San Juan hotel partners with organic farm on voluntourism program
Jan 05, 2018
Photo: Guests to help rebuild damaged structures at the farm and assist with tasks such as planting, watering and weeding. Source: Travel Weekly
By: Gay Nagle Myers
Source: Travel Weekly
Photo: Dreamcatcher is located in San Juan”s Ocean Park neighborhood, Source: Dream Catcher
The 12-room Dreamcatcher boutique hotel in San Juan’s Ocean Park neighborhood launched a voluntourism initiative in collaboration with Estancia Verde Luz, a family-owned organic farm in Ciales, Puerto Rico, 40 minutes from San Juan.
The Dreamcatcher, which was spared major damage from Hurricane Maria and is currently open to guests and relief workers, invites its guests to help rebuild damaged structures at the farm and assist with tasks such as planting, watering and weeding.
Photo: Greens at Estancia Verde Luz, Source: Estaciones por Estancia Verde Luz
Estancia Verde Luz is located next to a river that flooded during the hurricane and wiped out entire crops of fruits, vegetables and greens.
It is one of the primary farms that Dreamcatcher used to provide the produce for the hotel’s vegetarian cuisine.
In addition to the program where guests can help out on the farm, the hotel’s owners will donate 10% of guests’ stays to benefit Estancia Verde Luz and other local farms.
Owners Sylvia De Marco and Stephan Watts are committed to contributing to San Juan’s tourism recovery and have also partnered with Puerto Rico Rising, a grassroots fundraising effort to assist Puerto Ricans in need of humanitarian aid.
