“When a man moves away from nature his heart becomes hard.” Lakota proverb

Just as staying in harmony with nature helps your heart, it also helps the environment, natural resources, and wildlife. These are the reason to consider a vacation of eco-friendly vacation resorts. Vacationing at an eco-green resort helps protect the environment, natural resources, and wildlife. Additionally. Quality eco-green resorts provide socio-economic benefits for communities in these tourist destinations. Most of all, these resorts help conserve cultural heritages while creating authentic tourist experiences.

Luxury travel denotes well-appointed hotel suites, fine dining, and massages at an on-site full-service day spa.

To the uninitiated, ecotourism conjures up images of pup tents, manual labor, and, if you’re lucky, hot water for your shower.

Where the two meet is often exotic or an urban adventure that satisfies your wanderlust in an eco-friendly style.

And here are the Ways to find the perfect green luxury adventure.

1 Vero Beach Hotel and Spa, Vero Beach, Fla.

This Green Seal-certified beachside resort not only makes great efforts to save water and energy but also rewards guests for doing their part, including parking discounts for hybrid vehicles.

2 Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, Maine

The first hotel in Maine to be carbon-neutral through offsets also offers plenty of luxuries to its green-seeking guests. Stroll down the private boardwalk to a mile of sandy beach or stay inside and indulge yourself at the LEED-certified spa.

3 Pinehurst Inn, Bayfield, Wis.

This serene inn softens its environmental impact without skimping on the guest services. Complete with whirlpools, fireplaces, and a full organic breakfast, it also includes solar-paneled roofs and energy-efficient appliances

4 Orchard Garden Hotel, San Francisco, Calif.

This LEED-certified hotel is in the heart of what is arguably America’s greenest city. Skip the car while in town and take a stylish refurbished tram, or rent a Prius to visit nearby Point Reyes National Seashore and dine at Alice Waters’s Chez Panisse in Be6

5 Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa, Milton, NY

About 90 miles from New York City, this inn on the Hudson River serves local, organic foods grown on site and relies on geothermal and solar energy to warm its spa waters.

6. Dunton Hot Springs Resort and Spa, Dolores, Colo.

This resort, in a former ghost town located in the San Juan Mountains, is close enough to the desert for trips to Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly.

7.  Jean Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji

The resort itself is modeled after a traditional Fijian village and makes use of traditional architecture and construction techniques along with natural materials. “bures,” or bungalows, are used as the individual guest rooms and are topped with steeply pitched thatch roofs. The tall ceilings let the hot air rise, while louvered windows allow for natural cross ventilation when open and protect the interior from rain or storms when closed.

Are you ready to plan a luxury green vacation?