Most recently Panama, specifically the Pearl Islands, has been the backdrop of preference for the filming of several CBS “Survivor” U.S. series, Survivor Italy, and other countries. Most definitely due to the natural beauty, the exotic rainforest, Caribbean ocean, and Paradisiacal nature-rich surroundings.

And as ecological safe “Green” standards are beginning to influence consumers worldwide, it is becoming more and more evident that conserving our environment is becoming a priority. We are slowly entering a new era, where “E” for ECO may be the key for consumers to base their buying decisions. From eco friendly automobiles, to eco friendly clothing, “E” is in, and in the tourism industry, Ecotourism is becoming more attractive year by year.

Our Earth is being devastated so rapidly that urban dwellers desire the natural experience with nature before it is forever gone. They want to experience seeing a real life natural rainforest. Panama is a country so rich in biodiversity that it offers Eco travelers these experiences and interactions up close and personal, from spider monkeys playing in their natural habitat, whale watching in the ocean, watching thousands of sea turtles laying hundreds of thousands of eggs on the coast of Isla Tortuga in Pedasi, to bird watching expeditions to document the viewing of exotic species of birds.

If you ask The International Ecotourism Society TIES to define the term ecotourism in their own words, this is what their Executive Director David Sollitt would say; “a form of tourism that entails responsible travel to natural areas and which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.” These words where spoken and heard at the Global Ecotourism Conference, which was held in Oslo, Norway last year 2007 .

Panama has several Eco-tourism options, in our ECO SERIES of articles we will feature different destinations every week. Eco Travelers will find their eco-chic oases, where they can have their close encounters with spider monkeys and eat their mango crème brûlée’s, too.

Below you will find some of the best eco-lodges in Panama.

PUNTA CARACOL ACQUA-LODGE, BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA -- I never came here to make real business, but to live a life -- how we say here? -- tranquilo, said José-Luís Bordas, the young Barcelona native and manager of Punta Caracol, whose family partly owns the three-year-old lodge. The resort is a 20-minute water taxi ride from the emerging tourist area of Bocas del Toro, on Panama s Caribbean side. There, along a boardwalk that reaches into the water, sit nine thatch-roofed guest “palacitos”. Each has two stories, a canopied bed and a private terrace that faces the sea. During the day, guests ca n row a traditional cayuco to a snorkeling spot or go with a guide to explore Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. At dinnertime, locally caught lobster or shrimp are served in the dining room. Solar panels light the bungalows, while propane gas rather than dirtier diesel generators power the energy-hungry refrigerators and cooking equipment. Sewage is processed using an aerobic process. Every single chair, every single lamp, everything is made by us, using local workmen or other Central Americans, Mr. Bordas said. All of the resort s 32 employees are indigenous or Afro-Caribbean, he said.

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