rain forest

One of the Caribbean's finest residential and vacation enclaves is taking shape on 483 pristine beachfront acres in Puerto Rico, at the foot of the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. At the vanguard of what promises to be a true Puerto Rican renaissance is the stunning Bahia Beach community with a St. Regis resort and residences as its centerpiece. Located within 25 minutes driving distance of San Juan, Bahia Beach boasts a magnificent two-mile crescent of sandy beach, a challenging 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., golf and beach clubhouses, and a charming seaside village. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts will operate the intimate St. Regis Resort, Bahía Beach, which will include an ultra-luxurious hotel and spa slated to open this fall. As any visitor to Bahia Beach can attest, its naturally perfect setting inspires dreams of permanent residence. Bahia Beach offers a number of ways to make the dream a reality, with a variety of homes including St. Regis Residences, Las Estancias estate homes, resort residences, golf and ocean view villas, and beachfront townhomes available in advance of the resort's official opening.

The resort will feature the signature St. Regis Butler and St. Regis Concierge service, a world-class Remède Spa and Fitness Center, a 120-seat Jean-Georges Vongerichten signature restaurant as well as a 90-seat St. Regis restaurant, retail shops and beachfront pool facilities. The tropical, unspoiled splendor of Bahia Beach, located on Puerto Rico's northeast coast at the foot of the El Yunque rain forest and bounded by two scenic rivers, can easily lead you to imagine a remote idyll, yet part of its appeal lies in the community's convenience and accessibility. U.S. residents don't need to bother with passports or worry about currency exchange, while the distance from New York for example is not all that much more than Miami. Once a coconut plantation, Bahía Beach is richly populated with 100-foot palms and other tropical trees, inhabited by myriad species of birds and the vivid green iguanas native to the coast. Over 65% of the property has been preserved as green areas, sanctuaries and nature trails; the Bahía Beach Resort & Golf Club is Puerto Rico's first resort community to become a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.



All residences sold within Bahía Beach include social membership in the community's private club, providing members with special dining and recreational privileges and services. Upgrades to full golf club memberships are also available. The signature St. Regis Residences, Las Estancias, will offer 25 majestic estate homes introducing an unrivaled dimension of luxury and hospitality to Puerto Rico. Located on a private island within the Bahía community and designed in a tropical plantation architectural style on spacious lots, these residences are available in six different models with floor plans offering large verandas, three-car garages, infinity edge swimming pools and separate maid's quarters. Homes are sized from 6,000 to 9,000 square feet and built on half acre to 1.5 acre lots with stunning ocean and golf course views. The first homes have already been delivered and one well-known major league baseball player has already taken up residence. Owners of Las Estancias will enjoy full access to St. Regis Resort amenities including the signature St. Regis Butler and St. Regis Concierge. Read on for details of the rest of the residences, and check out the gallery for stunning images.

Deep within the lush rain forest of Costa Rica, Tabacón Grand Spa & Thermal Resort is the Winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best International Spa.

Tabacón Resort is an oasis embedded in a primary rain forest, featuring twelve natural thermal spring pools and lagoons, waterfalls, exotic gardens and trails. Geologically, Tabacón Resort's hot springs are 97% rain-based and 3% magma-based. The resort is a three hour drive (150 km) north of the San José International Airport. The resort sits near the base of Arenal Volcano, and is surrounded by the wildly diverse flora and fauna of the tropical rain forest. Tabacón Grand Spa & Thermal Resort is committed to sustainable tourism with a core mission that includes the protection and improvement of the environment.

The Atlantic forest in Brazil is considered one of the worlds most endangered tropical rain forests, with as little 7 percent of it's original area remaining! As we all know trees are quite literally the lungs of the earth, without their constant releasing of oxygen we would all be in trouble, what you may not know is that forests like the Atlantic also help regulate the earths climate and atmosphere. The Plant A Billion Trees Project plans to do just that...plant a billion trees in the Atlantic Forrest over the next 7 years, basically they are going to re-forest 2.5 billion acres of land. I write about charities every day and I can't think of one I've heard of that is more important than this amazing project! The facts are staggering, and so impressive, after the project is done 10 million tons of carbon dioxide will have been removed from our air, planting these trees will do the same thing as removing 2 million cars from the road!! I urge you to get involved with this powerful movement. One dollar equals one tree, so tell everyone you know! Plant a Billion Trees website.

When it comes to fighting global warming and preserving the rainforests Marriott certainly gets points for trying, although how they're choosing to go about that effort is pretty surprising. Instead of doing what most hotel and resort chains do (switch to eco-friendly energy sources and recycle recycle recycle) they've hooked up with the Brazilians and are going to start paying villagers in the Amazon to not cut down trees. Of course it's a lot more complicated than just sending some Amazonians a check for every day they refrain from logging illegally, but apparently that's the essence of the new deal. Strange? Yes. A marketing scheme? Yes. Over-all still beneficial to the environment? Yes. I say good for them.