Travelers are increasingly becoming eco-conscious and prefer staying at an eco-hotel when booking their vacation. Contrary to the popular misconceptions about sustainability, eco-friendly travel doesn’t mean you need to skip out on luxury. Take a look at Ray Caye Island Resort, located 17 miles East of Placencia, Belize; on this island, you get to wake up to sunshine and blue waters every day while leaving nothing but footprints in the sand in keeping with your love for conservation and sustainability.
Solar Power
Ray Caye’s primary source of power is solar power. Solar panels generate free electricity by transferring the sun’s heat to produce all the energy needed to operate the property. Constantly looking for new ways to take care of the environment, the resort is Belize’s first to introduce the TESLA Powerwall. This rechargeable lithium-ion battery stationary energy storage product is the most recent addition to the solar power grid, enabling Ray Caye to run wholly on clean, green energy. One of its features allows the resort to have an insight into how much energy is generated through the power grids so for those times when the sun isn’t shining or it’s raining, the resort has plenty of energy stored for backup.
Why visit Ray Caye?
What makes the resort so unique is that guests still have the pleasure of enjoying all the facilities and accommodations they would expect on any other private island getaway. Warm showers, electricity to charge devices, lighting whenever needed, and great food at the Lionfish Grill are all offered without them having to make any sacrifices to enjoy their stay.
The garden at Ray Caye. Image courtesy Leonardo Melendez
In 2018, Ray Caye developed their own organic garden sharing with its guests freshly grown produce that is used to prepare tasty and flavorsome meals at the restaurant. The private island resort truly caters to vacationers who are looking for an exotic and fun place that is also authentic and completely natural.
Ray Caye’s Part in Conservation
Silk Caye, Belize. Image courtesy Duarte Dellarole
The resort understands how important protecting Belize’s marine ecosystem is. Recently, the proprietors of Ray Caye partnered with The Getch Foundation, a program started in 2015 by Sir Richard Branson and the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator that focuses on ocean conservation, to assist in protecting Belize’s Marine Reserve Cayes. One such reserve suffering from erosion is the Silk Cayes – three tiny islands that form an integral part of the larger Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve – a well-known diving and snorkeling spot. The Getch Foundation recognizes that change begins at home – in this case, their Ray Caye home of Belize.
“We are truly committed to making a real and quantifiable difference when it comes to ocean conservation so it is with great pleasure that we are able to provide funding to Belize, a country that has proven time and again that they are dedicated to preserving their marine life. We are especially excited to be able to finance the Silk Cayes project and help save this valuable Marine Reserve”
– Jesse Robinson, Executive Director, Getch Foundation
You can read more about the Getch Foundation on their website: www.getch.org.
Written by Vivian Lizarraga
