Around the world, a new generation of luxury resorts is reimagining their coastal settings as picturesque escapes and platforms for education and advocacy. From the Mediterranean to the Pacific, these ocean friendly resorts champion marine conservation through immersive guest experiences, eco-driven design, and partnerships with local organizations.
June 8th marks World Oceans Day, an annual UN-recognized event that galvanizes global action to protect the planet’s most vital resource—our oceans—from threats like pollution, overfishing, and climate change. These properties below are ideal for summer travel, sustainability, marine conservation, and unique experiential tourism—whether it’s turtle tagging in the BVI, diving with a Nat Geo marine expert in Ibiza, or exploring Hawaii’s coastline with immersive NGO-led programming.
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Oil Nut Bay | British Virgin Islands
Oil Nut Bay invites guests to connect with the ocean in a truly meaningful way through an unforgettable turtle tagging adventure. This hands-on experience not only supports vital marine conservation efforts but also offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with onboard researchers. During this half-day excursion, guests will delve into sea turtles’ fascinating evolution and life cycle before heading out into the crystal-clear waters. Together with the researcher, they’ll help catch turtles, record important data through precise measurements and tagging, and safely release them, creating lasting memories and a deeper appreciation for the importance of protecting our oceans.
The Twin Fin Hotel | Oahu, Hawaii
Steps from Waikiki’s iconic shoreline, The Twin Fin Hotel is making waves in ocean conservation through a dynamic partnership with Parley for Oceans. Together, they’ve launched a pop-up at the hotel featuring an immersive three-bay experience: an education hub led by local NGOs, an interactive workshop space for hands-on beach clean-ups and microplastic art repurposing, and a biomaterial showroom spotlighting the urgent need to redesign plastic. Reinforcing its eco-conscious ethos, The Twin Fin is also the first hotel to implement the newly relaunched Mananalu Powered by Boomerang Water system – Hawaii-born actor and ocean advocate Jason Momoa’s sustainable water brand, which refills and reuses aluminum bottles on-site, cutting carbon emissions by 95%.
Zafiro Palace Andratx | Mallorca, Spain
Set against the stunning backdrop of Mallorca’s southwest coast, Zafiro Palace Andratx exemplifies the Balearic Islands’ global leadership in sustainability through its zero-kilometer philosophy, prioritizing local purveyors for everything from dining to décor to reduce its carbon footprint and support the circular economy. Guests can embark on an eco-conscious excursion aboard a llaut, a traditional Balearic fishing boat now powered by a 100% electric motor, eliminating emissions and causing no harm to local marine life while gliding peacefully along the coastline. Guests are also encouraged to explore like a local with complimentary electric scooters.
Ibiza Gran Hotel | Ibiza, Spain
Set along Ibiza’s pristine coastline with sweeping views of the island’s most luxurious marina, Ibiza Gran Hotel blends five-star sophistication with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. Guests are invited to connect with the island’s rich marine ecosystem through exclusive experiences like diving with National Geographic marine expert and photographer Manu San Félix to explore and understand the vital role of Posidonia oceanica, a seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean, often called the “lungs of the sea” for its unmatched ability to capture carbon, produce oxygen, and support marine biodiversity. The reef near Ibiza is believed to be the world’s oldest living organism, making its preservation all the more critical.
Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto by Danzante Bay | Loreto, Mexico
Tucked along the unspoiled shores of the Loreto Bay National Marine Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site – Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto offers front-row access to Mexico’s largest marine preserve, dubbed the “aquarium of the world.” Located within the world’s second-largest protected marine park, the resort offers eco-conscious excursions like scuba diving, snorkeling, and kayaking to explore waters home to over 800 fish species and a third of the world’s whales and dolphins. To help preserve this rich ecosystem, the hotel employs solar power, a seawater purification system, greywater recycling, and an onsite garden.
‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach | Oahu, Hawaii
Set in the heart of Waikiki where the city meets the sea, ‘Alohilani Resort features a mesmerizing 280,000-gallon Oceanarium home to over 350 protected marine species, and offers immersive programming such as the Hi‘uwai ceremony, a sacred sunrise ocean ritual honoring the land, sea, and heavens. In partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, the resort has planted over 26,000 native trees toward a goal of 100,000, inviting guests to plant their own on O‘ahu’s North Shore to help restore Hawaii’s ecosystems.
Guests can also join “Tank Talks” at the resort’s Oceanarium to explore local ecosystems, species, and conservation efforts through interactive discussions led by expert aquarists. Onsite, the resort continues its eco-forward mission with native landscaping, compostable packaging, refillable water bottles, and bulk bath amenities – all designed to minimize its environmental footprint while celebrating the spirit of aloha.
Costa Elena | Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Bordering a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 363,000 acres of protected land and sea, Costa Elena works to preserve and protect its local environment so guests can enjoy the breathtaking surroundings for decades to come. Costa Elena invests in the safe access and protection of local beaches (earning a “Blue Flag Certificate” for five beaches) and the construction and maintenance of a community recycling center that is now managed by a group of locals. Over 60% of the resort has been left untouched as reserve areas and a dark sky policy is in place to protect nesting sea turtles in the area. Costa Elena also built a water supply system from scratch for the local community, benefiting a population of over 18,000 people.
Photos belong to the Resorts/Hotels listed.
Do you know other ocean friendly hotels or resorts that support marine conservation? What did you learn or what activity stood out during your trip that helped you appreciate our oceans a bit more?? LMK in the comments 🙂
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