BEST OF THE WORLD
SUSTAINABILITY
From carbon-neutral cities in the making to destinations offering a blueprint for sustainable nature and wildlife tourism, these are the pick of the places that aim to safeguard our precious planet’s natural wonders
COSTA RICA
CELEBRATIONS FOR THE PIONEER OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
So, you want to escape? Imagine a country that’s one- quarter national park, a place where you could hike in a rainforest in the morning and surf tropical waves in the aſternoon. Imagine an adventure Eden where sustainability was a strategy long before the world caught on, where jaguars prowl in the jungle, harpy eagles fly and Jesus Christ lizards walk on water before your eyes. That country is Costa Rica. 2021 is the bicentennial
of its independence, an anniversary it aims to celebrate by becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral country. Already one of the greenest nations, conservation has been cultivated here since the 1970s, with drives to protect areas, close zoos and reverse deforestation. For a deep immersion, plot a course for the Osa
Peninsula at the tip of Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast; an astonishing 2.5% of the Earth’s biodiversity is squeezed into 0.001% of its surface area. This was one of the last frontiers to be inhabited in Costa Rica, when the discovery of gold prompted a wave of migration in the 1930s. Today, the gold rush has gone, and much of the region is accessible only by boat, horse or hiking trail. Some 80% of the peninsula is protected; much of it
in Corcovado National Park, where visitors can follow guided trails with local groups like Caminos de Osa or Dos Brazos de Rio Tigre. Based out of luxury and backpacker jungle lodges around Drake Bay, activity options range from rainforest hikes to mangrove swamp tours, whale-watching, snorkelling or diving at Isla del Cano and surfing at Cabo Matapalo. 2020 will be remembered as a year with few upsides,
but a desire to re-connect with nature and the great outdoors was certainly one. James Thornton of Intrepid Travel, itself a carbon-neutral travel company, says: “Time outdoors aſter a year of lockdowns and increased screen time will seem more important than ever”. Costa Rica has been laying the green groundwork
for decades. In 2021, its message could be perfectly tailor-made for post-pandemic trips.
caminosdeosa.com
corcovadoeltigre.com
visitcostarica.com TRAVELLER UK
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