Riviera Maya, Mexico (November 26, 2013)
Surrounded by more than 205 acres of lush jungle, mangroves, fresh water cenotes and expansive beachfront, Grand Velas Riviera Maya has been meticulously designed to coexist with its fragile environment. The AAA Five Diamond resort now offers an ecological tour, giving guests the chance to experience its unique environment, learn about the native flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula and understand the resort's conservation efforts. The complimentary tour is the latest addition to the hotel's initiatives to inform and educate about sustainable and eco-friendly practices, which already includes a program where guests can plant a tree in their name, watch it grow from home on Google Earth and learn about natural wildlife.

The tour includes a visit to the mangroves to learn about native species including sea grape, sea lilies, coconut palm and salt grass, special varieties of mangroves, measures to protect and sustain the ecosystem and more. It then continues to the reforestation jungle area, consisting of more than 15,000 transplanted trees that help protect native plants and animals, many planted by staff and guests alike. Guests also visit the beach to learn about the resort's innovative artificial reefs off the coast, which not only encourage marine life such as fish, small octopus and lobsters, but prevent beach erosion. The reefs have also quadrupled the width of the beach in four years, making it one of the widest beaches in the Riviera Maya. Guests learn how sand dunes are built to ward off erosion and spread a variety of colorful plants, as well as the requirements and processes for receiving a Clean Beach.

Certification. Grand  Velas Riviera Maya is one of 17 beaches in Mexico to receive the distinction from the government. Next is a taste of the fruits, vegetables and herbs from the hotel's garden, used in several of the resort's restaurants. Last stop is the resort's cenotes, natural pools of fresh water with a great deal of biodiversity, where guests learn about their continuous development over hundreds of years.

"We are proud to be a Green Globe Certified resort, named the top hotel in Latin America for these practices," said Fernando Garcia Rossette, Managing Director. "We hope with this tour, guests can leave with an appreciation of not just ours but the world's ecosystems and environments," he continued.

For more reservations or more information on Grand Velas Riviera Maya, please email reservations@velasresorts.com, call 1-888-407-4869, or visit http://rivieramaya.grandvelas.com.