Sights in Central America
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Iglesia de San Ramón
At the center of this charming agricultural town, you’ll see the twin spires of the ash-gray Iglesia de San Ramón. The interiors are definitely worth checking out: it has a lovely baroque-style altar, Spanish-tile floors and neat rows of wood pews.
reviewed
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Heliconia Island
This self-proclaimed ‘oasis of serenity’ is arguably the most beautiful garden in all of Costa Rica. Heliconia Island is a masterpiece of landscape architecture that was started in 1992 by New York City-native Tim Ryan, a former professor of art and design. Today, this 2.3-hectare island overlooking the Rio Puerto Viejo is owned by Dutch couple Henk and Carolien, and is home to more than 80 varieties of heliconias, tropical flowers, plants and trees. The grounds are a refuge for 228 species of birds (hummingbirds are the sole pollinators of heliconias). There are also resident howler monkeys, river otters, sloths, and a few friendly dogs that will greet you upon…
reviewed
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Centro Turístico Cataratas Nauyaca
Just north of the turnoff for Dominical is the junction for San Isidro de El General – if you turn left towards San Isidro de El General and travel for about 10km, you’ll see an entrance to the right that leads to this tourist center. This Costa Rican family–owned and operated center is home to a series of wonderful waterfalls that cascade through a protected reserve of both primary and secondary forest.
There’s no vehicle access within the center, but you can hire horses for a guided ride to two waterfalls that plunge into a deep swimming hole. With advance notice, a tour can be arranged, including the guided ride, swimming and country meals with the local family.…
reviewed
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Centro Biológico Santuario De Mariposas Aguas Silvestres
You’ll need your own wheels, or you can make arrangements through Rancho Leona, to visit this butterfly sanctuary in the mountains, run by the energetic Edgar Corrales. Guided hikes (in Spanish; US$12) take you through the rainforest along a waterfall trail and include a tour of the butterfly garden.
reviewed
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Catedral de la Mercedes
At the heart of town you’ll find the incredibly quaint Catedral de la Mercedes, a red metal structure that was prefabricated in Belgium and shipped to Costa Rica in 1897 – and resembles a gingerbread church. It has an airy nave, bright Spanish tile floors and a Gothic-style altar covered in marble.
reviewed
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Barrio Amón
North and west of the Jade Museum lies this pleasant, historic neighborhood, home to a cluster of cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent years, many of the area’s historic buildings have been converted into hotels, restaurants and offices, making this a popular district for an architectural stroll. You’ll find everything from art-deco concrete manses to brightly painted tropical Victorian structures in various states of upkeep. It is a key arts center.
reviewed
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A
Metropolitan Cathedral
San Salvador's Metropolitan Cathedral faces Plaza Barrios and marks the center of the city's street grid. Completed in 1999, after years of renovation, the cathedral stands on the site of an earlier version that burned in 1956. The beige stucco building has two bell towers rising above a blue and yellow checker-patterned dome. The facade is painted with the colorful campesino motifs of La Palma painter Fernando Llort; you can see Llort's schematic paintings at his gallery, El Arbol de Dios.
One level beneath the cavernous nave is the tomb of Archbishop Oscar A Romero, though this is not the church he was assassinated in, as visitors sometimes mistakenly believe (that was…
reviewed
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Zoo El Níspero
Most Latin American zoos are sad, cruel places, and unfortunately this is such a place. Here, for example, there are numerous eagles and hawks in a cage smaller than a walk-in closet, and the margays and ocelots on display look listless and depressed.
If you're sensitive to cage animals, you should probably skip this one. With that said, El Níspero is one of the best places for seeing Panama's golden frogs (ranas doradas). These endangered amphibians are unbelievably striking in color, and extremely photogenic. They are also one of Panama's most important cultural symbols, and have long been revered by the indigenous peoples of the country. Unfortunately, they are…
reviewed
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Nueva Catedral
Just north of Metrocentro Mall is an unforgettable Managua landmark and the hemisphere's newest Nueva Catedral, an architectural marvel that leaves most visitors, well, scratching their heads. It's not a mosque, really: the 63 cupolas (or breasts, or eggs; speculation continues) symbolize Nicaragua's 63 Catholic churches, and also provide structural support during earthquakes - a good thing, since it sits astride a fault line.
The interior is cool, heartfelt and unspectacular, although the shrine on the northwest side is nice. Of the US$45 million used to construct the cathedral, US$3.5 million was donated by avid pro-Lifer Tom Monaghan, owner of Domino's Pizza.
reviewed
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B
Government House
Fronting the sea down at the end of Regent St, this handsome two-story wooden colonial mansion served as the residence of Britain's superintendents and governors of Belize from the building's construction in 1814 until 1996. The house, one of the oldest in Belize, is now a cultural center and museum – worth a visit for its historical exhibits, colorful displays of modern Belizean art, spacious colonial ambience and grassy gardens. It was here, at midnight on September 21, 1981, that the Union Jack was ceremonially replaced with the Belizean flag to mark the birth of independent Belize. Displayed in the gardens is the tender from Baron Bliss' yacht.
reviewed
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C
Museo de Arte Religioso Colonial
Housed beside the ruins of the Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo, this art museum has a collection of colonial-era religious artifacts, some dating from the 16th century. Just inside the doorway of the ruins is the Arco Chato, a long arch that had stood here, unsupported, for centuries.
The Arco Chato reportedly played a part in the selection of Panama over Nicaragua as the site for the canal since its survival was taken as proof that the area was not subject to earthquakes. Sadly, it collapsed in 2003.
reviewed
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Bando Beach
Utila doesn’t have much in the way of beaches, so someone finally took matters into their own hands and made one. Bando Beach, at the old airport, doesn’t have the deep, soft shoreline of a natural beach, but it’s pleasant enough, with beach chairs wrapping around a small point nicely shaded by low tangled trees. The main drawback is the regguetón (hip-hop with a blend of Jamaican and Latin American influences) that blasts all day long.
reviewed
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Aguas Termales
A set of hot springs, aguas termales, are 24km north of Copán Ruinas, an hour’s drive through fertile mountains and coffee plantations. There are a couple of artificial pools or you can sit in the river, where the boiling hot-spring water mixes with the cool river water. Plans are in place to re-develop the area, but nothing was happening when we visited. Bring warm clothes if you come in the evening.
reviewed
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La Playita
At the far western end of Playa Espadilla, beyond a rocky headland (wear sandals), is one of Costa Rica's most famous gay beaches and a particular draw for young men. For years it was also one of Costa Rica's only nude beaches, but the nearby construction of a big hotel seems to have ended that tradition, and those who bathe in the buff have been known to suffer police harassment. The beach is inaccessible one hour before and after the high tide, so time your walk well. Also, don’t be fooled – you do not need to pay to use the beaches as they’re outside the park.
reviewed
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D
Museo Antropológico Reina Torres de Araúz
The Museo Antropológico Reina Torres de Araúz conveys the rich cultural heritage of Panama with a collection of pre-Colombian artifacts and exhibits.
reviewed
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E
Museo de Historia Panamá
The modest Museo de Historia Panamá has a small selection of exhibits covering Panamanian history from the colonial period to the modern era.
reviewed