Leaving the place better than we found it
Sustainable tourism sets out not to damage. Regenerative tourism goes a step further: the destination should end up better. It is the framework we have worked with since 2011, and these are the concrete practices, not the intentions.
The four fronts
Planting and offsetting
We plant a tree in the Sierra Nevada for every accommodation booking. Several experiences — the banana tour, the cooking tour, the eco-cultural experience — include it too, and there the traveller plants it themselves.
Energy and water
Finca La Jorará runs on solar power. It is why we ask guests to use light sensibly and why there is no air conditioning. Water comes down from the Sierra and is plentiful, but it is a finite resource: we use it rationally.
Communities
Every visit to Kogui or Arhuaco territory includes a contribution agreed with the community, handed over during the visit and in whatever they asked for: food supplies, kitchen utensils, household goods, field tools, thread. It is not a symbolic donation: it is part of the tour price.
Waste and consumption
A litter collection programme that accompanies walks and visits, encouragement of reuse and recycling, and selection of biodegradable, lower-impact products.
What it looks like day to day
- Towels and sheets are changed every three days. If you need a different frequency, ask and it is done.
- We ask guests not to remove shells, snails, turtles or other wild flora and fauna from the environment.
- In indigenous territory, asking consent before photographing is mandatory, not optional.
- We invite suppliers, guests and partners to use water and energy efficiently and to manage waste properly.
- We rationalise energy consumption through efficiency and renewable sources.
- We buy from regional producers: much of what the restaurant serves is harvested in the estate's own garden.
A territory that is not ours
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the ancestral territory of four indigenous peoples: Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco and Kankuamo. The Línea Negra, recognised by the Colombian state, marks that territory and the sacred sites within it.
Operating here means accepting that we are not the owners of this place but guests with permission. Community visits are arranged with them, made with a guide and on the conditions they set. When a community says no, the answer is no.
Unesco declared the Sierra Nevada a Biosphere Reserve in 1979. It is also the massif with the most continental endemic bird species on the planet. That is the place that receives our guests, and the reason the rules matter.
The sustainability policy
Unique Colombia S.A.S has a formal sustainability policy for La Jorará Eco Hotel. It is not a marketing text: it is the document that governs the operation and against which the operation is assessed. This is what it says.
Mission
To provide educational travel experiences in nature, culture and wellness that build a connection between nature, people and other living beings, with a commitment to sustainable tourism in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Vision for 2027
To be an exemplary model of conservation and ecotourism in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, through sustainable tourism, agrotourism and reforestation, guaranteeing experiences that celebrate biodiversity.
The ten commitments
- To make respect for the environment the operation's primary objective.
- To promote environmental education in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
- To encourage reuse, recycling and responsible waste management.
- To rationalise energy use through efficiency and renewable solar power.
- To maintain a management system consistent with this sustainability policy.
- To involve suppliers, employees, guests and the community in meeting it.
- To train staff continuously in sustainability and the environment.
- To provide information about our sustainable tourism actions.
- To systematically assess the environmental, economic and social impact of the operation.
- To keep the objectives updated and adapt the management system continuously.
What it rests on
Environmental variable
Built into planning, services and experiences, minimising the negative impact of each one.
Sociocultural variable
Promoting mutual respect and knowledge of local culture, traditions and food.
Sustainable development
Agrotourism, ecotourism and the restoration of native forest and aquifers in the Sierra Nevada.
The policy owner is Iván Duarte Torres, general manager. The full document is published on the La Jorará Eco Hotel site. Read the full policy
The legal framework we comply with
These are not voluntary brochure commitments: they are legal obligations of tourism in Colombia, and we state them explicitly.
- We reject and report the exploitation and sexual abuse of children and adolescents in travel and tourism. It is a crime and we neither support nor permit it on our premises.
- We comply with Law 17 of 1981 and Resolution 1367 of 2000 against the trade and trafficking of wild flora and fauna.
- We reject the trade and illegal trafficking of regional and national cultural property, in accordance with Law 103 of 1991 and its decree 904 of 1941, Law 397 of 1997 and its decree 833 of 2002, and Law 1185 of 2008.
- We are committed to healthy, positive, drug-free tourism.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify the tree was planted?
On several experiences you plant it yourself, which is the most direct verification there is. For accommodation bookings the estate team does the planting on the property and its surroundings; if you want to take part, tell us on arrival and we will arrange it.
What percentage of the tour goes to the community?
It varies by experience and is agreed with each community. What matters is how it is delivered: during the visit, in front of the group and in whatever the community asked for. It is not an opaque transfer to a fund, it is a visible part of the trip.
Do you hold a sustainability certification?
We have worked within a responsible and sustainable tourism framework since our founding in 2011 and comply with the applicable Colombian regulations. If you need specific documentation for a company or a procurement process, write to us and we will send it.
Se Regenera
If you want to take an active part — planting, accompanying a pagamento, visiting a community — that is what the Se Regenera programme does.
See the programme