November 30th, 2009 by admin

Ecotourism and adventure travel have been a windfall for some nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The island of Dominica and the Central American nation of Costa Rica have promoted their natural landscapes and wildlife as their best tourist attractions. Though “eco-tourism”

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Ecotourism and adventure travel have been a windfall for some nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The island of Dominica and the Central American nation of Costa Rica have promoted their natural landscapes and wildlife as their best tourist attractions. Though “eco-tourism” is still a fledgling sector of the whole travel industry, other countries have taken notice of the success that Costa Rica and Dominica have enjoyed. In South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, it is becoming easier and easier to forego the standard resort and hotel experience and opt for a more natural adventure.

With plenty of activity on the eco-resort development front, Panama seems poised to join the ranks of the eco-elite as an adventure destination. Though it is most known for the Panama Canal, a majority of the country is actually covered by lush jungle and is sparsely inhabited. Savvy resort developers are rushing to create isolated retreats along the country’s unspoiled coasts and on the many Panamanian islands that dot the Western Caribbean. Since the eco-tourism boom has yet to hit Panama, land prices in rural areas are quite cheap. This means that developers can create large, spread-out resorts that incorporate natural surroundings without doing much damage to the environment. A similar approach to development worked successfully in Costa Rica. However, the country’s popularity as a green tourism destination has driven rural real estate prices so high that further development is impossible.

Over the next few years, eco-enthusiasts – and those who are simply looking for something besides the usually tropical vacation – should keep an eye on the many islands off of Panama’s Caribbean coastline. The private island resorts will feature idyllic, unspoiled surroundings and give travelers the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their choice of resort has a much lower impact on the environment than traditional high-rise vacation factories.