Up until the mid-eighties, Playa del Carmen was a small town with less than 1,500 inhabitants, but it's become a well-known destination in the past two decades. It already has 356,923 inhabitants as of early 2018.
Its natural surroundings have been a source of inspiration not only for the Mayas and their ancient culture, but has also inspired Sandos Caracol, a Riviera Maya eco resort that focuses its activities on co-existing with the environment. The waters, trees, bushes and rocks are home to thousands of animal species of all sizes, so it's common to come across amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals during your stay.
It's this love for the animals and the environment that drives the resort to remind tourists of the importance of responsible, eco travel and preserving the natural surroundings. One example of this commitment is the Spider Monkey, a regular sight at many sun destinations posing for photos with its handler for a few bucks. However, Sandos Caracol doesn't encourage the exploitation of exotic animals to sell souvenir photos, which is why you will not see people selling photos with a macaw or a monkey on hotel property.
Sandos Caracol has developed programs for the conservation and reproduction of endemic species, creating and providing spaces for them to breed and prepare to be released into their natural habitat, such as white-tailed deer and macaws.
Their commitment extends to all aspects of preservation. Their eco-food restaurant is dedicated especially to those travelers who seek to make their stay even more sustainable and healthy, offering a delicious vegetarian and vegan menu. And a number of hotel initiatives such as not offering straws, coasters or water bottles at their bars, the collection of bottle caps, recycling of cooking oils are all part of the overall eco iniative.
Their work hasn't gone unnoticed. The best practices and policies Sandos Caracol has instituted has earned them a number of accreditations and certifications such as the Meso American Reef Tourism Initiative (a strategy to guarantee sustainable tourism in the Mexican Caribbean), and Distintivo S, a certification granted by Mexico's Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) to recognize good sustainability practices in the development of tourism industry projects and the commitment of travel industry businesses with the highest environmental standards.
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