Footprints Eco-Resort is a fairly new resort to Trinidad & Tobago. It opened its doors in February of 1997. The Footprints property is located on 62 acres of land on Culloden Bay, which is on Tobago's north coast. It has focused its cause on the preservation and protection of the environment, as well as the comfort of its guests. The resort offers accommodation, meals and nature activities to guests in a natural setting.
It is a designated nature preserve, and the area is being extensively reforested with native species. All buildings on the Footprints property were constructed from local and native woods, using recycled building materials when practical. The resort re-uses oilfield drill pipes for foundation posts, and old telephone poles for flooring and decking. Reclaimed teak and scrap-wood is used to create furniture and doors for the resort, and unbleached cotton is used for ceiling drapes, curtains, cushions, bedspreads and other soft furnishings.
The resort has a policy that requires the staff to preferably be hired from surrounding villages, and has a in-house training program that takes place continually throughout the year, focusing on environmental issues and training important to the resort.
The resort grows much of it's own food. Organic herbs, vegetables and fruits, sheep ducks, and chickens are grown/kept at the resort. In addition, the resort uses many unique cleaning techniques, for instance, they use organic cleaning products, have a guest towel service, and a linen re-use program. These activities help the resort conserve water and energy. Kitchen and yard waste, as well as animal manure is combined to make nutrient rich compost to be used in the gardens.
The resort also has saltwater pools, the water coming directly from the Bay in order to preserve the freshwater resource of the resort. The seawater is constantly circulating, ensuring that the water is always clear and clean.
The resort offers a variety of nature activities for its guests. There are various hiking trails throughout the property. On these trails flora has been identified and tour guides are available so the visitor can learn. In addition, snorkeling is a very popular activity at the resort. Tours are available in order to briefly educate guests on reef do's and don'ts, what to look out for and after, a trip into the resort's marine library to learn more in depth about what the visitor just visited.
Footprints was awarded Tobago's first eco-resort and Caribbean Hotel Association 2000 Green Palm Award for environmental excellence.Information provided in this section can be attributed to the following;
Footprints Website
Mia Persad Douglas, Managing Director
Ryan D'Arcy, Managing Officer, T&T Development