We are delighted at Corralea to be able to re-open our self-catering cottages from 30 April and look forward to welcoming new & old guests on our site.
Our family business strives to minimise our impact on the environment, both our cottages and our outdoor activities are eco-friendly.
Our journey towards sustainability started in our youth with a genuine interest in the protection of biodiversity and the desire to live in harmony with our surroundings.
When we embarked in our Corralea project, our passionate belief in sustainable and responsible tourism remained at the heart of the business.
Our site
We are constantly trying to reduce our Carbon Footprint and encourage our accommodation customers to do likewise. This is achieved by promoting the 3 Rs: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.
In 2006, Marius worked with “The Green Box”, a cross-border initiative to promote the EU Flower Eco-label- an environmental quality mark awarded to business that comply with strict ecological and performance criteria.
Corralea along with 2 other accommodation providers in Fermanagh were among the first in Ireland to be awarded the EU Flower in 2006.
We constantly review the environmental impact of our cottages and our living quarters to ensure we maintain high eco-tourism standards and manage our waste, water & energy.
Our business has introduced low energy lights/sensor lights, Class A appliances, efficient boilers, solar panels, insulation, wood burning stove with wood harvested in our forest and green electricity in order to conserve energy.
We recycle, free cycle and up-cycle: reducing waste, re-using & recycling glass, metal, plastics, using recycled paper. E.g. Our fire pits are up-cycled from washing machine drums.
We control the water flow from taps/toilets and we reduce the use of chemicals, replacing them with environmentally safe products wherever possible.
Our Outdoor activities
Our activities are all eco-friendly and offered on site.
We purposely refrain from motorised activities on the lake to safeguard the quality of the water and the peacefulness which surrounds us.
We are deliberately keeping our numbers small to offer our customers a quality and authentic experience which will help regenerate our area without swamping it with mass tourism.
We encourage our customers to re-connect & respect nature and get immersed in the natural environment whilst enjoying canoeing, biking, climbing, archery, SUP.
Corralea was accredited the Eco tourism Label for eco packages combining accommodation & activities such as “Going Underground”, “Mountain bike ancient paths & canoe week-end”.
We constantly innovate in order to build certainty for our business in the long term and ensure our experience meets or exceeds visitor expectations.
Last year we invested in a Forest Eco Spa: Hot tub and sauna on the edge of the lake surrounded by trees. Both hot tub and sauna are wood-fired with wood harvested from our own forest.
Our natural & cultural heritage
We champion places and actively participate in conserving our natural and cultural heritage.
On site, our guests can avail freely of our orienteering map and our Environmental & Heritage Trail. These highlight the unique character of our place and offer clear information on native trees, local fauna and heritage sites such as cashels or crannogs.
We work with our community to protect our area from destructive and unsustainable industries destroying our water, environment and air quality.
Our community
We work together and engage with other businesses in promoting our region as a sustainable tourism destination, ensuring that tourism makes a positive social contribution, benefiting both our community as well as our guests.
This year we took part in a sustainability programme organised by Marble Arch Caves Global UNESCO Geopark. We engaged with 7 other businesses in Co. Fermanagh & Co. Cavan to market our journey together and promote our region & our Geopark as a sustainable tourism destination.
We believe our children’s generation has a profound interest in protecting our planet, reducing greenhouse effects and connecting in a meaningful way with our environment. We are proud to be a business promoting responsible tourism & will continue to do so in the future.
Isabelle
photos credit to Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark & Stephen Wilson