Outdoor sights in Central America
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Parque Nacional Cusuco
Just 45km from San Pedro Sula, but remarkably difficult to access, Parque Nacional Cusuco is a cloud forest nestled in the impressive Merendón mountain range. The park has abundant wildlife, including parrots, toucans and a large population of quetzals, best spotted from April to June. Its highest peak is Cerro Jilinco (2242m). The park’s visitors center is the starting point for five different hiking trails. Two trails – Quetzal and Las Minas – pass waterfalls and swimming holes. Guides can be hired at the visitors center for around L$100 per trip.
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Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor
Between July and December - peaking in August and September - some 30,000 female Olive Ridley turtles, and a few hundred very endangered leatherback turtles, visit Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor to nest. And you have to see turtles laying eggs on the beach, not to mention tiny baby turtles making their death-defying run for the water, at least once in your life. Several hotels, including Hotel Nina and Casa Oro Hostel, run night tours, including transportation. Bring insect repellent.
The reserve, south of San Juan del Sur along a shocking road, is managed by Fundación Cocibolca, who have been aided in their efforts by strong new pro-enviromental legislation, which…
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Parque Nacional Coiba
This national marine park contains Panama's largest island, the 493-sq-km Isla de Coiba, as well as astounding biodiversity; 23 species of dolphin and whale have been identified, including humpback, killer and sperm whales. Several species of crocodile and turtle, and 15 species of snake roam the island as well as myriad birdlife.
Santa Catalina is the best place to base yourself if you're interested in informal trips into the park and onto the island.
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Aventuras Bosquemar Canopy
If you prefer to tour the rain forest at high speed, the thrilling Aventuras Bosquemar Canopy is the first zip-line canopy tour on this side of the peninsula. Five lines stretch between five platforms, winding 600m through primary forest. It's about 8km from Jiménez near the village of Miramar - prices include transportation from Puerto Jiménez.
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Parque Natural Metropolitano
Up on a hill to the north of downtown, the 265-hectare Parque Natural Metropolitano protects vast expanses of tropical semideciduous forest within the city limits, and serves as an incredible wilderness escape from the trappings of the capital. It has two main walking trails, the Nature Trail and the Tití Monkey Trail, which join to form one long loop.
The loop is also home to a 150m-high mirador (lookout) that offers panoramic views of Panama City, the bay and the canal all the way to the Miraflores Locks.
Mammals in the park include tití monkeys, anteaters, sloths and white-tailed deer, while reptiles include iguanas, turtles and tortoises. More than 250 known bird…
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Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito
The small, 28-sq-km reserve encompasses most of the steep hills surrounding Golfito, though it's poorly publicized and easy to miss. It was originally created to protect the town’s watershed, though it also protects a number of rare and interesting plant species. It is home to several cycads, which are ‘living fossils,’ and are regarded as the most primitive of plants. The reserve also attracts a variety of tropical birds, four species of monkey and several small mammals.
There are no facilities for visitors, save a gravel access road and a few poorly maintained trails, but for those who don't have the time or ability to hike in Corcovado, it provides a quick…
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Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
Because of the region's relative remoteness, this 102 sq km (63 sq mi) refuge has long been frequented, primarily by two sorts of specialists. Anglers come in search of that elusive 40-pound snook, though they abandon ship April through July when the park is closed to fishing (a good time to get a bargain price on accommodation). Birders flock here each year from January through March to spot an unequalled assortment of waterfowl.
During the dry season, water levels drop, concentrating the birds (and fish) in photogenically (or tasty) close quarters. From January to March, when migratory birds land in large numbers, avian density is most definitely world class.
The Río…
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Parque Hawaii
Parque Hawaii, a nature reserve operated by Arcas (Asociación de Rescate y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Wildlife Rescue & Conservation Association; www.arcasguatemala.com) comprises a sea-turtle hatchery with some caimans 8km east along the beach from Monterrico. It is separate from and rivals Cecon's work in the same field. Volunteers are welcome year-round, but the real sea turtle nesting season is from June to November, with August and September being the peak months.
Volunteers are charged around US$50 a week for a room, with meals extra and homestay options with local families. Jobs for volunteers include hatchery checks and maintenance, local school education…
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Parque Nacional Los Quetzales
Costa Rica's newest national park, formerly the Reserva Los Santos, was made official in 2005. Spread along both banks of the Río Sevegre, the park covers 5000 hectares (12,355 acres) of rain and cloud forest. With altitudes of up to 3000m (9843ft), this is the heart of the Cordillera de Talamanca, which means picturesque mountain streams, glacial lakes and a range of glorious peaks.
The lifeblood of the park is the Río Savegre, which starts high up on the Cerro de la Muerte and feeds several mountain streams and glacial lakes before pouring into the Pacific near the town of Savegre. Although relatively small, this region is remarkably diverse – the Savegre watershed…
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Parque Nacional Sarigua
This small national park is arguably the most important Pre-Columbian site in Panama - the Sarigua site has been dated back 11,000 years based on shell mounds and pottery fragments. In contrast to many of Panama's other national parks, this is not the place to encounter lush forests or abundant wildlife. The desert-like wasteland exists as a sad and potent reminder of the future of Panama if greed wins out over environmental responsibility.
The park was once dry tropical rainforest and coastal mangrove. Sarigua is the end product of slash-and-burn agriculture. People moved into the area, cut down all the trees, set fire to the debris, planted crops for a few harvests and…
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Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
This is Belize's most famous, and one of its biggest, protected areas - the huge swath of tropical forest became the world's first jaguar sanctuary in 1984. Today it's home to an estimated 40 to 50 jaguars and a vast array of wildlife. Visits are restricted to an eastern pocket where there's an information center, accomodation and walking trails.
Cockscomb became a forest reserve and no-hunting area in 1984. A small part of it was given sanctuary status in 1986, and the rest followed in 1990. The people of the Mayan village of Quan Bank were compulsorily relocated - many now live in Maya Center and make a living from the sanctuary.
The sanctuary itself is not big enough…
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Parque Nacional Soberanía
This 22,104ha (85 sq mi) park is one of the most accessible tropical rain-forest areas in Panama. It extends much of the way across the isthmus, from Limón on Lago Gatùn to just north of Paraíso. It features hiking trails, the Río Chagres, part of Lago Gatùn and a remarkable variety of wildlife.
Known residents include 105 species of mammal, 525 species of bird, 55 species of amphibian, 79 species of reptile and 36 species of freshwater fish. Hiking trails in the park include a section of the old Sendero Las Cruces (Las Cruces Trail) and the 17km Pipeline Rd, providing access to Río Agua Salud, where you can walk upriver for a swim under a waterfall.
In order to…
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Parque Nacional Volcán Barú
Volcán Barú is Panama's only volcano and the dominant geographical feature of western Panama. It has not one but seven craters. Its summit, at 3478m (11,410ft), is the highest point in Panama, and on a clear day it affords views of both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
Volcán Barú is no longer active; its last eruption was about 500 years ago. The fertile volcanic soil and the temperate climate of its mid-altitude slopes support some of Panama's most productive agriculture, especially in the areas around Cerro Punta and Boquete. Large trees dominate the volcano's lower slopes, giving way on the upper slopes to smaller plants, bushes, scrub and alpine wildflowers.
The…
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Avarios del Caribe & Buttercup Center
About 10km north of Cahuita, this small wildlife sanctuary sits on an 88-hectare island in the delta of the Río Estrella. The now-famous orphaned sloth named Buttercup reigns over the grounds, ever since she was adopted by owners Luis and Judy at the age of five weeks.
Their passion for these funny creatures is contagious; informative guided tours (US$20 to US$30) allow visitors to meet some of the resident sloths. The center also offers a variety of excursions through the canals and lagoons of the Estrella delta, where 312 (and counting!) species of birds have been recorded. Besides the prolific birdlife, this lowland rain forest is home to monkeys, caimans, river…
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Reserva Santa Elena
Though Monteverde Reserve gets all the attention, this exquisitely misty entry, at a comparably small 310 hectares (766 acres), has plenty to recommend it. While the Monteverde Reserve attracts almost 200,000 visitors annually, Santa Elena sees fewer than 20,000, which means its dewy trails through mysteriously veiled forest are usually far quieter. It’s also much less developed; plus your entry fee is helping support another unique project.
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Parque Municipal Mahogany
Parque Municipal Mahogany is on the curvy Caño Negro, a tributary of Río Escondido as it runs between El Rama and Bluefields. This 278 sq km reserve is a convenient side trip as you travel between them. Either town's alcaldía, or, better, Bluefields Indian & Caribbean University, can arrange tours through the Volunteer Park Rangers Association. The park, which is contiguous with both Reserva Natural Punta Gorda and the Indio-Maíz, is boat access only, and has waterfalls, several species of migratory birds and lots of other wildlife - including tarpon and bass. Fishing is definitely allowed.
Either Bluefields' or El Rama's alcaldía (mayor's office) or, better still,…
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Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja
Given its proximity to Liberia – really just a hop, skip and a few bumps away – this 141-sq-km national park feels refreshingly uncrowded and remote. Named after the active Volcán Rincón de la Vieja (1895m), the steamy main attraction, the park also covers several other peaks in the same volcanic range, including the highest, Volcán Santa María (1916m). The park exhales geothermal energy, which you can see for yourself in its multihued fumaroles, hot springs, bubbling and blooping ashy gray pailas (mud pots), and a young and feisty volcancito (small volcano). All of these can be visited on foot and horseback on well-maintained, but sometimes steep, trails.
Given…
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Parque Libertad
Two blocks east of Plaza Barrios is Parque Libertad, with a winged statue of Liberty in the middle. This is the more pleasant of the two plazas, with islands of grass and trees, and many benches to sit on. The traffic is still loud - and this is the end of the line for a number of local bus services - but the park is as good a place as any to relax and take in the scene.
Both plazas are relatively safe, but always be aware of your surroundings and don't linger after dark. And it's probably best not to bring your camera - though you'll regret not being able to capture some of the scenes down there! Foreigners are already a rare sight downtown - you may be the only one when…
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Monterrico
With Guatemala's best ocean beach and a sultry, tropical flavor, Monterrico is a hammock-swinging coastal village. What's more, the area is home to a large wildlife reserve and two centers for the hatching and releasing of sea turtles and caymans. Monterrico is fast becoming a popular weekend spot both with Guatemalan families and foreigners.
The highlight here is the long Reserva Natural Monterrico (20km/12mi), which preserves coastal mangrove swamps that are bursting with avian and aquatic life. Its most famous denizens are the endangered leatherback and ridley turtles, which lay their eggs on the beach along the coast. A sunrise boat tour of the reserve and lagoons is…
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Ixpanpajul Nature Park
If you are wild about the rainforest, plan to spend a day at the Ixpanpajul Nature Park, a nature preserve and activity center. It’s not a huge place, but it packs a lot of fun into its 450 hectares, and it takes place at all levels of the rainforest. If you are partial to the canopy level, you will enjoy the Tarzan Tour, or zip-line, or you can saunter at your own pace along the Skywalk, a network of hanging bridges at the same level. You can explore the understory on horseback or by mountain bike, and arrange birding tours and night safaris. Simple cabanas and campsites are also available. Ixpanpajul is about 10km from Santa Elena on the road to Río Dulce.
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Mayflower Bocawina National Park
This is a beautiful park of jungle, mountains, swimming holes, waterfalls, ancient sites and nature trails - keep your eyes peeled for black howler monkeys. Don't miss the partly excavated Mayflower Mayan site, featuring two pyramids, which was occupied between AD 800-900, or the Maintzunun temple mound.
For a longer visit, stay at Mama Noots Jungle Resort - a beautiful, spacious plot which is run entirely on renewable energy. Some 238 bird species have been identified here. Mama also offers some adventurous guided hikes in the national park, and great Belizean and international food served in a spacious, thatch-roofed restaurant.
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Parque Bolívar
In 1826, in a schoolroom opposite Parque Bolívar, Simón Bolívar held a meeting urging the union of the Latin American countries. After many struggles against Spanish domination, Bolívar succeeded in liberating Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, and he created Gran Colombia, which encompassed all these states. Although Bolívar was unable to keep Gran Colombia together, he is nonetheless venerated as a hero throughout Latin America.
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Reserva de la Biósfero del Río Plátano
This is surely the most magnificent nature reserve in Honduras. A World Heritage Site established jointly in 1980 by Honduras and the UN, it is home to abundant bird, mammal and aquatic life, including a number of exotic and endangered species in the river and surrounding jungle. The best time of year to visit is between November and July, and the best time for seeing birds is during February and March, when many migratory birds fly in.
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Parque Central
Huehuetenango's main plaza, the Parque Central is shaded by old trees and surrounded by the town's imposing buildings: the municipalidad (the Town Hall with its band shell on the upper floor) and the huge colonial church. For a bird's-eye view of the situation, check out the little relief map of Huehuetenango department, which lists altitudes, language groups and populations of the various municipal divisions.
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Parque Nacional Las Victorias
The forested 0.82-sq-km Parque Nacional Las Victorias, a national park right in town, has ponds, barbecue, picnic areas, children's play areas, a lookout point and kilometers of trails. Camping is available too. Facilities include water and toilets but no showers. The entrance is near the corner of 9a Av and 3a Calle, Zona 1. Beware: readers have reported violent crime here. Consider hiking in a group.
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