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| Islita Community is Hotel Punta Islita's closest neighbor. |
Hotel Punta Islita has developed in full synergy with its neighbors: a collective of about nine tiny rural communities with a total population of about 1400. By opting out of an enclave-style hotel model and pioneering an internationally-recognized sustainability program, Hotel Punta Islita has secured a win-win partnership that secures optimal resource stewardship and economic opportunity. Reforestation, species recovery and protection, water conservation, local employment, and support for education and the arts ensure the health of Islita. Today, Islita is not only a globally-recognized destination, but a thriving region characterized by a dynamic natural environment and a successful collective of travel professionals, community artists, and micro-entrepreneurs.
Islita Art Museum
The Islita Art Museum is the most visible project of Hotel Punta Islita's community outreach programs. Inaugurated in 2003, this innovative program features the collaborative work of established Costa Rican artists and emerging local talent. Brilliant murals and intriguing sculptures grace the very walls and open spaces that conform the village’s infrastructure in a bold outdoor display of identity. Today, there are over 60 men, women, and youngsters involved in one of the seven art groups. Their original pieces are proudly displayed and sold at the Casa Museo, a gallery, studio, and gift shop complex where travelers have a chance to meet and greet community artists.
Jon and Janie Mangus Day Care Center
Located at the heart of Islita, the Jon and Janie Mangus Day Care Center tends to local children with ages ranging between nine months and six years old. In addition to a healthy meal plan, youngsters receive complementary education that emphasizes critical thinking, English as a Second Language, and environmental awareness. Its success is a tribute to the generous involvement of Hotel Punta Islita's home owners' association in collaboration with the Villafranca-Zurcher Foundation.
Islita Creative Center
The Islita Creative Center will build upon the success fo the Day Care Center by developing a fully-outfitted learning space to strengthen after-school opportunities that stimulate creativity, social skills, and critical thinking through the use of electronic media. It will benefit close to 200 elementary school children from Islita and its neighboring communities.
Sea Turtle Recovery
Hotel Punta Islita has developed a strong partnership with the nearby Camaronal Wildlife Refuge. Set in an isolated 2 mile stretch of black sanded beach, this refuge is home to a thriving coastal eco-system. For the first seven years of the program, Hotel Punta Islita funded the hiring of three park rangers and the basic infrastructure necessary to stimulate the return of nesting sea turtles. In 2006, the success of the program was evidenced by the first mass-arrival in fifteen years. Today, Hotel Punta Islita's guests can enjoy this yearly spectacle. For every guest that participates in the Sea-Turtle Watching Adventure, Hotel Punta Islita donates $10 to the Camaronal Wildlife Refuge.
Red Macaw Reintroduction
In 2011, Hotel Punta Islita officially launched a joint initiative with The Ara Project, a local NGO dedicated to the recovery of native Macaws. Hotel Punta Islita donated the site and construction of the specialized reintroduction center where five pairs of bred macaws have been gradually acclimated to the surrounding eco-system in preparation for their release. The project has been led by a team of biologists with the intent to repopulate the natural ecological corridor that once was teeming with these bird species. To date, the five pairs have been released and are successfully adapting to life in the wild. Hotel Punta Islita is currently funding the presence of one Biologist to oversee the project's ongoing success.
The Villafranca-Zurcher Foundation (FVZ)
Created in 1994, the Villafranca-Zurcher Foundation has been the executive arm of Hotel Punta Islita’s ongoing Responsible Tourism and community outreach programs. It has been instrumental in the creation, development, and growth of the Islita Art Museum, the Islita Day Care Center, and related human better-ment initiatives. As a fundraising entity, it has been able to leverage Hotel Punta Islita’s contributions by encouraging donations from socially-conscious private individuals, governments, NGO’s, and select corporations.
