Central America cycling vacation

Planet

Activity:
As a cycling vacation, this trip has very limited detrimental impact upon the environment, residents and communities in the regions we visit within Costa Rica. Use of the bikes allows us to cover fairly large distances, while having very little adverse impact, like pollution and threat to wildlife. When we do use coaches for transfers, they come from a local business and run in compliance with Costa Rica’s strict anti-pollution laws, which require vehicles to be inspected biannually. Additionally, cycling also allows for easy access to the local population, shops and restaurants, which facilitates cultural exploration. We are able to raise local awareness for a kind of tourism which refuses to sacrifice the environment and real connections with people for financial gain.

Conservation:
Costa Rica is well known for being dedicated to conserving the environment, having long ago set aside protected areas for conservation activity. With the advent of adventure tourism in Nicaragua and Panama, both countries are now following the example set by Costa Rica. Our visits to National Parks and protected areas help to encourage and expand the ongoing effort to preserve and protect the environment. Our entry fees for Mayasa Volcano National Park go towards park maintenance, staff salaries, training programmes and the research and monitoring of the plethora of rich wildlife here. These funds also contribute towards the effort to increase the amount of land and sea given a protected status

Water:
Water is a really important issue with cycling trips and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. We suggest that instead of repeatedly buying bottled water, guests should re-fill a singular bottle. Water is safe in the regions we cycle through and there is a large water tank installed at the rear of the support vehicle for easy access.

UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

People

Accommodation & Meals:
During our visit to Central America we will be using small, locally owned hotels and lodges, most set in quite remote settings. This helps in providing direct employment for many locals who would otherwise need to migrate to the large cities in search of employment. Using small lodgings allows for a better chance to meet local residents, as the hotels tend to be family run operations, which encourages interaction between guests and staff. Given that both Nicaragua and Panama are relatively new destinations for tourism, especially adventure tourism, the benefits generated by our arrivals can be readily appreciated. Where meals are provided, locally sourced ingredients are used as much as possible- for breakfast, this is usually fresh fruit, eggs and bread. Lunches and dinners are taken in locally owned cafes, restaurants and road stops, which offer the mutual benefit of local employment and a variety of authentic dishes e.g. Gallo pinto, seafood ceviche, plantain, empanadas or tamales stuffed with meat and cheese.

Community:
Leaders, guides, mechanics and drivers are all locals, thus benefiting the Costa Rican people, and offering guests direct contact with local knowledge of the regions we visit. On the itinerary, there is the opportunity to visit schools which would not routinely experience the benefits of tourism, due to their remote locations. If you plan to bring any gifts for local people, the children and teachers in the small rural schools along the way really appreciate pencils, pens and crayons. Other optional activities include surfing, snorkelling, dolphin watching and taking a dip in the geothermally heated springs. Each of these excursions benefits local communities by creating local employment in a sustainable part of the tourism industry.

Local Crafts & Culture:
All supplies are sourced locally, and the staff will encourage guests to use local shops for purchasing goods and souvenirs. In Masaya, Nicaragua we will visit the arts and crafts market, which allows the local artisans an opportunity to sell their goods directly, thus obtaining more cash, and allowing us to meet the actual producers, many of whom are women supporting large families.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.