated ecological guides, that have a strong appreciation and respect for the environment.
We employ a full time lawyer that has been instructed to promote the enforce laws written to deter the use of chemicals, hunting of endangered species and deforestation and cattle ranching operations, inside 30,000 hectares of legally protected areas, such as Friendship International Park.
100% of staff is Panamanian, including its General Manager and 95% of our hotel and cabin staff lives within walking or biking distance from the hotel.
Purchase-local policies encourage micro entrepreneurs, including furniture makers, welders, mechanics, seamstresses, tailors, plumbers, electricians, transport providers, trout and organic vegetable growers.
All workers and their families are covered with social security coverage. We contribute with municipal, tourism and central government taxes, to our nation's infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and schools.
Development of one hectare in our local farming village of 420 persons is limited to seven buildings (10 rooms, 5 suites, a family room and dorms, spa, stable, maintenance shop, 1 cabin and housing for 4 staff members and their families).
All facilities at our cabin and trail areas were built in parcels deforested over 50 years ago, and now a 40 year old secondary forest, surrounded by primary cloudforest inside two parks.
Cleaning products are mostly natural, including biodegradable detergents. Vinegar and sodium bicarbonate is used to clean windows. Plastic bags used in bathrooms, rooms, cabins and kitchens s are biodegradable.
The restaurant and spa emphasize the use of local organic and fresh products such as vegetables, salads and herbal teas. Free range chicken project planned. Lighting at the lodge in town is entirely of energy saving fluorescent light bulbs. A hydroelectric generator supplies 50% of our energy needs at the lodge. There are no electric lights at the cabins so as to minimize the disturbance of wildlife.
Vegetable waste from the kitchen is fed to worms and the compost is used to fertilize organic vegetable gardens. Solid waste is sorted and recycled as much as possible.
Naturally-flowing local spring water is piped from our pristine cloudforest and has been safely used for general use and consumption at the lodge and cabins for over 20 years.
We do not sell disposable water bottles. Instead, we offer the recycled water bottles free to our guest after cleaning and refilling them at taps and faucets available throughout the property.
Native species are used in landscaping, mostly flower and seed producing shrubs and trees to attract birds. Flowers used in all rooms and common areas are harvested on our own premises.
Camping grounds are provided thus fostering minimal impact on the environment and promote intimate interaction with nature.
Natural ingredients are encouraged at the spa, such as fresh aloe vera and volcanic mud for facials and massages, and rosemary and mint leaves for the hot tubs and sauna.
Membership with chamber of comerce, chamber of tourism and small hotel associations is maintained in order to support local and national tourism projects, encourage proper zonification and finance the training of staff in trades of the business and the learning of the English language.
Los Quetzales Ecolodge & Spa: Proud to be Panamanian, privileged to be global.
