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
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!
Haarlem is a small city located just 27 minutes with a train outside of Amsterdam. Its abundance of historical sights, cultural attractions and hidden gems crammed into a relatively small city, a visit to Haarlem makes for a brilliant day trip from Amsterdam. There are many attractions to keep you busy – including river cruises, flower markets and more.
The square is located at the historic heart of Haarlem, underneath the imposing Grote Kerk, and is the image of the city that many people will recognize. Hosting regular festivals, concerts and markets, the Grote Markt is the hub of daily life in Haarlem.
The Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem. This Late Gothic cruciform basilica, now reaching 140 meters in length with its slender 40-meter tower, was started in the 14th century. The cathedral’s famous Müller Organ is considered one of the greatest such instruments in the world for its tone and decoration.
The beautiful giant towers high above Haarlem’s rooftops and the gothic interior is nothing but breathtaking.
The Frans Hals Museum is one of the leading art galleries in the Netherlands. The museum has the world’s largest collection of works by Hals, including five of his large civic guard pieces.
It was founded in 1862 in the newly renovated former Dominican church cloisters located in the back of the Haarlem city hall.
The museum is specialized in restoration and research on the works of Haarlem painters in the 17th century and of the painters of the 16th century who taught them to paint, most notably Jan van Scorel, Maerten van Heemskerck, Hendrick Goltzius and Cornelis van Haarlem.
The museum includes a collection of modern and contemporary art, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, and graphic art by artists from Haarlem and the surrounding area.
The City Hall in Haarlem is the seat of the city’s government. The oldest parts of the City Hall date back to 1250. The north wing, and the Neoclassical façade were added in the 1600s. The interior is also of interest and includes numerous fine paintings, relics, and mementos.
Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in the Netherlands, was founded in 1778. The museum is in the former home of Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. He was a wealthy cloth merchant and Amsterdam banker of Scottish descent, who bequeathed his fortune for the advancement of religion, art and science. Nearby the museum is the Teylers Hofje, a hofje which was also founded in Teyler’s name.
Teyler’s Museum displays an eclectic collection of fossils, minerals, scientific instruments, medals, coins, and paintings. It is most famous for its extensive collection of old master’s prints and drawings, including several works by Michelangelo and Rembrandt.
In the 19th century, the museum was expanded with two painting galleries.
Bakenessergracht is home to some of the city’s oldest and most spectacular buildings. At the end of the Bakenessergracht is the River Binnen Spaarne, crossed here via an attractive old drawbridge, and from which you get a great view of the Amsterdamse Poort. Haarlem’s city gate, built in the early 1400s and a national monument has two octagonal towers and two round towers.
In the 1960s the gate was declared a national monument. In 1985 a complete renovation of the gate took place.
The Proveniershuis is a hofje and former schutterij on the Grote Houtstraat in Haarlem, Netherlands. The complex of buildings surrounds a rectangular garden taking up a city block that is on the Haarlem hofje route. The homes around this courtyard are much larger, and the garden itself is about twice the normal size.
This home for Haarlem proveniers was founded in 1707 by the city council to house elderly men. The main buildings are much older than that.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Bavo is a relatively recent three-aisle cruciform basilica built between 1895 and 1906. Some 100 meters long, 42 meters wide, and 60 meters high
That church was itself a replacement for the Sint-Bavokerk, that had been converted to Protestantism from Catholicism in 1578.
Haarlem has been voted as the Netherlands’ best shopping destination. You can find a unique combination of big brands to independent labels, as well as charming antique and curiosity shops. The best-known streets in Haarlem are the Grote Houtstraat, the Barteljorisstraat, and the Zijlstraat. But you’ll find many interesting shops if you explore the smaller streets such as the Schagchelstraat, Kleine Houtstraat, Anegang, Warmoesstraat, Koningstraat and Gierstraat.
Want to find more sustainable destinations? Check our other posts.
