10 best luxury eco-resorts

Geodesic domes reminiscent of the local Kawesqar people's huts were constructed for guests visiting EcoCamp Patagonia, which is in Torres del Paine National Park. Trekking into the Patagonian wonderland of mountains, fjords, volcanoes, pampas and ice fields is a top activity.

Updated: 1:59 p.m. ET April 11, 2007
Put your ethos aside for a moment. Forget about saving the earth. Now imagine laying on white sand with waves splashing nearby. Think of turquoise waters, a warm and kissing breeze, green palms on the beach.

You’re at CESiaK, a beach resort and retreat south of Tulum, Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula’s Caribbean coast. The wilds of Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a 1.3-million-acre park, is to the west, complete with climbing monkeys, mangroves and Mayan ruins. Sea turtles nest nearby. CESiaK is paradise unfettered. Indeed, the resort is an archetype for self-indulgent tropical travel.

But here’s the kicker: CESiaK is also an ecologically responsible place to stay.

To start with the resort is completely off the grid: wind and sun power its buildings. Rainwater is collected, filtered and stored in cisterns for use. Local labor was used in the construction of the resort, and its current employees are natives to the area. CESiaK leads ecology education tours for visitors; its staff reaches out to more than 800 area kids via the public schools in Tulum and Punta Allen, where CESiaK leads environmental lessons.