- Central America is a paradise of flora and fauna, imposing beaches and mighty rivers
- Central American countries offer endless activities to enjoy the best vacations, always surrounded by wilderness and dreamy views
Vacations are a time to disconnect and rest during which new places are discovered and the best views are enjoyed. That is why Central America, thanks to its crystalline beaches, exotic gastronomy and wilderness, turns into a paradise for travelers willing to enjoy their time off.
The possibility of practicing adventure sports, ecotourism, and archeological visits transform a common trip into a spectacular one. Central America is a trip filled with richness and biodiversity, as well as multiple opportunities to relax and enjoy unique experiences that allow a full route in eleven days.
TOUR 1: Swim with rays, kite surf, horseback rides and a sunrise in Tikal
The voyage can start in Belize, at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, where it’s possible to swim with rays. It’s exciting to observe that they approach visitors tamely, swimming while they are fed small bites of food; it’s an activity that can’t be missed. Also, more than 160 species of fish, marine turtles and coral reefs exist in these crystalline waters.
The Blue Hole, over 300 meters wide and 123 meters deep, is found in these waters. It’s a unique phenomenon; it forms part of the Belize Reef Barrier Reserve Systems, UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity.
The wonders that Belize hides convinced the Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio to build an exclusive tourist resort on Sumba Key. This project intends to combine ecology with the hotel industry in the area, turning it into an environmentally sustainable proposal.
Photo: Outkite
The Bay Islands in Honduras are the next stop in the journey of adventure and nature. 3 larger islands, Roatan, Utila and Guanaja, form them. The well known and extravagant Roatan is located on the second largest coral reef barrier in the world which makes this destination the perfect place to scuba dive and observe the wonders of nature that live in the bottom of the sea, fish of different colors many corals. Kite surf, the extreme sport of sliding on water and experimenting all the adrenaline in one of the best destinations in Honduras.
Midway through the journey is El Salvador and the Guazapa hill, which is the perfect destination to coexist with nature horseback riding and enjoying paths and waterfalls and observe a variety of birds and plants. This journey takes place in one of the most exotic waterfalls, El Tanque, Sonsonate, which will be 30 meters of pure adrenaline. There is also an opportunity to fly board on the well known Coatepeque Lake in Santa Ana.
(Photo: Disney/Lucasfilm)
To complete the Central American journey, in the deepest part of the jungle in Peten is Tikal National Park where visitors can take a tour to witness the sunrise surrounded by majestic Mayan pyramids, Star Wars style, in the same place that served as the setting to create the scenes of planet Yavin 4.
The tour starts at 4 a.m., where Tikal turns into a magical place, with the shrieks of howling monkeys and the call of the birds at dawn.
Tikal is so magical that Francis Ford Coppola, the renowned American director, built a hotel located on the shores of Lake Petén Itzá, the well known La Lancha Hotel, rated as one of the most luxurious hotels in the country, located 45 minutes from the park.
TOUR 2: Ecotourism, cycle tourism, sand boarding and camping under the stars
The first stop is Costa Rica, where different outdoor activities can be enjoyed such as cycle tourism; there is no better way to explore the tropical jungle surrounded by lake Arenal. The incredible biodiversity and nature of mountainous regions can be observed during the ride, one of the most enjoyable routes is Cartago, because the weather, little traffic and its proximity to San Jose increase the possibilities for entertainment.
Ecotourism is the best option that can be enjoyed for the next few days either from the capital city or its surrounding towns, always reinforcing awareness about biodiversity and its benefits. Upon arriving to Nicaragua a different adventure awaits, climbing the Cerro Negro volcano to later descend it sand boarding, which is an activity similar to snowboarding but this sport is done on sand, which turns it into an even more adventurous activity, without a doubt a unique experience. The renowned French sportsman Éric Barone, known as the “Red Baron”, characterized by his courage to practice extreme sports, reached his first world record for cycling speed at Cerro Negro on volcanic sand, reaching 130 kilometers per hour. After this torrent of adrenaline, it’s off to San Juan del Sur beaches, located on the Pacific coasts of Nicaragua, located in a majestic bay
To end this journey, the last visit is to the La Yeguada lagoon in Panama, where visitors can camp and walk through a pine forest, as well as sleep under the stars or visit the Central American Volcanic Arch, a chain of volcanoes that extends throughout the Pacific Ocean coastline. The Baru Volcano is there, a preferred spot located in the Chiriquí province, which has an incredible lukewarm climate forest that allows observation of the immensity of the vegetation of this Central American region, comforting activities that will refuel your energy for the next adventure.
