Perfect Hideaway: Pestana Tróia - Eco Resort

A little while back I took the kids to Pestana Tróia Eco Resort & Residences, located on the Tróia Peninsula, and a 1.5 hour drive from Lisbon. I am a huge fan of Tróia, because it has this very calming effect on you. The beaches on this peninsula are gorgeous and there is a pod of resident dolphins so the chances that you spot one during your stay are pretty high! We actually saw a couple on Saturday morning and then the same day at sunset again! Pestana Tróia Eco Resort & Residences is the ideal place for anyone looking for a comfortable space surrounded by nature. It invites you to relax, go for long walks, cycle, and to experience everything a nature reserve has to offer.

The Resort has more than 180 units of tourist accommodation. Privately-owned but managed by Pestana Group, the villas are in a perfect natural setting and feature a unique decor and are in a prime location so that guests are given a unique experience. Covering an area of more than 100 hectares, the resort is completely fenced off and located in a quiet area with exclusive access to the beach. Within this oasis guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis and paddle ball courts and multi-sport facilities, with access to all the other shared facilities, including the saunas, Turkish bath and gyms. There is also a golf course which offers special deals to Pestana Tróia Eco Resort guests.

The surroundings of the villas focus on protecting the environment and the natural species of the region, and the gardens are filled with native plants, white sand and have wooden decks. The villas seek to ensure perfect harmony between buildings and the environment, inviting all guests to use sustainable vehicles, walk on footbridges and enjoy a more environmentally-friendly experience.

Available in different types, the units consist of 2 to 5 rooms, with fully-equipped kitchens, , modern bathrooms, living and dining rooms and outside wooden decking areas. In all of the villas, guests will be able to prepare their meals, make the most of the nature around them, and enjoy a cosy and relaxing space. We stayed at a 3 room villa with our very own private swimming pool on the roof top. The villa itself was spacious, clean and I loved the decor, blending in with the nature surrounding us. We were literally staying in nature, with trees, dunes and sand around us. The swimming pool of the resort was only a 2 minute walk away and the private beach a five minute walk. The kids enjoyed playing at the beach and running around in the sand. Although the ocean is very calm here, the water is quite cold (as it is everywhere in Portugal) and I managed to take a dip.

Pestana Tróia Eco Resort and the construction of all the villas are designed with the environment in mind, seeking to respect the natural habitat of the animals and conserve essential species, minimizing the environmental impact and encouraging the rational use of resources.

As part of the Pestana group, the Resort 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´s sustainability report for 2019 here.

Location: Estrada Nacional 253-1 , Península de Tróia , 7570-789 Grândola