Rooted Values, Lasting Impact

By the Stories Team

Imagine enjoying your vacation in a place where you can sense you’re part of something meaningful: a lifestyle that blends luxury with responsibility, and beauty with purpose. Whether it’s through reusing water bottles, dining on locally sourced ingredients, or witnessing sea turtle hatchlings at the beach, every stay at Costa Navarino becomes a personal connection to nature and a contribution to its preservation.

From the very beginning, Costa Navarino has placed the protection of the natural landscape at the heart of its philosophy. Today, 90% of the land remains green and thriving, enriched with over 1.2 million endemic shrubs. One of the most striking expressions of this commitment is the resort’s vast olive tree transplanting program – one of the largest in Europe. More than 7,000 olive trees, some centuries old, were gently uprooted during construction, carefully nurtured under expert supervision, and later replanted in their final locations. The result is a landscape that feels whole and timeless, where the trees remain as living symbols of Messinia’s heritage.

This sensitivity to nature extends to every building at Costa Navarino. Whether it’s a private villa or a shared space, each structure is shaped by bioclimatic design principles. Natural light, cross-ventilation, and thoughtful shading not only enhance comfort but also significantly reduce energy use, creating elegant, breathable spaces in harmony with the environment.

Water, a precious Mediterranean resource, is managed with exceptional care. Three reservoirs – fully integrated into the surrounding landscape and holding over a million cubic meters – collect runoff from local rivers. Supplemented by treated water from the resort’s wastewater treatment plant, cooling towers, and purification systems, these sources meet the resort’s irrigation needs without stressing local ecosystems. In 2023 alone, nearly 199,000 cubic meters of water were recycled and reused. Even on the destination’s four renowned signature golf courses, irrigation relies solely on surface water from nearby rivers and recycled sources, while grass coverage is minimized – striking a balance between conserving resources and delivering a world-class playing experience. By 2025, Costa Navarino is on track to reduce its potable water intensity by 15% compared to 2019 levels.

The green extends beyond the fairways, too. Through the Clean Messinia Initiative, launched in 2022, Costa Navarino has led beach and underwater cleanups in partnership with NGOs and local authorities, removing waste and old fishing gear from coastlines and seabeds. In 2025, this mission expanded through collaboration with the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, the Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, and Save Your Hood. As part of the Cyclone Project, tons of waste have already been cleared from roadsides and open spaces, with more community cleanups on the way.

Wildlife conservation is also a vibrant part of the resort’s ethos. Since 2010, a dedicated partnership with Archelon – The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece – has resulted in a 454% increase in turtle nests along Romanos Beach, with 72 protected nests in 2024 alone. Guests often have the opportunity to learn about this work firsthand – and if they’re lucky, to witness tiny hatchlings making their way to the sea.

Costa Navarino’s commitment to the environment is anchored in science. The Navarino Environmental Observatory (NEO), a pioneering research and education hub focused on climate change in the Mediterranean, was founded in 2009 through a visionary collaboration with the Academy of Athens and Stockholm University. Its mission brings together scientists, policymakers, and businesses to better understand the intricate links between climate, ecosystems, and human activity.

In it together

At Costa Navarino, you can relax and enjoy their stay knowing you’re actively supporting a more sustainable lifestyle. From the moment you enter your room, smart solutions are seamlessly integrated – like aerators on taps and showerheads that save water without sacrificing comfort, helping preserve this beautiful destination for future travelers. You’ll find no plastic-wrapped amenities, no throwaway items – just a clean, thoughtful design. In fact, plastic-free living is becoming a reality here. With the support of WWF Greece, single-use plastics have been cut by 59% in guest areas and by 84% for plastic bags since 2019. At Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino, all rooms are now completely free of single-use plastics.

The resort encourages a refill-and-reuse culture. Stylish metal water bottles can be topped up at convenient refill stations, and in-room glass water bottles are part of an impressive closed-loop system. In 2024 alone, over 80% were reused, avoiding the need for 375,000 new bottles and dramatically reducing waste and energy consumption.

Even your morning coffee contributes to a greener planet. Through a partnership with Nestlé Hellas, used coffee capsules are recycled, and the grounds are composted into nutrient-rich soil as part of a zero-waste initiative. In just one year, over 4,000 kg of coffee grounds were composted.

Dining at the resorts is sustainable too. Menus are crafted around the seasons and designed to reduce food waste. Surplus ingredients are rescued and redistributed, while a monitoring system tracks waste in real time – turning every bite into a conscious choice. Ingredients are sourced from nearby farms and producers, not only reducing food miles but also supporting the local economy. Every new supplier is selected with strict sustainability standards, ensuring every dish tells a story of responsibility and care.

Here, sustainability is never an afterthought – it’s a way of life.