Central
America is a land bridge connecting the North
American Continent to the neighboring continent of South
America. Travel Central America to see Caribbean blue
waters, volcanoes, raging white rivers, serene cloud forests,
and pristine coastal preserves teeming with exotic wildlife
that fill the 7 countries spanning the map of Central
America.
Costa
Rica
Home to Central America's most metropolitan capitol, San
Jose, Costa Rica seems to have it all. An array of
climates, 2 ocean shores, incredible beaches and erupting
volcanoes make this a place where you can experience the
best of Latin America all in one place. Geological features
like the volcanoes, lakes, caves, and waterfalls are the
top draws if you visit here as you travel Central America.
In fact, most visitors can find some of the top attractions
in Costa Rica northwest of the capitol. The area to the
east of Lake Arenal is Arenal
Volcano, which is an active volcano that has several
small eruptions per day.
If you were to stay at the Tabacon
Hot Springs, you could sit at one of the sulfuric
pools at gaze at summit of Arenal glowing in the night
sky. Beyond this area, on Nicoya Peninsula, is the splendid
Gulf
of Nicoya and Tamarindo Beach, on the coast. Tamarindo
is easily one of Costa Rica's top spots. Miles of perfect
beaches and a waterfront filled with villas to rent, surf,
fishing and snorkeling shops, and the best seaside living
in Central America make this spot an irresistible draw.
Guatemala
andTikal
This country borders Belize to the west. Mayan
ruins, simmering volcanoes, indigenous culture and
colonial Spanish towns fill this country. Antigua
is a well-preserved remnant of the Spanish culture that
left its influence on this country and throughout the
region.
Tikal has some of the most incredible Mayan sites, with
over 3,000 structures, including carved, towering pyramids
and ancient plazas. It was once home to over 100,000 people
and a seat of the powerful Jaguar rulers, whose images
you will find carved into the stone monuments.
Forty years of civil war that ended in 1996 has left
a mark on this country, but visitors brave the unpredictable
but relatively calm countryside to discover its other
glories on a Central America vacation. If you explore
Coban, an area filled with humid cloud forests, glittering
waterfalls and caves that beg to be explored, you will
very likely see the Quetzal. This bird was sacred to the
Mayans. Once your own gaze falls on its resplendent beauty,
you might be inspired to a state a reverence, as the indigenous
cultures who first glimpsed it were.
This laid back Caribbean paradise is a magnet for cruise
ships that carry sun-loving travelers to its seaside resorts
and jungle eco-lodges. Tourism has surpassed agriculture
to become the biggest industry in this small country.
The Belize barrier reef is easily explored in the 80+
degrees water that has 100 or more feet of visibility.
The main attraction of Belize is its water front treasures.
Ambergris Cay
is one of the most picturesque shorelines of the Caribbean.
Other magnets on a Central America tours to this country
are Toledo, on the southern shores of Belize. Rainforest,
caves, and tropical wildlife draw visitors to this area's
main city, Punta Gorda. Beyond the picturesque eastern
Caribbean beaches, miles
of roads await your exploration. You will find a map of
Central America will help you if you're looking to continue
past the border of Belize and into the neighboring Latin
America country of Guatemala.
El Salvador
El Salvador has seen its share of strife and difficulty,
most recently in a civil war, which ended over 10 years
ago. It is still not a safe tourist haven. To earn the
reward of El Salvador's natural and manmade wonders on
your Central America vacation, you have to be vigilant
against carjacking and the random violence and pick pocketing
that visitors can be subject to. Mayan culture makes its
influence felt here, and the Mayan town of Joya de Ceren
was covered, like Pompeii, in ashes from a volcanic eruption
in 600 AD, which has kept it impeccably preserved. La
Palma and Ilobasco are places you can see modern crafts
and folk art, for a taste of El Salvador's modern creations.
Sites that tempt visitors as they travel Central America
are the mountains and volcanoes of the Cerro Verde National
Park, the stunning beaches at Costa del Sol, the nature
preserves of Montecristo and El Imposible National Parks.
Honduras
Honduras is one of the larger countries in Central America,
with tons of places to explore. Its resorts at the Bay
Island are a haven for beach lovers, snorkeling and diving.
Copan is a ruin explorers dream, while Honduras's north
coast and the rainforest lures adventure tours and eco-tourism.
Travel here can be a challenge, with unpaved roads and
amenities often of only the very basic kind. While it
has been free from war and instability like its neighbors
Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, this country was
devastated by hurricane Mitch in 1998. Braving these challenges
and visiting Honduras on your Central America vacation
will reward you with the unspoiled beauty of this rugged
country.
This country, which is now politically stable since a
series of revolutions which died over a decade ago and
also a victim of Hurricane Mitch's 1998 fury, is now coming
to the forefront as one of Central America's tourist destinations.
The year of 1999 was the first time a cruise ship docked
here, and since then, the capitol of Managua
has burst with new shopping malls and hotels. An abundance
of lakes, more than any other in Costa Rica, are frequented
by visitors; especially Lake
Nicaragua. Low prices make this a very accessible
place for a Central America vacation, giving you a chance
to experience the biodiversity of the region, which has
many areas that have now become protected nature preserves.
This somewhat wild and untamed country is great for going
off the beaten path, but its best experienced through
a guided tour.
This long narrow country has all the gifts of Central
American heritage - Spanish influence, historic ruins,
coral reefs, and lush rainforest. The Panama Canal is
a modern engineering feat that sets this country apart
from the others. This feature draws cruise ships and sailing
vessels to this bustling gateway of tourism and industry
in Latin America. After gaining full control of the canal
in 1999, Panama has taken this opportunity to improve
its infrastructure in order to meet the needs of its many
visitors who come to travel Central America. New roads
and luxury hotels are springing up everywhere. You should
definitely make a visit to Panama part of your Central
America tours. Its low prices and lack of crowds sets
this apart from the popular country of Costa Rica, which
borders it to the north.
