I’m always on the lookout for sustainable or eco-friendly ways to travel, and it seems more fashionable than ever to ‘travel green’. The ‘Eco-Tours’ industry is booming with breaks all over South America, where travellers can make a difference on their holiday, or stay in a place that protects, rather than destroys the environment.

But what if you’re travelling on a budget? Most of these tours and eco-friendly hotels are expensive, and require a wallet as big as your conscience.

That’s why the new crop of eco-hostels is so exciting. Ranging from backpacker hostels with a conscience to sustainable farmhouses, these environmentally friendly properties are cheap, comfortable and in some of the world’s coolest places. Here are three to inspire your next break:

Cabinas Tina’s Casitas, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Costa Rica leads the way when it comes to eco-breaks, but the Cabinas Tinas Casitas make a budget friendly alternative. Located in scenic Monteverde, the hostel is a stone’s throw from the Green Mountain and the breathtaking ‘Cloud Forest’. Everything about this chic eco-hostel is geared towards saving the environment, with its own reforestation project to save endangered local wildlife.

The ‘casitas’ themselves aren’t too shabby either, decked out with rustic furniture and boasting views of the Pacific Ocean. The owner Freddy is a wildlife fanatic and offers his own guided tour of the area, and the hostel also has special rates for local nature tours. Adrenaline junkies can even brave a zip line tour of the rainforest canopy, or see the wildlife from the dizzying heights of a suspension bridge.

CEL – (Centre Ecologic llemena) Hostel, Girona, Spain

An affordable alternative to Aguriturismos, this hostel aims to be completely ‘sustainable’, from the naturally heated swimming pool to the meals served with organic produce. Surrounded by the lush Girona countryside, CEL is a relaxed rural retreat perfect for escaping from hectic everyday life.

If you’re after a hectic sightseeing break, steer clear –days here should be spent taking long walks, curling up with a book or watching the sunset from the rustic farmhouse terrace. Housed in a beautiful old farmhouse, the owners have created a quirky but homely atmosphere, with family pets and children mingling with the guests at mealtimes.

Hi –Washington, DC, USA

You don’t have to trek deep into the jungle or the countryside to find an eco-hostel – the HI-Washington is an affordable and eco-friendly place to stay, right in the heart of America’s capital city. With the White House only 8 blocks away, the HI is probably the most environmentally conscious hostel around – the carpets are made from recycled materials, there are no disposable products in the kitchen, and the hostel is ‘Energy Star Certified’- meaning that the energy consumption is one of the lowest in the budget accommodation market.

With a recycling and water conservation program in place, and monthly documentary movie nights on environmental topics, the HI will convert anyone into an eco-warrior. But it’s the sociable atmosphere and great extras that make this hostel really stand out – the rooms range from classic dorms to luxury private rooms, there’s a delicious free breakfast, lively events calendar, bike rental and TV room with a library of free DVDs.

High Street Hostel, Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh may be a bustling city, but in High Street Hostel it boasts something very special in environmental terms. The hostel, you see, claims to be 100% carbon neutral. That’s right – a fun, vibrant hostel in a city that leaves no carbon footprint whatsoever.

And it’s a claim that High Street Hostel backs up. Not only does it source its electricity from renewable and non-nuclear supplies, but it also owns and maintains 75 hectare woodland that absorbs more than the hostel’s total CO2 emissions.

Article by Lauren Smith
Lauren is a travel writer and editor of hostelbookers.com, a budget travel website. Passionate about all things green, she is interested in sustainable tourism, and finding eco-friendly but affordable places to stay around the world.