by Starre Vartan

There are always enough chairs and shade on Bucuti’s portion of the beautiful Eagle Beach! A low density of guests ensures no annoying overcrowding on the beach or anywhere else at the resort.
I love the Caribbean, from the Virgin Islands (British and US) to the Antilles and the Bahamas, and over my lifetime I’ve seen many of the gorgeous isles that populate that special sea between North and South America. What strikes me every time I visit is how each locale is so different – in architecture, cuisine, and people. Some islands have been settled for hundreds of years, and some not until recently. Some have a French influence, some British, others mixtures of African, native American Indian and Spanish.

Bucuti and Tara Resorts entranceway.
But no matter the culture you’re exploring, whenever you step off a plane in the Caribbean, you are entering a fragile ecosystem that in recent years has taken a beating, from population increases to rapid tourism fluctuations, to Mother Nature’s intensifying weather due to climate change. While plenty of properties are only contributing to the problem, polluting local ecosystems and generating (literally) tons of waste a month, there are some real stand-outs that are quietly leading the charge to preserve the beauty that we travel to see – the good news is that they are beginning to be followed.

Why not get married on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches? Or maybe renew your vows with your partner; I took this shot post-swim for a wedding that was scheduled for that evening. Later I saw the couple getting hitched. Simple and gorgeous!
Case in point is the beautiful beachfront Bucuti and Tara Suites Beach Resort, situated among the low-rise developments on Aruba’s world-reknown Eagle Beach. (Don’t take my word for it, this beach, with perfect white sand and mellow, ideal-blue seas is a “top ten beach in the world” knockout according to USA Today and others.)

An ozone pool (which won’t hurt local wildlife if they happen upon it by accident) just steps from the beach gives a break from the salt water, and the giant circular loungers are ideal for a nap in the sun (or shade).
Ewald Beimans is the mastermind behind both the resort’s long-standing green operations and its extremely high ratings on TripAdvisor (it’s the highest-rated in Aruba). I was incredibly impressed with Ewald’s commitment to the environment and customer happiness (and I’m not the only one, he is slated to speak in Paris at the Green Globe World Summit at the end of May.)
To read the rest of the piece, and see the gorgeous photos, hop on over to our sister site, Eco Chick Escapes!
(Source: www.eco-chick.com )