"Eco resort" costs nothing to paint on a sign. Here's what it should mean on Saint Martin's Island, what we do at El Marena, what we don't claim, and what to ask before you book anywhere.
You'll see the words "eco resort" all over Bangladesh, from the hills to the coast. The words are free; what matters is what a place actually does. Our name is El Marena Eco Resort, so it's fair to ask what we mean by it. Here's our honest answer, and a few questions you can ask any eco resort before you book.
Why it matters on Saint Martin's
Saint Martin's is Bangladesh's only coral island, and the government has declared it an Ecologically Critical Area. That's why it sets a tourist season each year, limits how many people can visit, and has rules for every visitor. In 2025–26 the rules included:
- No lights, loud music or barbecue parties on the beach at night.
- No motorbikes, sea bikes or other motor vehicles on the beach.
- Keep out of the keya (screwpine) forest, and don't pick, buy or sell keya fruit.
- Don't harm or collect coral, turtles, birds, crabs, starfish or seaweed.
- No polythene bags, and as little single-use plastic as possible.
On a small island, every resort's choices add up: its lights, its noise, its rubbish and where its guests go. Our article on protecting the coral explains the rules in full.
What an eco resort should mean
There's no single official badge for an eco resort in Bangladesh, so judge a place by what it does. For us, an eco resort on Saint Martin's should:
- Follow the island's rules, not find ways around them.
- Use less: power, plastic and anything that has to be shipped in or out by sea.
- Keep the nights dark and quiet, for the wildlife and for the guests.
- Keep activities away from fragile places, like the beach at night and the coral at Chera Dip.
- Be honest about what it does, and about what it doesn't.
What El Marena does
- Solar panels on site help power the resort.
- Barbecues happen at our own barbecue spot, inside the resort, never as a party on the beach.
- Quiet hours from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am, so nights stay calm for everyone.
- We ask every guest to take their rubbish home to the mainland, especially plastic.
- No cars: there are none on Saint Martin's, and we get guests around by van, rickshaw, bike or auto.
- Low, wooden buildings: our duplex cottages are two-storey wooden cottages on stilts, set in open grounds.
What we don't claim
Some places call themselves "zero waste" or "100% solar". We don't, because we aren't: the solar panels help, but a generator backs them up, and most supplies still come to the island by sea, like everywhere else on Saint Martin's. We'd rather tell you what we actually do and keep working on the rest.
What you can do as a guest
- Bring a refillable water bottle and a cloth bag; polythene is banned.
- Carry your rubbish back with you, wherever you stay.
- Keep the beach dark and quiet at night: no torches pointed at the sea, no music.
- Walk to Chera Dip at low tide and don't step on or pick up coral.
- Stay a night or two instead of rushing a day trip, if the season allows it.
A short packing list is in our travel guide.
Five questions to ask any eco resort
- Where does your electricity come from?
- Where do barbecues and gatherings happen: on the beach or inside the resort?
- What happens to rubbish and plastic?
- Do you have quiet hours at night?
- Do you follow the season's rules on overnight stays?
Clear, specific answers are a good sign. Vague ones ("we love nature") tell you less than they seem to.
Stay lightly with us
El Marena is near Chera Dip, at the quiet southern end of the island. Choose a duplex cottage for up to 4 (৳4,000–৳6,000), a single cottage for 2 (৳2,000–৳3,000) or a tent for 2 near the beach (৳1,000–৳1,500), and send us your dates on WhatsApp. Our about page tells you more about us.
