Introducing Central America

Tiny on a map, Central America packs in more diversity than any similar-sized area on the planet. No matter when you visit, or how long you're there, daily adventures are there for the taking. They come in all styles – fun, easy, bumpy, challenging, surprising, fulfilling – the sort you’ll be talking about for decades.

Caribbean white-sand beaches and offshore reefs border lazy backpacker towns while, not far away, coffee-scented mountains reach, Dr Seuss–like, through smoke-ring clouds. Spanish haciendas line the cobblestone streets of 16th-century colonial towns under the ominous gaze of lava-gurgling volcanoes. Wander through dense jungle to find Mayan pyramids that date back a millennium as bulldog-sized rodents scurry past and howler monkeys commute in the treetops above you.

Best are the people you’ll meet. Skip from country to country on open-boats over chocolaty waters, witness colourful modern Mayan life, not much changed over the centuries, or kick back in a Garífuna village, the home to African-Carib culture. Excellent Spanish schools abound so try a border-crossing study hop or stay with a local family to discover more about daily life.

Central America – Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and, parts of southern Mexico – is distinctly apart from its bigger, more well-known American neighbours. That it remains a mystery to so many, makes the trip all the more rewarding.

Ready to go?

These tours & activities make it easy: