Must-SeeTikal
Guatemala
Giant Maya temples rising above the jungle canopy, with howler monkeys at dawn.
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Central America
Maya ruins, volcanoes and cloud forest between two oceans.
Countries
Belize
Reefs, Maya temples and jungle, in English.
Costa Rica
Volcanoes, cloud forests and sloths: the world's model for nature travel.
El Salvador
Volcanoes, surf and Maya ruins in Central America's smallest country.
Guatemala
The heart of the Maya world, with volcanoes and living traditions.
Honduras
Copán's carved stone, and Caribbean reef islands.
Nicaragua
Lakes and volcanoes, with two old colonial rivals.
Panama
The great canal, and two oceans an hour apart.
The Short List
Must-SeeWorth a DetourBelize Barrier Reef and the Blue Hole
Belize
The Western Hemisphere's largest barrier reef, and a famous deep blue sinkhole.
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Worth a DetourAmbergris Caye and Caye Caulker
Belize
Laid-back reef islands with Hol Chan's sharks and rays, on golf carts.
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Worth a DetourActun Tunichil Muknal
Belize
Swim and climb into a Maya sacrificial cave, with crystal skeletons. By guided tour only.
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Worth a DetourMonteverde Cloud Forest
Costa Rica
Hanging bridges through misty forest, with quetzals and zip lines.
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Worth a DetourArenal and La Fortuna
Costa Rica
A perfect volcano cone above hot springs, a waterfall and a lake.
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Worth a DetourEl Tunco and the Surf Coast
El Salvador
World-class waves on the Pacific coast, known as Surf City.
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Worth a DetourAntigua Guatemala
Guatemala
A ruin-studded colonial town between three volcanoes. Holy Week here is famous.
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Worth a DetourLake Atitlán
Guatemala
A volcano-ringed lake with Maya villages, each reached by boat.
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Worth a DetourRoatán and the Bay Islands
Honduras
Reef diving, among the Caribbean's cheapest, on the Mesoamerican Reef. Utila has whale sharks.
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Worth a DetourOmetepe
Nicaragua
Twin volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua, with ancient petroglyphs.
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Worth a DetourPanama Canal
Panama
See huge ships locked through at Miraflores, or take a transit yourself.
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Worth a DetourPanama City and Casco Viejo
Panama
A restored colonial quarter facing a skyline of glass towers.
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If You're NearbyCaracol and Xunantunich
Belize
Belize's two great Maya cities, one deep in the jungle, one reached by a hand-cranked ferry.
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If You're Nearby
If You're Nearby
If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyCorcovado and the Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
Among the most biodiverse places on Earth, where guides are required.
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If You're NearbyTortuguero
Costa Rica
Jungle canals and nesting green turtles, reached only by boat or plane.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyGuanacaste Beaches
Costa Rica
Dry-forest coast, with Tamarindo's surf, Nosara's yoga and Santa Teresa nearby.
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If You're NearbyPoás and Irazú Volcanoes
Costa Rica
Two easy-to-reach crater views, near the capital. Reservations and closures vary.
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If You're NearbyCahuita and Puerto Viejo
Costa Rica
The relaxed Caribbean coast, with a distinct Afro-Caribbean culture.
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If You're NearbyCocos Island
Costa Rica
A remote, liveaboard-only island famous for schools of hammerhead sharks.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyJoya de Cerén and Tazumal
El Salvador
The Pompeii of the Americas, a Maya village buried by ash about 600 AD.
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If You're NearbySanta Ana Volcano and Lake Coatepeque
El Salvador
Hike to a sulfur crater lake, looking over a bright blue caldera.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyAcatenango Volcano Hike
Guatemala
An overnight climb to watch Fuego erupt beside you. Tough and thrilling; go with a guide.
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If You're NearbySemuc Champey
Guatemala
Turquoise pools stepping over a limestone bridge in the jungle.
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If You're NearbyChichicastenango
Guatemala
The country's most famous market, around a church where Maya rites still go on.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyEl Mirador
Guatemala
A vast early Maya city, reached by a five-day jungle trek or helicopter.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyIf You're NearbyCopán
Honduras
The Maya world's finest sculpture, with a hieroglyphic stairway and scarlet macaws.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyIf You're NearbyGranada
Nicaragua
A colorful Spanish colonial city on a huge lake, with hundreds of tiny islets.
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If You're NearbyLeón
Nicaragua
A leftist university town with a huge cathedral, and volcano boarding on Cerro Negro.
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If You're NearbyMasaya Volcano
Nicaragua
A drive-up crater with a glowing lava lake, when it's visible.
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If You're Nearby
If You're Nearby
If You're Nearby
If You're NearbySan Blas Islands
Panama
Hundreds of palm-dotted islands run by the Indigenous Guna people.
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If You're NearbyBocas del Toro
Panama
Caribbean islands with overwater hotels, dolphins and starfish.
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If You're NearbyBoquete and Volcán Barú
Panama
Highland coffee farms and quetzals, with a climb where you can see both oceans on a clear day.
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If You're Nearby
If You're NearbyPortobelo
Panama
Spanish forts that guarded the treasure fleet, on the Caribbean coast.
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On the Map
Grey pins: guides still being written.