Walk gently on your summer travels when you book a room in one of these eco-friendly hotels or hostels that help you lighten your carbon footprint. Whether you want to try the green hotel that fosters a laid-back inner-city attitude or fancy an escape from the everyday in the jungles of Brazil, you’ll be delighted to find accommodations where your hosts are serious about lessening their establishment’s impact on the environment.

Townside Hostel Bremen, Germany

From your fair-trade coffee or tea to the free dinner served on Friday nights, you’ll rest easy knowing this sweet little hostel is doing their best to promote a better world for us all. Take a 10 -minute walk to the historic town center and return to enjoy some of the best bars in town right in the neighborhood. You’ll return from your adventures to a super-clean room.

Townside Hostel Bremen

Feetup Mellow Eco Hostel, Barcelona, Spain

Get into the green mindset at this eco-friendly cheap hotel in Barcelona that strives in every way to tread lightly on the environment while maintaining top-notch accommodations. Their squeaky clean rooms are spacious and the self-catering facilities are ideal for cooking up fresh organic meals. Start with their complementary continental breakfast before heading out to tour nearby sites like the Cathedral of the Seafarers while walking through the haunting architecture of Gaudi’s Barcelona.

Ibassai Eco Hostel Lujimba, Imbassai, Brazil

Go back to nature in the tranquil rainforest setting perfect for eco tourists ready to escape the rat race and chill out with the friendly primates who make frequent appearances on the grounds. Near a beautiful unspoiled beach and the crystal-clear Imbassai River, in the winter you can watch the sea turtles making woo on the beach and in the summer months you can wave at the humpback whales as they pass by just off shore.

Ibassai Eco Hostel Lujimba, Imbassai, Brazil

Loch Ossian Hostel, Scotland

With their placement in the heart of the wilderness, you won’t be bothered by road noise at this hidden estate — the only way to reach it is by a footpath! Naturally, they take eco-consciousness seriously and guests are requested to bring their own linens, food and even pack out their trash. They do their part to preserve the environment too; the hotel uses dry toilet systems, wind and solar powered generators and grey water recycling. Just follow the footpaths out the front door to some of Scotland’s most breathtaking vistas teeming with wildlife for a photo safari that will leave your friends green with envy.

Loch Ossian Hostel, Scotland

Elephant on the Moon, Krakow, Poland

Surrounded by wide-open spaces, this cozy hostel offers great green-themed events like the Golden Apples Festival where their own Backpacker Cafe serves organic apple goodies all day at. No chemicals or fertilizers are used on the lush grounds where they harvest their own fruits and veggies for their homegrown menus

Port O’ Call Eco Lodge, Port Douglas, Australia

Relax and unwind knowing that sun and the wind are providing a substantial portion of this eco-hotel’s power. With an on-site bar and bistro as well as a communal kitchen with free coffee and tea, it’s tempting to just hang around the tropical lagoon-style pool and forget about the world outside. The fact that it’s not right in the heart of the action just adds to the laid-back ambience, but the friendly staff can direct you to nearby sights like the beautiful 4-mile beach or join their wildlife volunteer in the nearby Daintree Rainforest so you can leave knowing the wilderness has benefited from your presence.

Port O’ Call Eco Lodge, Port Douglas, Australia

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Brought to you by Leah Prendergast at Hostelbookers.com, the budget travel specialists.