Lonely Planet Central America

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Snorkeling

Isla Holbox, Mexico An offbeat Gulf island surrounded by sea turtles, barracuda and manta rays (Click here).

Utila, Honduras For the ultimate snorkeling experience seek out the gargantuan whale shark in the big blue (Click here).

Belize Mile upon mile of the western hemisphere’s finest reef makes Belize a snorkeling paradise (Click here).

Bocas del Toro, Panama From giant starfish to a rainbow of corals, this tropical archipelago is the perfect spot to strap on your flippers (Click here).

Manzanillo, Costa Rica When conditions are right, you can snorkel straight off the beach at this picturesque Caribbean outpost (Click here).

The Blue Hole, Belize
GREG JOHNSTON / GETTY IMAGES ©

Hiking

Volcán Mombacho, Nicaragua Accessible cloud forest with great hiking and even better birdwatching (Click here).

Parque Internacional La Amistad, Panama True wilderness hiking without the drama of the Darién; access via the highlands or Caribbean coast (Click here).

Parque Nacional Cusuco, Honduras Dramatic and mountainous, with trails laced with giant ferns, dwarf forest and hidden quetzals (Click here).

Parque Nacional Chirripó, Costa Rica Peak-baggers can’t resist Cerro Chirripó, the highest point in Costa Rica. The trail to the top is a thrilling, chilling adventure (Click here).

Volcán Tajumulco, Guatemala Central America’s highest point is a relatively easy climb, especially if you take two days and camp overnight (Click here).

Juayúa, El Salvador Perfect for day hikes and intimate cafe nights. Take in coffee fincas (plantations) and waterfalls with friendly local guides (Click here).

Wildlife Watching

Península de Osa, Costa Rica Monkeys and macaws, sloths and snakes – wildlife is prolific all around the Osa (Click here).

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos, Nicaragua Perfectly preserved wetlands with fantastic bird-watching by day and action-packed crocodile spotting by night (Click here).

Isla Bastimentos, Panama From July to August, loggerheads, hawksbills, greens and leatherbacks – half the world’s turtle species – hatch on the north shore (Click here).

Moskitia, Honduras Vast wetlands, savannah and tropical forest, it’s the best place in the nation for searching for jaguar and tapir (Click here).

Monterrico, Guatemala Save a turtle, spot a whale or go bird-watching in the mangroves from this Pacific coast village (Click here).

Playa El Cuco, El Salvador Baby sea turtles hatch in the dry season. Dolphin pods and eagles watch on (Click here).

Scuba Diving

Parque Nacional Coiba, Panama Dive with hammerheads and swim through enormous schools of fish – wildlife here is epic (Click here).

Roatán, Honduras Outstanding wall dives on the edge of the Cayman trench, flourishing hard and soft corals and prolific sea life (Click here).

The Blue Hole, Belize This deep blue sinkhole has you swimming under stalactites with bull sharks and hammerheads (Click here).

Isla Cozumel, Mexico The famed reefs off this island draw diving aficionados from all over the world (Click here).

Isla del Caño, Costa Rica Sea turtles and humpback whales make this island a popular destination for dive trips from Bahía Drake and Quepos (Click here).

Off the Beaten Track

Pearl Keys, Nicaragua Live out your shipwreck fantasies beneath the coconut palms on this group of tiny, idyllic Caribbean islands (Click here).

Bahía de Jiquilisco, El Salvador Pounding surf, lush mangroves, fishing villages and a biosphere make for Survivor-style wonder stuff (Click here).

The Darién, Panama Steeped in indigenous culture and exotic wildlife – with required permits, checkpoints and delays, the real trouble is arriving (Click here).

Mal País, Costa Rica Make your way to the tip of the Península de Nicoya for pristine beaches, blood-pumping surf and good vibes (Click here).

La Campa, Honduras An incredibly pretty heartland pueblo. Zip-line over canyons, seek out authentic ceramics and set up highland hikes (Click here).

Tilapita, Guatemala A one-hotel Pacific beach town where the pace of life slows waaay down (Click here).

Colonial Cities

Antigua Guatemala’s colonial show pony is a riot of gorgeous cobblestoned streets, crumbling ruins and noble churches (Click here).

Granada Charge your batteries, Nicaragua’s wonderfully preserved colonial showpiece lays on the charm from the moment you get off the bus (Click here).

Suchitoto, El Salvador The real deal. This picture-book town is littered with war history and art galleries. Festivals reign most weekends (Click here).

Casco Viejo, Panama City Super hot for a night out but ditch the stilettos, since you’ll be darting the cobblestones between underground bar, brew pub, wine bar and live-music venue (Click here).

Comayagua, Honduras Relaxed and prosperous, with a historic core of elegant churches and buildings dotted around its lovely parque central (Click here).

Surfing

Dominical, Costa Rica Bring your board and you may never want to leave this easygoing town (Click here).

Santa Catalina, Panama No souvenir shops in this dusty village – it’s all about world-class waves, and hostels boast front-row seats (Click here).

Pavones, Costa Rica Surfers travel here to catch the longest left-hand break on the planet (Click here).

Playa Hermosa, Nicaragua Charge the waves and hang out in one of the best beach hostels around (Click here).

Las Flores, El Salvador Tucked into El Salvador’s untrodden east, it’s as good as anywhere in Latin America (Click here).

Ruins

Tikal, Guatemala This regional superstar is well on the tourist trail but totally worth the visit for its soaring, jungle-shrouded temples (Click here).

Chichén Itzá, Mexico Recently named one of the ‘new seven wonders of the world’. Enough said (Click here).

Copán, Honduras Exquisite with some of the most intricate carvings in the Maya world, an acropolis and dozens of temples and monuments (Click here).

Tulum, Mexico Maya ruins perched atop a cliff with jaw-dropping views of the Caribbean below (Click here).

Caracol, Belize The view from the top of the Ka’ana pyramid alone is worth the trek (Click here).

Tazumal, El Salvador The name of El Salvador’s most impressive Maya ruins translates as ‘the place where the victims burned’ (Click here).

Volcanoes

Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica Trails crisscross the volcanic slopes, leading to multihued fumaroles, soothing springs, bubbling mud pots and a sputtering volcancito (small volcano; Click here).

Volcán Masaya, Nicaragua Watch parakeets nest among clouds of sulfuric gases above visible pools of lava (Click here).

Volcán Arenal Costa Rica’s celebrated volcano has gone quiet, but it still looks threatening with smoke curling out of its conical top (Click here).

Pacaya, Guatemala An easy day trip from Antigua, this smoking, lava-dribbling peak is an all-time favorite for hikers (Click here).

Volcán Barú, Panama Terribly steep, hard, and invariably foggy and muddy, but how else can you view both oceans at once? (Click here)

El Salvador Known as the Land of Volcanoes: Santa Ana may be the largest, but conical-shaped Izalco is the most dramatic (Click here).

Beaches

Kuna Yala, Panama Known for perfect postage-stamp islets with turquoise waters (Click here).

Playa Grande, Las Baulas The water is warm, the waves are powerful and the sand at this Costa Rican beach attracts sea turtles, who carry on the cycle of life (Click here).

West Bay, Roatán Honduras’ classic Caribbean beach of the white sand and coconut palm persuasion, with the added bounty of a coral reef offshore (Click here).

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua Brilliant turquoise waters meet snow-white sand in secluded coves on this enchanted isle (Click here).

Hopkins How much longer will Belize’s best beach town remain semi-secret? (Click here)

Playa El Tunco, El Salvador Mix it up at bonfires on black-sand beaches with pro surfers and young revelers from the capital (Click here).