Costa Maya Hotel Restaurant Maya Luna Mahahual (Majahual) Ecological Resort Mangroves Reef Ecosystem Solar panels

CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOTEL RESTAURANT
In front of Maya Luna lies the second largest barrier reef in the world named "The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef". This complex reef system extends from the northern Yucatan Peninsula to the bay Islands in Honduras. The area is home to a great number of ecosystems, such as mangroves, lagoons, cenotes and sea grass beds. All these systems, including the reef, are linked by water that flows between them. All ecosystems have their own unique attributes but also are dependent upon each other. They provide a breathing place and shelter for all kinds of juvenile fish.
Therefore, most of the areas outside of Majahual’s fisherman’s village, including Hotel Maya Luna, have been targeted for "low impact eco development", to preserve and protect nature and to avoid turning Costa Maya into a mass tourism destination.

ECOLOGICAL HOTEL
Based on an extended environmental impact study Maya Luna has been constructed carefully, making sure that the impact on the environment was as minimal as possible. No trees were cut and no mangrove was destroyed. We try as much as possible to respect the environment by using natural resources:
Energy - The main building and the bungalows are powered by a solar energy system which provides 80% of the energy needed daily. In the evening we run a diesel generator to provide electricity to the restaurant and to use the water pumps to fill the water tanks on top of the roof terraces. To save energy, we use energy efficient lamps and fans in the main building and the rooms. All rooms have 24 hours of electricity.

Water - For its water supply hotel Maya Luna uses rain water falling on the roof to be collected in large basements under the terrace.
Waste water - Instead of using local septic tanks for each bungalow, a large basement was constructed connecting all bungalows including the main building. The basement consists of different compounds with filters installed. After filtering the water can be used for irrigation. Sea grass –we use sea grass as fertilizer in our garden.

HOTEL BUNGALOWS
On arrival guests are informed on the different aspects of the ecological nature of hotel Maya Luna. We kindly ask them to use the rainwater as well as the electricity in a responsible way.
Linen and towels are changed every 3 days.
There is no air conditioning nor a fridge nor television in the bungalows. In this way electricity in the bungalows is only being used by energy saving fans as well as energy saving lights or to charge electric devices like a cell phone. There is a television in the restaurant where you can watch your favorite (sports) event.

RESTAURANT
Maya Luna joined a program which stimulates its members, all of them small business owners, to only buy with each other. As much as we can, we work with local providers and we buy the daily caught of local fisherman.
Some of the ingredients and spices of our menu, for example bananas, papaya and coriander, grow in our garden.
Maya Luna respects reproduction time of lobster as well as conch, during which it is prohibited to sell, buy and eat it. We don’t buy lobster or conch from fisherman nor sell it in our restaurant during it’s respectively reproduction time.
We separate non-organic and organic waste, behind the restaurant we run a compost of all organic waste.

FURNITURE
All decorations in the rooms and the restaurant all have been hand made by small local workshops in Quintana Roo and the Yucatan Peninsula. The furniture in the rooms & restaurant (beds, desks, chairs, tables etc.) was hand made by local carpenters. The wood comes from the local community of Noh bec, a small village some 80 km from Mahahual. Trees are grown in a sustainable way. Buying the wood with them to make our furniture, we supported several families with it.
If usable, we uses also wood that washes ashore to turn it into for garden furniture (banks and tables).

SURROUNDINGS OF MAYA LUNA & REEF & GARDEN
All outdoor lightning between bungalows and restaurant are lighted with solar powered lamps
We are proud of our beautiful garden; full of local plants, flowers, fruit and other trees, like a variety of palm trees, chit (protected tree) bougainvillea, banana, mango and papaya trees, flamboyant, cactus, nopal, tulips, sea grape, margaritas, almond and sugarcane.
We use the sea grass that washes ashore every day as fertilizer for a lot of plants and trees.

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
Our complete staff including our manager is local. People working for Maya Luna come from the surrounding villages like Limones, Bacalar and even from Chetumal. Maya Luna provides free accommodation and food to all staff.
For members of our staff who did not finish high school, we offer the possibility to join a special educational program for adults. Maya Luna received a special diploma for joining this program. We also offer the staff monetary loans if they need it and don’t charge them interest. During working hours and outside working hours we are practicing with our staff some Basic English,
We work with local tour guides.

LA BODEGUITA
We also own and manage a local cultural sports bar in the center of town, called la Bodeguita. Main target group are local people living and working in Mahahual. They frequent La Bodeguita to see their favorite sports game, to play some pool or have a beer together, all for very reasonable prices. La Bodeguita is official sponsor of the local football team, providing among others t-shirts to the team.