How Club Med has become a pioneer for responsible all-inclusive holidays

GREEN GOLD

Part of Club Med’s Exclusive Collection of top-tier properties offering premium all-inclusive service, with a focus on nature-based activities, deluxe dining, local sourcing and immersive excursions, the resort is intended to exist in harmony with its surrounds. It’s been a blueprint for the brand’s green initiatives since its original construction and opening in 2019, according to Club Med’s sustainable development manager Julianna Campusano, and as a founding member of hotel and tourism association Promiches, Club Med has been one of the pioneers for sustainable development in the region.

Standing beneath the thatched canopy of the resort’s Emerald Pool wellness area, Campusano tells me the resort was constructed from local, sustainable materials with minimum impact on the eco-system. Pointing up, she says they even made sure birds could nest safely in the roof.

Thanks to the efforts of Club Med’s La Foundation, the resort is Green Globe-certified and completely plastic free. I calculate the refillable litre-water bottles in my room and drinking water stations dotted throughout the resort probably save at least 14 plastic bottles going to landfill for my stay alone. As there’s no shortage of sunshine or showers in the Caribbean, rainwater is recycled at an on-site treatment station, and 6% of the resort’s energy comes from solar power, with a full solar farm set to launch next year. Social and community initiatives include integrating locals into the workforce and inviting schoolchildren to experience the resort’s facilities – around 900 staff members are employed from the area and produce is sourced from 20 local farmers. 

FRUIT AND NUT

I get to see these efforts up-close on Club Med’s Lush Landscapes excursion, where we go off the beaten track on bumpy road and by speedboat to taste the land as well as explore it. “The sun is coming for the mangos,” muses guide Moses as we pass a wide-canopied tree hung with the not-yet-ripe fruit. In the meantime, coconuts are available in abundance. “It does feel like an unspoilt part of the island,” comments Inteletravel agent Gilli Knight as we stop to sip from fresh coconuts on a castaway beach.

I’m later reliably informed by islander Martin Nunez that until not long ago there were no hotels in the region at all. We board a safari truck to Guanaguao farm where piglets frolic in a stable, and the garden bursts with pineapples, papaya and passion fruit. Raw chocolate is whipped up before our eyes, and coffee beans ground into a potent espresso.

Staying at an all-inclusive resort can feel like being in a bubble, with little sense of the actual destination, but Club Med’s excursions are thoughtfully designed to connect guests with the island. Swinging out over the edge of nearby Mount Redonda is the literal pinnacle of the trip, with 360-degree views spreading out beneath my feet.

But back at the resort an array of free activities lets me get the lie of the land too – from kayaking along the shore at sunset to horse riding across the endless creamy sand beach. One day I follow the coastal trail west towards the colourful fishing town of Miches, spotting lizards, exotic blooms and purple starfish sheltering in the shallows. In between cooking lessons with chef Guillermo at chic eatery Coal and Copper, trapeze lessons, meditation sessions and various types of yoga in a treetop pavilion, I dip in and out of the opaline ocean sheltered from the white water crashing on a distant outer reef. 

ONE FOR ALL

With four distinct sections linked by a sleek two-storey central dining and entertainment area, the resort manages to be all things to all people. You could equally have a fun party holiday at the resort; enjoy a romantic honeymoon in the peaceful Archipelago section; or take a classic family beach break in Explorer Cove. The resort is spacious and that well designed that I barely notice the many multigenerational families enjoying a more holiday-camp style getaway of fun games and live shows right alongside.

Lodged in my colourful “Caribbean Paradise” cocoon, I prefer to take the wellness route – strolling the jungle path to forest yoga and snacking on fresh ceviche on the beach terrace of boutique bar-eatery Coco Plum, sampling a reviving flower facial at the nature-inspired Cinq Mondes spa and dozing in a hammock strung between palms at Zen Beach. For me, luxuriating in nature at Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda turns out to be the perfect green tonic. 

Book it: Club Med offers seven nights all-inclusive staying in a Caribbean Paradise room at Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda from £2,276pp including direct return flights between Gatwick and Punta Cana, plus resort transfers. clubmed.co.uk