The cruise visits a number of the more than 200 small islands and atolls on Belize's Caribbean coast and includes snorkeling and glass-bottom boat tours of the Great Barrier Reef and a trip by skiff to a bird rookery teeming with frigates and boobies. If there is one country that is associated with ecotourism, adventure travel and nature tourism more than any other, it is Costa Rica. The country is a leader in environmental protection, and its tremendous natural assets combined with its proximity to the U.S. make it a consistent top seller in this travel niche. This year as many as 1 million visitors are expected to sample Costa Rica's travel product. They are drawn to Costa Rica in large measure by the natural diversity that makes the country so rich in ecological habitats and provides travelers with a wide variety of experiences in a relatively small area.
Suppliers continue to open up new opportunities for visitors, especially for active vacationers.
White-water rafting on the rivers that tumble off Costa Rica's mountains and sportfishing on the Caribbean coast were two of the original adventures offered here. Today, outfitters also offer horseback riding excursions, sea kayaking, mountain biking, scuba diving, windsurfing and more. This relatively unspoiled arid island has long been high on the list of destinations favored by scuba divers. Lovers of natural beauty shore-side also find Bonaire a rewarding destination. Of special interest are its salt flats, an adjacent breeding area for pink flamingoes and a wildlife sanctuary that has caverns and secluded coves and hosts 130 species of birds.