San Blas Islands are part of Panama and it is an archipelago with around 370 islands and small sandy islands part of coral reefs. Only 49 of them are inhabited and mostly by the local Kuna Indians.
It is easy to get to.
The San Blas Islands are located in the Northwest of Panama, which borders Colombia in the East and Costa Rica in the West. You can fly from Panama straight into the San Blas Islands or you can take a boat from either Cartagena or Capurganá.
The San Blas Islands are remote but don’t feel overwhelmed by getting here.
If you don’t want to cross the jungle or open waters of the Caribbean Sea you can use a plane to get to San Blas. You can book flights at Air Panama or Aeroperlas, but make sure you book in advance.
Discover the pristine and untouched archipelagos in the world
Most of these impressively pristine islands have few roads and even fewer people. Here you can discover many new species that are unknown to the science in some of those uninhabited islands. If you are searching for that desert island feel, San Blas is the perfect destination.
San Blas is also known to have some of the best spots for snorkeling in the Caribbean of Central America. Many of the islands are ringed by healthy coral reefs and gorgeous water. The coral reef attracts many stunning species. The best time to go snorkeling is from June to October because the water visibility is better and there are fewer currents.
Photo credit: Markus Leupold-Löwenthal / Wikipedia
The Kuna People
The real name of San Blas is Kuna Yala – Land of the Kuna. The Cuna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué.
About 50.000 Kuna’s live on the 49 major islands of San Blas and are controlled by their own community leader called a Sahila.
The island is picture-perfect with lapping waves, swaying palm trees, and gentle breezes and no Wi-Fi or TVs. Evenings are leisurely, with everyone relaxing and enjoying the slow Caribbean pace.
San Blas is an indigenous territory located northeast of Panama. Discover the San Blas Islands and relax in a typical rustic bungalow over water, hosted by a native Guna family. The San Blas Islands are popular with eco-tourists due to their pristine natural state.
Featured image photo credit: Marc Veraart / Flickr
Costa Rica is a beacon for sustainability and environmentally friendly tourism. Sustainable tourism, eco-friendly travel, green hotels, responsible tourism – you can find it all in Costa Rica.
The country has become an example for the world with nearly 30% of its land protected. Visiting national parks is a great way to enjoy some of Costa Rica’s beauty while being sure your money is going to support something like the national park system.
Ecotourism in Costa Rica is one of the key activities of the tourism industry in the country. Ecotourism draws many tourists to visit the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism, and the country is recognized as one of the few with true ecotourism.
Almost half of all international visitors participate in ecotourism, according to The Costa Rican Tourism Institute. Ecotourism tours in Costa Rica usually are focus on great outdoors epic adventures and wildlife observation.
Here are the best vacation packages highlighting the prime locations in Costa Rica.
Arenas del Mar Beach & Nature Resort is bringing the two concepts closer together — Sustainability and Luxury. This a 38-room resort with a beachfront is located within an 11-acre private nature reserve overlooking Manuel Antonio National Park. This was the first luxury hotel to receive the Five Sustainability Leaf Award in Costa Rica. Arenas del Mar has led the way in the area of using sustainability and is a carbon-neutral practice.
Some of the sustainable practices at Arenas Del Mar include chlorine-free pool water, solar-heated water, underground electricity systems that do not affect nearby wildlife, use of electric cars, low-flow toilets, energy-efficient lighting, recycling and composting, and the use of recycled materials and soap produced at the hotel from leftover cooking oil from the kitchen. Other eco-friendly amenities include in the resort routine are the use of organic and biodegradable personal care products, complimentary reusable water bottles, and organic coffee.
At Arenas Del Mar get rid of all plastic water bottles from our resort. You’ll have access to two beautiful beaches, Playitas Beach and Espadilla Beach.
It’s within walking distance from the most renowned national reserve, Manuel Antonio National Reserve. You can check their Sustainability Tours at any one of their hotels and lodges and explore the wildlife and jungle that surrounds this ocean property will take you on an exotic tropical journey.
Costa Rica is world-renowned for its canopy tours, also known as zip-lines. Ziplining is one of the best ways to experience the country’s lush and thriving forests. these tours offer travelers a unique chance to experience the rainforest as never before.
Many of Costa Rica’s national parks offer canopy tours, among the most popular, are in Arenal, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio.
Imagine sailing through the treetops hundreds of meters in the air with a chance to spot some of the country’s diverse wildlife. Don’t worry, safety is a top priority. With nearly a quarter of the land covered with rainforests, there are dozens of family-friendly locations and companies to take you on this thrilling adventure.
Costa Rica nation’s environmental services payment program established in 1997 to support property owners who leave the forest untouched.
It isn’t hard to find a hotel or lodge with zip line activities available on-site!
Explore Local Farms
The National Program of Organic Agriculture (PNAO) promotes the development of organic agriculture in Costa Rica. In 2000, more than 3,500 organic producers were registered with certification agencies, and in 2003 that number increased 13% to nearly 4,000.
A tour around Costa Rica’s organic farms is one of the best ways to enjoy local fare and learn about how the nation produces its fresh ingredients and best practices from local farmers. These tours provide a chance to learn about organic farming and make visitors think twice about where their food comes from. There are many eco-lodges and resorts that have their own organic farms where guests can volunteer. This is a perfect opportunity for adventurers who want to learn more about local farming while enjoying their stay in Costa Rica
Take the El Trapiche Sugar Mill Day Tour and explore the plantations in Monteverde.
Visits the Volcanoes
Costa Rica has over 60 volcanoes but only six of them are active. The Arenal volcano has been considered as one of the best places to explore in Costa Rica. It is Costa Rica’s largest and most recognized volcano with its natural volcanic-fed thermal springs, waterfalls, Lake Arenal – Costa Rica’s largest lake, and a rich ecosystem of exotic wildlife.
Some tours combine several activities into one action-packed, fun-filled day like canopy tours, waterfall rappelling, mountain bike rides, rafting trips.
You can join an offer private luxury SUV with a private tour guide/driver and explore some of the areas around volcanoes.
Costa Rica volcano tours is an amazing destination for adventure vacations that include climbing, exploring and just marveling at the sight of volcanoes.
The resort offers plenty of activities, pools, spas and restaurants on-site and it is close to nature trails, beaches and the ocean.
It is spread on 12 acres of rainforest just minutes from the country’s best beaches and the little, lovely Manuel Antonio National Park. Parador Resort & Spa is an award-winning full-service resort that proudly is offering responsible luxury.
It takes big participation in reforestation and beach clean-up programs, composting and recycling, energy and water saver programs, use of rainwater and biodegradable soaps and detergents.
The Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure Park is a worldwide model for tourist attractions in terms of conservation, research, and sustainability.
The province of Limón provides amazing national parks, whitewater rafting and pristine beaches with nice surf. The Research & Adventure Park is located only 40 minutes from the Caribbean town of Limón. The park includes among other attractions, the largest indoor nocturnal frog exhibit in the world, butterfly garden, reptile vivarium, hummingbird garden.
How to travel eco-sustainably
Avoid bottled water Travel with sustainable, eco-friendly or fairtrade travel agencies Reduce consumption of meat Use eco-friendly products Book eco-friendly accommodations Support local economies
Questions to ask when booking ecotourism tours
One of the first things you can check to be sure you are supporting local community is if the majority of employees are local?
Ask the tour guides and operators what sort of training or licenses do they have?
How does the tour operator reduce its impact of plastic waste?
Do they guarantee animal sightings? This should never be done as we can’t promise when wild animals will come out and say hello.
What kind of accommodations are you staying in? Are you staying at eco-friendly hotels and going on true ecotours?
Featured image photo credit: Mario André Cordero Alfaro / Flickr
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the planet’s most spectacular and extraordinary natural wonders, where you can see the largest coral reef system and the living organism that can be found only here, home to 25 percent of the planet’s marine life..
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s seven natural wonders and a World Heritage Area. It is the largest coral reef system and covers 344,400 square kilometers and it contains more than 3000 individual reef systems, 760 fringe reefs, 134 species of sharks and rays, to 400 different hard and soft corals, a huge variety of marine life, plants and animals.
Human factors resulted in a 50% decline in coral cover* between 1985 – 2012.
Some of the Major threats to the Great Barrier Reef
Climate change caused due to human activities is one of the greatest threats to the long-term future of the Great Barrier Reef. Tropical sea surface temperatures have risen by 0.4–0.5 °C since the late 19th century which leads to a greater risk of heat stress and mass coral bleaching.
Increased greenhouse gases from human activities result in climate change and ocean acidification. The world’s ocean is a massive sink that absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2). The higher the levels of atmospheric CO2, the greater the impact on water quality.
Contributing factors to climate change are increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere include burning fossil fuels for heat and energy, producing some industrial products, raising livestock, fertilizing crops, and deforestation.
Coastal development
This is affecting coastal habitats that support the Reef and producing damaging urban run-off, litter, and marine debris. Some of those activities are used for agriculture, urban and industrial development, mining, port activities, and island development. The coastal developments can have a negative impact on the Reef’s health.
Poor marine water quality from land-based run-off is one of the most significant threats to the long-term health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral reefs, and the ecosystems they sustain depend on the quality of the water within and around them.
Various regulations, conventions and Reef policies cover the potential effects of ship-sourced pollutants, including discharge and disposal of waste, exchanges of ballast water, oil spills and anti-foulant paint.
Fishing
The unsustainable overfishing of keystone species, such as the Giant Triton and sharks, can cause disruption to food chains vital to life on the reef. Illegal fishing and poaching elsewhere are impacting global fish stocks. This will increase the incentive for such activity on the Great Barrier Reef.
Impacts can include increased coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, increased macroalgae abundance, and algal blooms. Crown-of-thorns starfish are native to the Great Barrier Reef but when found in large numbers, and when coral is under stress, they can quite simply destroy corals by eating their living tissue or ‘skin’.
Want to see the Great Barrier Reef without damaging it? Here are ways you can help save the reef.
Reef HQ, located in Townsville, is the national research and education station and home to the largest living coral reef aquarium in the world. The researchers can educate you on what threats to the reef to look out for, like coral bleaching or thorns starfish which eats and destroys coral reefs. You can also report anything you see and take a picture and send it to the facility which tracks the incidents and their locations. They can also give you great advice on the best eco-tours of the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef.
It’s perfect for underwater reef adventures with its underwater tunnel of the Predator Exhibit or a place to go when the weather doesn’t allow you to enjoy outside.
Here is located also the Australian Government’s national education center and the site of a special Turtle Hospital.
Just off the coast of Cairns is Fitzroy Island.
Fitzroy Island is an unspoiled tropical paradise of rainforest and beaches within the calm sheltered waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Fitzroy Island is a National Park, discover spectacular walking trails, abundant marine life, and local wildlife.
You can tour one of the largest turtle rehabilitation centers in Queensland, as well as being able to get up close with these incredible creatures and learn how the center, its scientists and volunteers provide much-needed medical care and rehabilitation to hundreds of injured turtles found in the region.
Study Mantas on Lady Elliot
Situated within a highly protected ’Green Zone’ the island is a sanctuary for over 1,200 species of marine life and is known for its abundance of manta rays, turtles, the amazing array of spectacular marine life.
The island’s eco-resort caters to all budgets and filters all its own seawater onsite for drinking and composts its food waste with its own hybrid solar power station to basic low-impact accommodation. It’s known for its eco-initiatives and its eco-tourism tours.
You can also choose a guided reef walks, snorkel or dive in one of the best locations on the reef.
This co-friendly and remote island is located on the Southern Great Barrier Reef and it is a dream destination for any offers first-class snorkeling or check out one of the 20 dive sites surrounding.
And the best thing is – it is with television-free rooms and no mobile phone reception, so you can fully enjoy your vacation.
There is also a research facility, producing leading research to help protect the Great Barrier Reef and collecting data to help to understand the reef and protect its future. You can take a tour of the station and meet the scientists who work on the island and learn more about their important work.
You might even see Green Sea Turtles as they return annually to lay their eggs, or spot whales from the shores in June.
The Heron Island Research Station is an Advanced Ecotourism Certified resort and the largest island-based research station in the Southern Hemisphere.
Eco-luxury on Lizard Island
The Lizard Island is located just an hour flight from Cairns and you can enjoy resort escape with an eco-hotel experience literally on the reef. There are 24 private beaches and with only 40 suites and villas.
There’s also a research facility on the island which offers tours twice a week. Also, within a short boat ride, you’ll find one of the most famous dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef.
How you can help
Shrink your carbon footprint to reduce greenhouse gases.
Drive less.
Reduce, reuse, or recycle.
Purchase energy-efficient appliances and lightbulbs.
Print less. Download more. Use less water.
Do your part to help improve overall coral reef condition.
Learn about good reef etiquette and practice it when in the water.
Volunteer for beach and waterway clean ups.
Is it Eco-Friendly?
How do you know if your tour operator is ‘eco-friendly?’ Eco Tourism Australia’s website offers a comprehensive guide. You can check the eco-credentials of your tour operator. This is a great resource to help you enjoy your holiday, while also protecting the world’s largest living organism: the Great Barrier Reef!
