Stay away from Guatemala volcano or risk death

Associated Press reports that tourists hoping to see erupting Guatemalan volcano Pacaya are risking their lives according to officials.

Pacaya National Park was closed even before the May 27 explosion, which killed a reporter who got too close and was hit by a shower of volcanic rock. But visitors are bypassing the usual route up the mountain and going instead to a private farm in the village of Los Pocitos, where locals will take them to the pyroclastic flows for a $1.25 a head.

Even in normal times, travel guidebooks warn of the risks of hiking Pacaya, which has been active since 1966. A month before the most recent eruption, a Venezuelan tourist and her Guatemalan guide were killed by a rock slide.

Read the full story: Tourists warned to stay away from Guatemala volcano

Photo by Rodrigo Abd / AP

Panama: Central America's new ecotourism destination

Mother Nature Network reports on the ecotourism possibilities in Panama.

Eco-tourism is becoming a powerhouse industry in Panama, much like it did in neighboring Costa Rica over the past few decades. Costa Rica’s well-developed nature-tourism industry has caused land prices to climb to the point where developing anything other than a multistory resort hotels is not financially possible. Panama’s prices are much lower, making it possible for developers to build resorts within the natural surroundings rather than on top of them.

Read the full story: Destination of the week: Panama City

Photo from Joel Carillet / iStockphoto

Endangered coastal spots to see

Coastal Living via CNN reports on nine environmentally-sensitive coastal tourist spots that could disappear in the near future. Among the sites are:

INSIDE PASSAGE, British Columbia: Much of the storied Inside Passage route between Washington and Alaska looks as it has for centuries. Unfortunately, visiting cruise ships trail a hazardous mess in their wake. On a typical week long journey, passengers produce sewage, gray water, and many tons of trash.

EVERGLADES, Florida (picture above): The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, with 1.5 million acres of marshes, estuaries, and prairies, and shady stretches of pine, cypress, and mahogany. Decades ago, the Everglades' freshwater flow was altered to accommodate agriculture, growing cities, and safety concerns. The dams and diversions starved and polluted the delicate ecosystems and the species that relied on them.

ROATAN, Honduras: Divers and snorkelers rave about the majesty of Roatán's biodiverse waters and coral reef system. [Warming oceans], Coastal development, illegal fishing, and reckless divers have taken a toll [on the delicate reefs].

Read the full story: 9 coastal wonders to see now

Photo from National Parks Service

Mayans ruined environment that led to demise

New Scientist reports on evidence that vast deforestation led to the downfall of the Mayan people, not war or disease as previously thought.

Mayan ruins such as in Tikal, Guatemala (pic left) and Mexico are visited by millions of people each year interested in learning more about this disappeared culture.

The builders of the ancient Mayan temples at Tikal in Guatemala switched to inferior wood a few decades before they suddenly abandoned the city in the 9th century AD. The shift is the strongest evidence yet that Mayan civilisation collapsed because they ran out of resources, rather than, say, disease or warfare.

Read the full story: Temple timbers trace collapse of Mayan culture

Hidden Panama: nature paradise

CNN reports on the little-known natural paradise of Panama.

"[Along] the Pacific coast region of Los Santos, [west of Panama city], are rolling farmlands and stands of mahogany and cocobolo trees hug an azure coastline, luring surfers, nature buffs, and, increasingly, travelers and second-home owners from all over."

Read the full story: The secret side of Panama

MTV crew destroys Panamanian rain forest

Tree Climber's Coalition reports on the destruction that an MTV reality show crew did to a Panamanian rain forest site.

Entertainment productions always disturb normal ways of life. In New York City, there is always some sort of production every week with crews setting up their stuff all over the place and closing off streets.

But in this instance MTV - who has a so-called "green crusade" - did not abide by their own self-proclaimed eco-ness.

The TCC has a first-hand account of the disturbance the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" did to the normally quiet Panamanian beach area they filmed in.

When MTV left TCC noticed that MTV left trash, created new roads, and clear-cut the rain forest - all for their production.

Read the full story: "Reality" TV gets real trashy

Honduras: an ecotourism paradise or claim to lure tourists?

In this month's Slate.com Well-Traveled section Elisabeth Eaves explores what ecotourism means in Honduras.

She points out the ironies of the tourism industry's eco-promise versus the not-so-eco realities.

And she even selflessly points out that tourists - including herself - are also to blame for ruining the environment:

"On our last day on the coast, I floated facedown in the Caribbean, toting up my sins. I had flown in an airplane, taken taxis instead of buses, requested air conditioning, run the air conditioning even after I realized I couldn't shut one of my windows, and bought small plastic bottles of water. That was all before sundown on my first day. Subsequently, I had participated in the feeding of wild animals, been driven around in gasoline-powered cars and boats, eaten conch (I didn't know it was threatened), and—this one hadn't even occurred to me until I read it in a guidebook—worn sunscreen and DEET-laden bug repellent while swimming above the delicate corals. But I had no idea how to weigh all that against whatever minuscule economic benefit I might have been bringing to Honduras."

At least she admits to her eco-sins while most travel writers do not, but if one is writing a story about ecotourism at least one should try to be a little more eco-friendly than she was. To Ecotravel News her story seems like just a ruse to write an article while enjoying a tropical vacation as opposed to really caring about the environment and doing something to make a difference.

Read the full story: Eco-touring in Honduras

Contradictions in Costa Rica's ecotourism trade

Costa Rica is often touted as an ecotourist paradise.

But although many tourists visit this Central American country to enjoy nature, the tourist outfits aren't always thinking about keeping the environment as pristine as one would think.

The Christian Science Monitor explored this dark issue in a recent article:

"Statistics revealed that 97 percent of Costa Rica's sewage flows untreated into rivers, streams, or the ocean, and that more than 300,000 tons of garbage was left uncollected on streets in 2006. And a flurry of illegal well-drilling is running aquifers dry, ironic in a country where as much as 20 feet of rain falls annually.

Despite the chaos, less than a quarter of coastal towns have zoning plans to balance tourism development with natural resources and government services such as sewage treatment and public water supply."

Read the full story: Costa Rica sees tourism's environmental dark side

Once-living souvenirs stir internal dialogue

Miriam C. Daum's recent Home Forum essay for the Christian Science Monitor ponders an interesting ethical dilemma travelers face. She had the luck of seeing a living Blue Morpho butterfly in the wilds of Costa Rica. She marvelled at its stunning size and beauty. Later on at a souvenir shop she had the opportunity to take one home as a souvenir, albeit dead, mounted and framed. This posed an internal debate about why or why she shouldn't buy the butterfly.

Read the full story: A blue wonder to remember