Have you been lucky enough to travel to a Spanish-speaking country or an island like Puerto Rico? You will find a wide variety of new experiences in these places. In Spain you will see some of the most beautiful and precious art in the whole world, in museums like the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia. You can shop for Spain’s internationally famous shoes in Barcelona. You can relax on beautiful beaches in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Did you know that you can even see penguins in Argentina and then go and see tropical birds in the rain forests of the Amazon, all in South America? And did you know that in Ecuador you can stand with one foot on each side of the equator? These are just some of the many, varied and exciting trips you might like to take in the Spanish-speaking world.

You have probably heard a great deal about travel to cities like Buenos Aires or Madrid, but perhaps not so much about adventurous trips to more remote regions like Costa Rica. For many years, people have traveled from all over to experience the tropics in South and Central America. On one hand, this is good because it brings more money into the economies of those countries. But unfortunately for the environment, more visitors means bigger hotels, more roads, restaurants and shops, along with an excess of garbage and a greater erosion of the seashores and forests. In recent years the concept of “eco-tourism,” or “responsible tourism,” has sprouted up all over. What do you think that means? If you guessed that this means people can visit without disturbing nature as much, you are correct. In certain areas, this awareness and understanding have been successful. For example, hotels are now being built in ways that don’t destroy the natural conditions as much as they used to, and visitors themselves are more aware and controlled in their behaviors. In some cases, like in the Yucatan of Mexico, there are many efforts being made to protect the delicate coral from snorkelers and scuba divers who may otherwise trounce on it. But even with the new rules, you can still do many fun things!

Imagine you were on a trip to one of the Spanish-speaking world’s ecological zones. Where would you go? How would you be a responsible tourist?