Eco-Friendly Florida Travel
Essentials
Visiting Florida
is not just about amusement parks. From the Perdido River to
the Atlantic Ocean, Florida's got a lot of beautiful green spaces
and it's doing its best to protect them.
These include the Everglades
National Park, coral reefs and miles of beaches, and that's just
a start. With several unique habitats and endangered and threatened
species, there's a lot to protect, especially with more than
60 million visitors a year flocking to Florida in search of the
sun ñ and a great vacation.
But what can tourists do to make
their Florida vacation a more environmentally friendly occasion?
Well, strange as it may seem, the answer is not to make your
trip by car.
That's because driving to Florida
will involve a lot of stopovers, so your carbon footprint will
be that much bigger. Instead, book a plane that flies direct,
reducing your impact on the environment.
Finding Florida Accommodation
A key question for Florida eco-travelers
is where to stay, and there's good news. There are many hotels
that make a concerted effort to go green, and you can stay in
one of those. A green hotel will reduce water consumption with
low flow shower heads and toilets will install energy saving
bulbs and will cut down on waste.
These are just a few of the features
to look for in a green hotel. The Green Hotels website offers
a list of green hotels in Florida which will get your eco-friendly
vacation off to a good start.
The next stage of your green
vacation is to think about how to get around when you're there.
If you choose your hotel wisely, you may be able to walk to some
of the closest attractions, reducing your carbon footprint to
nil and getting some exercise as well.
The next best option is to take
public transport rather than hire a car, because by carrying
lots of people the environmental impact per person is a lot less.
Making A Difference
Next it's time to choose the
places to visit. Don't confuse eco-tourism with adventure travel.
According to the UN, true eco tourism features local businesses,
small groups, education and consciousness raising and conservation.
There are plenty of attractions in Florida that meet those criteria.
Check out places like Sustainable Travel and the International
Eco Tourism Society for more information.
So how else can you make a difference
with an eco-friendly vacation in Florida? This doesn't have to
be a hassle. You can do things you would do anyway, such as enjoying
local food, hiring a local guide to show you the best places,
disposing of packaging waste properly and treating the environment
with respect. That means you leave it intact for the next set
of visitors.
Places To Visit
Don't feel that having an eco-friendly
holiday means that you will miss out. Especially in Florida,
that's not true at all. As well as the extensive Everglades area,
places you can visit include the Ten Thousand Islands National
Wildlife Refuge, where you can view almost 200 species of birds
and fish. The location is exquisite too. You can see and learn
more about turtles at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon and you
can check out the many parks and natural areas which preserve
Florida's wildlife.
So there's no reason to stint
on enjoyment when you have a green vacation in Florida. You can
see everything you want to while paying attention to your personal
environmental impact. Making some impact is unavoidable, but
there's a way to salve your conscience when you get home. All
you have to do is buy a carbon offset coupon so that something
helpful can be put back into the environment.
RITMO!® FLORIDA LATIN TROPICAL THEME DESTINATIONS
Miami * Ft. Lauderdale * Boca Raton * West Palm Beach * Daytona Beach * Cocoa Beach * Boynton Beach * Key West
Orlando * Naples * Tampa Bay * Sarasota * Jacksonville * Melbourne * Coral Springs * Hollywood * St. Petersburg * Miami Beach
Sanibel * Marco Island * Deerfield Beach * Clearwater * Vero Beach * Jupiter * Stuart * Delray Beach * Ponte Vedra Beach
