Travel Green List: 7 of Latin America's top green destinations

In 2019, almost 500,000 people visited Chile’s national parks, with their permit fees going towards the preservation of the county’s most fragile ecosystems. Now you can visit 17 of them in one epic road trip. Stretching 2,800km from the northern Patagonian city of Puerto Montt to Cape Horn at the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego, the Ruta de los Parques (Route of Parks) connects 60 communities.

The primary purpose of the route is to fund biodiversity conservation across this vast area – one that experts say stores 6,608 million metric tonnes of carbon. As one of the richest carbon sinks in South America, this is a vital region for maintaining biodiversity and reducing the effects of climate change. Not only that, but the route brings money to hard-to-reach villages that otherwise see little from tourism, particularly in the remote rainforest and desert regions.

In a concerted effort to support Indigenous communities, over 500 local businesses have registered to be a part of the Garifuna Tourism Cluster in south-eastern Belize, in the hope of highlighting the culture and heritage of its 11,100 Indigenous Garifuna people. Agritourism stays, the Pen Cayetano art gallery, Palmento Grove Eco-Cultural Fishing Lodge, Lebeha Drumming School and the Gulisi Garifuna Museum are just a few of the enterprises involved, bringing much-needed income to communities within the towns of Dangriga and Hopkins.

Across the country, other living-culture encounters have been inspired by this project, including San Antonio’s Maya descendants, who have launched their own Women’s Cooperative, inviting visitors to experience traditional farm life, pottery making, food tastings and language classes. The Maya Living Experience in Big Falls even showcases how to make chocolate from scratch.

Read next: Exploring wild Belize with Lyn Hughes

Costa Rica is, in many ways, the gold standard for sustainable nations. Thanks to early recognition of its precious landscape and ecosystems, this Central American country still holds an estimated 5% of the Earth’s land-based biodiversity and 3.5% of its marine life. And the country is adamant that it stays that way. A Sustainable Tourism Program was launched in 1997 to provide training, grants and eco-certifications to help businesses develop the know-how to operate in an eco-friendly way. Investments were also made in solar, hydro and wind power; now 98% of its electricity comes from renewables.

Perhaps most importantly for travellers, a third of Costa Rica’s landscape has been designated ‘protected natural land’. Wooden walkways wind through national parks such as Corcovado and Chirripó, where two- and three-toed sloths, tapirs and toucans await. In Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast, four species of sea turtle nest on its sands; and off the Golfo Dulce, you can see humpback whales tail-slapping the Pacific waters with glee. Turn to page 172 for how to plot the perfect green adventure in Costa Rica.

Leading Mexico’s sustainable tourism drive, Los Cabos’ proximity to Cabo Pulmo – one of the largest and most diverse coral reefs in North America – makes its environmental efforts all the more understandable. These waters were heavily fished until they were eventually declared a National Marine Park, then later a UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, over 800 species of marine life, including manta rays, turtles, migrating humpbacks, grey whales and whale sharks can be seen here up close. The accommodation in Cabo Pulmo village is even 100% solar-powered.

Covering 1.3 million hectares of wetland in Argentina’s north-eastern Corrientes province, Iberá was a hunter’s haven for decades. In 1997, entrepreneur Kristine Tompkins and her late husband, Doug, acquired large swathes of land and, together with the Rewilding Argentina Foundation, set about regenerating the wetland and even restoring lost wildlife, such as its native jaguars. Today, roads, trails and campsites invite visitors to see species such as caiman, capybara, giant otter, green macaw and its signature big cat, while the Guaraní people – previously devoted to farming and hunting – now guide tours. As a sign of its success, Iberá still remains a habitat to 30% of Argentina’s biodiversity.

The biologically rich, seasonally flooded plains of Llanos Orientales are home to the llanero community (herdsmen and cowboys) as well as wildlife ranging from jaguars to anacondas. In an attempt to protect the traditional llanero culture and Llanos’ grasslands against agricultural and oil development, community-run initiatives offering responsible tourism experiences are growing here. El Encanto de Guanapalo, for example, provides guest accommodation and the opportunity to learn about this centuries-old cowboy lifestyle through Jeep, horseback and walking safaris.

Opened in 1984, the Ibiti Project and Reserve was created with the aim of providing villagers with economic stability and creating wildlife corridors. The reserve, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Rio de Janeiro, houses regenerative tourism initiatives such as Mogol Village, which has its own organic farms, shops and restaurants, as well as a ‘life school’ that teaches both local and visiting children the importance of the
environment and community.

See more of the Travel Green List:

Sustainable destinations in the Middle East

Sustainable destinations in North America and the Caribbean

Sustainable destinations in Australia and the Pacific