Top 10 stops for Central America first-timers

Nov 28, 2010 12:44:39 AM

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The green cufflinks between North and South America, these seven compact countries would be easy to skip on a map. Yet they represent a complex web of cultures, ancient ruins, tropical wildlife and adventure.

For starters, try climbing lava-gurgling volcanoes with perfect cones that poke above the cloud line. Rambling jungle walks lead past Maya pyramids, through the dark canopy where pumas, sloths, howler monkeys and quetzals live. Surfing towns link the Pacific shoreline dot to dot, where waves rush gold-sand beaches. Diving is dirt cheap, and certification programs can lead even beginners before sea turtles and nurse sharks in a maze of coral reefs.

Beyond the beaches, there are hidden Maya, Kuna and Miskito villages, haciendas turned language schools and the cobbled streets of beautiful Spanish-colonial towns, where vendors push squeaky carts of fresh corn or shaved ice.

1. Tikal, Guatemala

Certainly the most striking feature of Tikal is its steep-sided temples, rising to heights of more than 44 meters. But Tikal is different from Copán, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, and most other great Mayan sites, because it is fairly deep in the jungle. Its many plazas have been cleared of trees and vines, its temples uncovered and partially restored, but as you walk from one building to another you pass beneath the dense canopy of rainforest. Rich, loamy aromas of earth and vegetation, a peaceful air, and animal noises contribute to an experience not offered by other Mayan sites.

2. Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala

Nineteenth-century traveler and chronicler John L Stephens, writing in Incidents of Travel in Central America, called Lago de Atitlán ‘the most magnificent spectacle we ever saw,’ and he’d been around a bit. Today even seasoned travelers marvel at the lake’s rippling expanse and the villages that tumble down from green hills to its shores. Fishermen in rustic craft ply the lake’s aquamarine surface, while indigenous women in multi-colored outfits do their washing by the banks where trees burst into bloom. Fertile hills dot the landscape, and over everything loom the volcanoes, permeating the entire area with a mysterious beauty.

3. The Hummingbird Highway, Belize

Passing through jungle and citrus orchard as it skirts the northern edges of the Maya Mountain range, Belize’s Hummingbird Highway offers a near constant procession of postcard-perfect vistas. There are also plenty of reasons to stop along the way, chief among these being a visit to Cave’s Branch for cave tubing and St Herman’s Cave, where, with a guide, you can explore its huge caverns and classic Maya ceremonial chambers containing calcified skeletons and artifacts. There’s also the Blue Hole, a 25ft-deep sapphire-blue swimming hole inside a 328ft-wide cenote that was formed when the roof caved in on one of the Sibun River’s underground tributaries.

4. Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador

The wildflower of El Salvadoran tourism is a 36km-long winding trip through brightly colored colonial towns famed for lazy weekends of gastronomy and gallery-hopping, as well as more adventurous pursuits like mountain biking, horseback riding and hiking to hidden waterfalls scattered throughout the glorious Cordillera Apaneca. Home to the country’s first coffee plantations, some of its finest indigenous artesans and a world-famous weekly food festival, the ‘Flower Route’ anticipates El Salvador’s return to the traveler’s map.

5. Bay Islands, Honduras

Honduras’s Bay Islands move to a lyrical reggae beat and offer some of the best diving and snorkeling in Central America. Perched on the southern terminus of the Mesoamerican Reef – the second largest barrier reef in the world – this is a water-lovers dream, with amazing reef systems and enough marine life to keep divers and snorkelers busy for days on end. Backpackers and indie travelers will love the sand streets and cheap accommodations of Utila, while mainstream Roatán – the most visited of the islands – appeals to an older crowd, families and folks looking for a bit more on the creature-comfort scale.

6. Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

Isla de Ometepe’s twin volcanic peaks, rising up out of Lago de Nicaragua have captured the imagination of everyone from pre-colonial Aztec descendents (who thought they’d found the Promised Land) to Mark Twain (who waxed lyrical about it in his book Travels with Mr Brown) to the surprisingly few travelers who make it out here. The island’s fertile volcanic soil, clean waters, wide beaches, wildlife population, archaeological sites and dramatic profile landed it on the 2006 shortlist for the new Seven Natural Wonders of the World (though it did not make the final cut).

7. León, Nicaragua

A hotbed of intellectualism, revolution and independence, the city has played host to some of Nicaragua’s most important political and artistic moments. Buzzing with energy and, at times, drop dead gorgeous (in a crumbling colonial kind of way), León is a city of awe-inspiring churches and cathedrals, fabulous art collections, stunning streetscapes, cosmopolitan eateries and all-week, walk-everywhere happening nightlife. Not as polished as its age-old rival Granada, many people love it precisely for its rough, exciting edges.

8. Monteverde & Santa Elena, Costa Rica

Strung between two lovingly preserved cloud forests is this slim corridor of civilization, which consists of the Tico village of Santa Elena and the Quaker settlement of Monteverde. A 1983 feature article in National Geographic described this unique landscape and subsequently billed the area as the place to view one of Central America’s most famous birds – the resplendent quetzal. Since then, the cloud forests near Monteverde and Santa Elena have become Costa Rica’s premier destination for everyone from budget backpackers to well-heeled retirees. Indeed, this is a place where you can be inspired about the possibility of a world where organic farming and alternative energy sources help to salvage the fine mess we’ve made of the planet.

9. Arenal Route, Costa Rica

If you’ve got a little time, take the road from Ciudad Quesada to the Arenal area – you are in for one beautiful ride. With the backdrop of Volcán Platanar behind you, the road winding through this green, river-rich agrarian region passes through prosperous, quaint towns bright with bougainvillea. In front of you, if the weather cooperates, the smoking peak of Arenal will loom in the distance. Past La Fortuna, the paved road hugs the north bank of Laguna de Arenal. On either side of the road, up the green slope and down on the lake side, turnouts and driveways for lovely inns, kooky ersatz Austrian mini-villages, hip coffee houses and eccentric galleries appear invitingly like pictures in a pop-up book. Heading back around the western edge of the lake, you’ll pass through the lakeside Nuevo Arenal and down to the pleasant mountain town of Tilarán before descending back toward the Interamericana.

10. Panama City

The most cosmopolitan capital in Central America, Panama City is both a gateway to the country’s natural riches and a vibrant destination in its own right. A hub of international banking and trade, Panama City sports a sultry skyline of shimmering glass and steel towers reminiscent of Miami. The colonial neighborhood of Casco Viejo is a dilapidated peninsula with ruins and cobbled streets reminiscent of old Havana. After the city elite fled to live in skyscrapers, decades passed with Casco Viejo crumbling on the edge of the sea. Recently, artists and small businesses are moving back in and renovations are abundant. With luxury lofts, cafes and the hottest nightspots arriving, the Casco is approaching full-swing revival.

Also check out:

Five reasons Americans should choose Panama over the Caribbean by Gadling.com
Costa Rica sightseeing: top 5 attractions by AOL Travel

Start your Central American adventure today! Check out our Central America on a Shoestring, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama guides.

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Comments

11 November 2010 9:26AM poddys Report this comment
I definitely recommend Tikal to anyone. The view from the top of Temple 1, where as far as you can see in all directions is just jungle, is impressive.
Also Lake Atitlan surrounded by volcanoes is very beautiful, as is the city of Leon in Nicaragua.
I would have like to see on the list also the Mayan city of Copan in Honduras, which is truly impressive.
13 November 2010 9:36PM concarne Report this comment
Solid list. Don't think too many first timers miss Antigua. When doing the big trip all the way through to South America we found a stop at San Juan del Sur in Southern Nicaragua a great place to break the travel and get some beach time in. We found such a great place to stay we ended up there for 3 weeks in a beautiful house in the virgin jungle up above the waves. Magic.
14 November 2010 1:15AM ashmantoronto Report this comment
Absolutely love Panama. Casco Viejo is beautiful and may even be prettier than Habana (though Habana in its own right has its charm)
14 November 2010 2:53AM miamimikeshostel Report this comment
The best, for last.Panama City!
16 November 2010 12:35AM mardow Report this comment
I am very sad not to see the Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica on this list. It was one of the most special places we visited on our six months in Central America in 2009 with an abundance of wildlife.
We climbed Volcan Conceptione - a gruelling 12 hours up and down, one of the scariest things I have ever done, but solid memory of the trip.
Also, if you ever want to hide away on picture perfect islands with no one around then head to the San Blas Islands in Panama and stay with the Kuna - I started my trip that way and what a way to go!
We did our PADI Open Water courses on Utila with Alton's dive shop, their accommodation is right on the water and you cant fault their professionalism, highly recommended.
Central America was a blast from start to finish, I sit here at my desk now and wish I was climbing ruins, sand boarding down volcanoes, scuba diving with nurse sharks or haggling for hammocks again like I did just 10 months ago.
24 November 2010 3:07PM caseymaeknox Report this comment
I am truly glad to see Guatemala's Tikal and Lake Atitlan on the list as #1 and #2. These two destinations make Guatemala worth the trip alone. When you do plan your trip to Guatemala, you must stay in Antigua, Guatemala. An amazing city. No matter what city you stay in or visit, one thing is for sure- the people are so warm and welcoming.
20 December 2010 12:23PM takeyourbigtrip Report this comment
This list is excellent and very inspirational. I'm using it to plan my next big trip - Central America!
11 January 2011 10:49AM primartaind Report this comment
wow sangat indh
28 April 2011 5:28AM nomadicroad Report this comment
Great list, Great destinations. Love Guatemala and love the fact that it hits (1) and (2) on the list however i found it lacking with respect to semuc champey. this national park and natural wonder is known in country as THE up and coming destination when visiting guatemala. for all of you planning a trip, take note.
20 May 2011 12:46PM truckindave Report this comment
a little disappointed that the Hummingbird Hwy made the list--interesting, but definitely not worth going out of your way (and then paying the tourist exit tax) to see. Stick to the Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador for highways--plus there are things to do along the way, unlike in Belize.
10 September 2011 1:46AM mbdavis Report this comment
Check out this site for some tips on Costa Rica for first timers:
http://goodjuju2.blogspot.com/2011/09/costa-rica-for-1st-timers.html
The author is great at responding to questions too!
29 March 2012 4:39PM eljedm Report this comment
This list stops short at mentioning Copan in Honduras.. Truly an impressive site with its 3 D sculptures and alters....it should top the list...As for Belze, I think travellers should skip it all together, really not worth it... Bau Island in Honduras can be an alternative to the beaches....
3 April 2012 2:02AM arris85 Report this comment
I think the San Blas archipelago should be on the list too. Truly amazing. I would also skip the hummingbird highway, Belize. Great list though.