Surely you know that sustainability has become an added value in any type of trip. You should also know that there are hotels that, in an effort not to be left behind, are described as 'green' when they are not. But do you know how to detect if the hotel you visit passes the basic standards to be sustainable?

If you want to determine how responsible you are when it comes to environmental responsibility, here are some criteria to determine your credibility.

Look at the architecture of the place. Many of the new hotels use recycled materials for their construction, such as wood or cotton for interior decoration. Others concentrate on not damaging the space in which they stand, transplanting trees or creating protected spaces. In addition, there are increasingly more structures to absorb natural energy evident in the properties, from solar panels to rainwater collection systems.

It has a system of saving resources

Maintaining the consumption of resources to a minimum is a decisive step in the search for sustainability. For this, hotels often install lights with sensor controls that turn off completely when there is no one in the room. Another tool is to install showers with little pressure to reduce water consumption.

A sustainable hotel will do everything possible to return something to the environment in which it is located. Some support the local community with jobs or financial assistance to an organization, while others support environmental conservation initiatives. This information is something that you can easily find on the website, or else, of any staff member.

Another indicator that you should look for is the supply chain that the products used in the hotel follow, from the room amenities to the food. The vast majority of sustainable hotels have adopted the 'farm to table' philosophy, with seasonal menus based on local farming, organic farms and sustainable fishing cycles.

The last indicator, and perhaps the most forceful, is the certification of sustainability, validated by experts in the field who have studied all aspects of the space to evaluate it. Symbol of pride, this is usually announced on the website, as well as at the hotel reception. Look for stamps like Green Key, LEED, Green Leaf or Earth Check among many others.

If you have the opportunity to organize your holidays without a date limit, the best time to go to the Amazon is perhaps between August and September, because the climate is more pleasant for those who are not used to heat and humidity.

Behind the beach, the colonial cities, the great museums and others, those who visit the Amazon are going to take a trip through nature to recognize its charms, usefulness and know what remains of the indigenous traditions. According to the National System of Cultural Information, the department has 26 indigenous ethnic groups with a population of 47,000 members. It highlights 14 linguistic families among which, the most numerous, are the Tukano, Arawak, Tikuna, Huitoto and Tupi.

What can be done in the Amazon? The first thing is to have the ticket, which according to supply and demand can cost on average about $ 700,000. Once you have purchased the flight you will have to define if you want to stay in the two available municipalities Leticia or Puerto Nariño or if you want to stay in the jungle with the indigenous communities. These two services are offered by the department and its costs with variables.

A lodging in Leticia can cost from $ 17 in hostel format to $ 133 in a houseboat per night. If you already have the reservation for accommodation in the same hotel or in the city you can put together your tourist plans, it is recommended not always take everything planned as the costs vary if you take a plan in the area or from your city of origin.

Next, we present the five most striking options for ecotourism offered by the department to its visitors.

The island of the monkeys has a unique attraction and is to enter the habitat of one of the largest communities of monkeys or squirrel monkeys. It is located 35 kilometers from Leticia and is reached by boat on the Amazon River after a 45-minute journey. It is a natural reserve of flora and fauna and the monkeys interact with tourists in a natural way taking into account the proper precautions because you are the one who arrives at your place where the animals live.

It is the second municipality of the department and its main attraction is that it is a quiet place, a town without cars where all the streets are pedestrian. It offers a variety of restaurants and lodging, as well as a viewpoint where you can see the greatness of the Amazon River. It is located 80 kilometers from Leticia, which is done by boat and is about 30 minutes from the first bordering Peruvian municipality.

The community of Macedonia is home to a good number of Ticuna Indians. When visiting your home you will have the option to see skills for crafts with seeds and wood. In Mocagua, there is another native population that allows interaction with them, who are venturing into lodging ventures of maximum 50 people in their homes. They also offer lunches, canoeing, artisanal fishing and ecological walks.

This reserve, which is half an hour from Leticia by car, was created in 2003 to conserve part of the jungle with the Huitoto community. In 2004 the first trails were made that lead to a tree called tanimboca, hence the name of the reserve. It offers accommodation in cabins in the trees and has the capacity to host up to 55 people. The cabins cost $ 180,000 per person and the night includes a night walk and breakfast. In addition, it offers extreme sports.

In many cases the rural factor is combined with the interior design, architecture and respect for the environment, are known as ecological and sustainable hotels. This type of accommodation has two clear objectives: on the one hand to collaborate with the environment maintaining and promoting the biodiversity of the area where they are located and on the other that the guests feel comfortable.

The new forms of tourism have also generated that the search engines and Internet companies have been adapted. This is the case of Expedia, which has decided to join this ecological trend by incorporating a new advanced search filter to facilitate the choice of this type of accommodation on its website.

Responsable tourism

As the director of online marketing of the travel agency, Llibert Argerich, explains, "responsible tourism is a new form of tourist behavior", which has made the agency has improved the resources available to "provide ecological awareness to our users "points.

When choosing the accommodation, the agency itself recommends taking into account several aspects of ecological accommodation, which in the end differentiate one from the other. Among these differences is harmony with the environment, renewable energy, food, distance to large urban centers and leisure opportunities.