Green Travel: No Issue in Central America

Tired of theme parks, smelly tourist buses, and cancelled reservations? Concerned about our environment and the impact of travel upon it? Imagine instead a lush, green canopy overhead, a mossy, leaf-covered path underfoot. Listen now to the calls of colorful, exotic birds! Glimpse beautiful butterflies darting through patches of sunlight as you meander through their pristine, green palace – “Nature’s Cathedral.” Envision travel with a “natural purpose” in mind! Central America is the perfect place to expand both cultural and environmental awareness – important facets of eco-tourism. Central America offers vast regions of untouched, protected rainforests and sandy beaches with crystal waters throughout its seven tropical countries.

Manuel Antonio HDR Sunset, Costa Rica by Michael Kriegal

It’s time to put away those briefcases and catch the next flight out to Nicaragua – the land of lakes and volcanoes! This nature-lovers’ travel delight might begin on isolated Corn Island surrounded by crystal-blue Caribbean waters and glistening white, sandy beaches.

Alternatively, the eco-driven individual may enjoy hiking through the Black Forest in the center of the country, observing multitudes of unusual wildlife, visiting farmers at the coffee plantations, or learning about reforestation. There is also horseback riding and camping around the Masaya Volcano National Park.

Ready for something different? Travel by bus from Managua, Nicaragua, to amazing Costa Rica! Incredibly, this country has already protected one-quarter of its natural lands from development. Wildlife refuges, biological preserves, and national parks cover a stunning 27% of the eco-conscious country.

Ninety kilometers north of San Jose looms one of the world’s most active volcanoes known as “Arenal.” It erupts on a near-daily basis and the firey-orange glow of lava can be seen slinking down Arenal’s sides at night.

Good mooooorning Arenal! by mediocre

At the Cloud Forest of Monteverde there are “sky walks” (suspension bridges) and “zip lines” which carry visitors 460-feet over the treetops! Guided tours trail along the ground permit close-up views of Costa Rica’s flora and fauna. Ten different natural habitats are found within Santa Rosa National Park located 260 kilometers from San Jose in a remote region of the country. Here, any visitor finds an activity or point of great interest, including historical landmarks, beaches and surfing, hiking and camping. Over 3,000 butterfly species and more than 250 types of birds inhabit the park along with its numerous mammals, a multitude of insects, and several endangered species of turtles.

Squirrel Monkey by Noel back in Zurich

Take quite a different view of nature at the Gandoca-Manzanilla Wildlife Refuge on the southern Caribbean coast. “Platform-rooms” built on stilts are provided for a jungle “camping” experience complete with mosquito netting, hammocks, and oil lamps. Snorkeling is available at the nearby beach.

A particularly interesting nature project is the Spirogyra Butterfly Garden’s extension program in San Jose. Lower-economic citizens living near the jungle’s edge learn to grow butterfly gardens and farm butterflies for sale. Their profits provide family income and prevent further wood sales and tree-burning, cattle-raising, and other traditional agricultural activities which seriously harm the rainforest. The Butterfly Garden, built in what is known as “the last piece of the jungle in San Jose,” is open to the public and is located quite near the Bolivar Zoological Park.