I live here now but sure wish I had found this before I moved here. What a great opportunity for exciting travel and study. Check it out HERE: This is a special two-week travel course. The course is open to all students, but students enrolled in regular ITEC courses have priority.

Technorati Tags: Travel and Study in Panama, travel to panama

University of Virginia Environmental Thought and Practice Majors Travel to Panama As Part of New Panama Initiative

See article here: http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=4716

Technorati Tags: panama environmental Studies, panama travel deals

Panama is just full of natural wonders and wildlife and many of us who have adopted this country watch closely as the environment is under attack again from the current administration. In recent years Panama has been more progressive in the area of protecting the environment but just like the rest of the world often times short sightedness runs rampant. I live in this lovely country and all the amazing wildlife is one of the greatest pleasures of living here. This is a travel blog and I am encouraging you to visit this fantastic place and will also share from time to time the challenges facing those who live here and want to preserve this great place. This may instill in you a sense of urgency to travel to Panama and see this great place before it changes too much. Hopefully maybe some of you will be a part of environmental organizations that might be able to help in some way. This headline in Panama News caught my attention this morning:

Ban on purse seining in waters off Coiba lifted See the full story here In The Panama News

Coiba and its surrounding islands make up an amazing national park and when you travel to Panama you should visit for snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking through the virgin rainforest or just enjoy the beaches and boat ride there and back. In 1990 this area became a designated marine park, one of the largest in the world and more then 80% is oceanic. The park includes the second largest coral reef in the Central-Eastern Pacific. On our snorkeling adventure we saw more varieties of fish than I have even seen in my life and hump back whales on the return trip were the icing on the cake. Check the guidebook for much more on Coiba but this uniquely beautiful island that was previously a penal colony is now famous for its fantastic reef teeming with fish, unusual coral and beautiful beaches.

Coiba - Panama Pacific Island

From Santa Catalina in Veraguas Province it takes about 1 hour to get to Coiba and the trip is extraordinary. It takes about 2 hours by boat from David.

You might want to Travel to Panama as soon as you are able just in case the Panamanian government doesn’t regain the vision of the future soon. Let’s hope they do and that they revert back to the ban on purse seining in Coiba National Park and that they realize the value of a sustainable approach to fishing as well as tourism.

Technorati Tags: Coiba Island, Panama Beaches, seine netting, snorkeling

Sustainable tourism has long been the benchmark in Costa Rica and Panama is finally starting to catch the “green” wave. To find the best beaches anywhere in the world you can always just follow the surfers – if you get them to take you. These healthy athletic thrill seekers know where to go and are always on the lookout for an undiscovered wave. When you“travel to Panama you will find a lot of great places to surf and recently in the news is Azucar Surf Camp in” Bocas Del Toro getting a great write up in Surfline for their totally green surf camp. Sustainable tourism is the very best way to save the Panama we love and still have a profitable business. Hats off to the owners for creating a totally “green” surf camp and I hope for your continued success! See the full article here: www.surfline.com/surf-news/environmental-news/a…

Great Waves and Pristine Caribbean Beaches

Azucar Surf camp is offering a great money saving promotion through November so check it out here: www.azucarsurf.com.

A Beautiful Day at Paunch Beach

Technorati Tags: Bocas Del Toro, Caribbean Beaches, Surfing Panama, Sustainable tourism

Travel to Panama and you will find available a fantastic variety of experiences! Outdoor adventures abound from extreme sports to relaxing on world class beaches. Luxury comes in the most unexpected out of the way places such as islands in Bocas Del Toro or you can spend your days exploring dense cloud forests while covered with mosquito repellent and jungle gear and go to some great almost undiscovered places. The latest buzz on great hotels to visit in Panama is all about one very small clothing optional resort on Isla Solarte Island in Bocas Del Toro. The “Garden of Eden” made the top ten list of clothing optional resorts around the world according to Travel Advisor.com. and MSNBC. This lovely 3 room boutique hotel is the creation of a couple who retired from the US and moved here from the Florida Keys and has only been open for a year. It is difficult to imagine where else you could relocate that would be equally beautiful and cost so much less then Florida. This resort gets high marks on their service, ambiance, food prices and friendly staff. The location is perfect for enjoying all the Caribbean has to offer such as snorkeling, kayaking, swimming or just relaxing in a hammock. You can bring your bathing suit or pack light and adventure around in your birthday suit. On this beautiful small Caribbean island you should be assured of your privacy.

Panama is a country of extremes, in climate and culture. All inclusive island getaways and “eco hotel huts” can all be found within minutes of each other. Would you like to experience sleeping in a tropical jungle as the natives do, and try their native cuisine? Or would you prefer to be pampered with satiny sheets, great food and a massage? Your trip can include cool mountain resorts in coffee plantations and steamy hot tropical getaways. Panama is big enough to have it all and small enough for you to try a bit of it all in one travel vacation. Starting your vacation in Panama City you will enjoy the colonial Spanish architecture and well known amenities even including a Hard Rock Cafe and the of course the famous canal. Once you cross the Bridge of The Americas heading out to the west the real adventure begins. The interior of the country contains some of the most beautiful beaches and mountains in the world. Travel to Panama options do include coming to the country through San Jose Costa Rica and then to David in the western part of Panama, the Chiriqui Province. This is a great way to experience Panama and Costa Rica in the same trip. If you have already been to Panama City or desire a more outdoor adventure in your vacation starting out in the Western province of Chiriqui will allow more time to explore the wilderness. For a great adrenaline fix be sure not to miss the Canopy Tours or “zip lines”, the whitewater rafting, and snorkeling at Coiba Island where if you get lucky you might see the humpback whales migrating. From the culture in Panama City to Boquete in the highlands. Travel Panama in the west over the Cordiella mountain range to Bocas Del Toro and you will continue to be awed by the beauty of Panama. See more on the clothing optional resorts here: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26089866

Technorati Tags: panama travel, panama vacation