Pousada de Sagres
Sagres is one of my favorite places in Portugal. It has this laidback vibe and the surroundings are amazing. There are so many beautiful beaches on both the West and South coast, which are good for surfing or to just relax and play with the kids. There is the Cabo de São Vicente to visit and the Fortaleza de Sagres which have stunning views on the cliffs and ocean.
In June I visited the Pousada de Sagres, one of the Pousadas de Portugal, part of the Pestana Group. This posada is located very close to the center, where you can find numerous bars and restaurants, and it is only a 5-minute walk from the beach. From the Pousada you can visit the beautiful Costa Vicentina Natural Park and go hiking and cycling.
It is one of the most intimate Pestana Charming Hotels, from where it is possible to observe the islands of Martinhal, Ponta da Atalaia, the Serra de Monchique. I was lucky enough to have a room with a small terrace, with views over the pool, the Cabo São Vicente and the beach. I was also able to watch the beautiful sunsets from the comfort of my room (equipped with wi-fi and air conditioning)!
Pousada de Sagres has a restaurant serving regional cuisine and when the weather is nice, you can sit outside on the terrace of the bar's terrace, which is next to the swimming pool. Pousada de Sagres has numerous partnerships with nature tourism activities such as bird watching, hiking and trekking, boat trips, surf lessons and others. To book any activity, just contact the reception, which is available 24 hours a day.
Being part of the Pestana Group, the Pousada de Sagres is also part of “Planet Guest”, Pestana´s Sustainability Program. The program conveys the position of Pestana Group as an organization and a group of people who respect and value the environment, society and corporate ethics. The signature “We are only guests of the Planet” reflects the hotel group´s deep respect for the planet and the awareness that the appreciation of natural resources is decisive for the future of our business. In addition to the environmental dimension, Planet Guest also includes the social pillar which includes activities to support local communities and promote education and culture. The group´s sustainability efforts can be summarized as follows:
1.Plastics: The Say No To Plastic initiative was launched in 2019 with the aim of achieving a 50% reduction in non-reusable plastic by 2020. First most noteworthy activities:
• Elimination of plastic straws ;
• Replacement of disposable plastic cups with reusable or paper cups;
• Liquid soap, shower gel and shampoo dispensers in the bathrooms;
• Substitution of ballpoint pens with pencils;
• Digital opening of doors to replace cards.
The objectives were fully achieved, with targets surpassing expectations in the first year of implementation: a 60% reduction in non-reusable plastic items worldwide, i.e. less 50 tons of plastic used, 4 million fewer plastic cups and 1.5 million fewer straws.
2. Waste and Recycling:
In 2019, the first Pestana Volunteer Day was established on June 5th. Hundreds of Pestana volunteers celebrated World Environment Day all over the world. Various environmental and social activities in collaboration with local entities were carried out in Portugal, Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé, South Africa, Berlin, Brazil, Brazil, Buenos Aires and Miami.
Participation in the “Paper for Food” Food Banks campaign with environmental and solidarity goals, in which the paper collected (newspapers, magazines, leaflets, etc.) is converted into food products.
3. Local communities:
The Pestana Group launched “Thanks For Helping Campaign” in Portugal. By donating 1EUR upon check out, Pestana Hotels will donate an extra 1EUR to local Social Solidarity Institutions: Acreditar Lisboa, Crescer Ser Porto, Lar Bom Samaritano Algarve, Criamar Madeira, Afacidase in Manteigas and Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Vila Franca do Campo, Azores. Other donations abroad support Siya Buddy in South Africa, Nilus in Argentina, Teto in Brazil, Maracanã in the Cape Verde islands, Oeuvre de la Goutte de Lait in Morocco and Casa do Gaiato in Mozambique.
In 2019, Pestana Hotel Group employees, in partnership with the Pedro Arrupe School, started collaborative volunteer work at the João 13 Association. Every Monday, 60 dinners and 60 breakfasts are provided and served, in collaboration with the Lisbon municipality. In 2019, 2,200 meals were provided.
The Pestana Group supports the Arte Institute. The mission of this New York-based organisation is to promote Portuguese art and culture, providing an inter-cultural space for inspiration, thereby acting as a catalyst for innovative artistic dialogue between New York’s various communities and Portuguese artists. In 2019, the partnership focused in supporting the RHI (Revolution, Hope, Imagination) project.
Pestana promotes youth education, with three social grants awarded to young people mentored by EPIS (Empresários pela Inclusão Social - Entrepreneurs for Social Inclusion) - an association created in 2017 by a group of more than 100 entrepreneurs and managers from Portugal. Their mission is to support and educate underprivileged young people, fulfilling their potential throughout their lives through education, training and professional placement.
Pestana continues the restoration of historic buildings as part of our hotel projects, thus contributing to maintaining the heritage and history of the locations where we have our hotel operations.
4. Green Accreditations:
The Pestana Hotel Group was awarded the Social and Environmental Responsibility seals from the AHP (Associação da Hotelaria de Portugal - Portuguese Hotelier Association).
All the Pestana Hotel Group’s hotels in Portugal were awarded the Chave Verde (green key) - a certificate that distinguishes hotels that promote sustainable tourism by practising correct environmental management. One of the projects that stand out is the Efficiency Project (an ESCO [energy savings company] model) at the Pestana Vila Sol, which aims to promote energy efficiency in existing technical systems (replacement of coolers and boilers, installation of LED lighting; construction of a photovoltaic plant, etc.).
The Pestana group is a member of GRACE, a pioneering, non-profit association exclusively dedicated to the promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility. You can find Pestana´ sustainability report for 2019 here.
