How to plan the ultimate Central American trip

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Central America stretches precariously thin. Looking at it on a map, the isthmus linking Mexico to Colombia tapers progressively as it reaches southward. At its end, it covers around 30 miles in width — a strip of land so narrow, it seemingly leaves South America hanging on for dear life.

But this compact region is rich in natural treasures — so much so that it attracted the eye of the Spaniards, who arrived in the 16th century in search of gold and silver. The region eventually split into the seven countries known as Central America today: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. The Spaniards’ legacy is evident from the language to the architecture, with striking cities like Antigua Guatemala — a collection of one-storey homes in shades of coffee and pistachio, and neoclassical and baroque churches.

The conquistadors were hardly the first to set foot here. In the pre-Columbian era, some 80 Indigenous communities inhabited the region alongside the Maya, a civilisation that flourished between 2,000 BCE and AD 1600 from modern-day southern Mexico to Honduras. At their height, the region’s city-states were populated by millions and had ceremonial centres, colossal pyramids and astronomy complexes. Their warrior kings, dressed in jade and feathers, planned battles by reading the stars. They carved their deeds in stone, sculpting elaborate glyphs.

Tikal is famous for its pyramid tombs poking high above the jungle canopy.

Photograph by Macrophotos, Getty Images

Today, travellers can visit the ruins of these ancient civilisations amid Central America’s jungle, most famously those of Chichén Itzá, in the Yucatán, and Tikal in Guatemala. Those descended from the Maya, living predominantly in the Yucatán, Guatemala and Belize, preserve ancient crafts, cuisine and a deeply rooted spirituality. This heritage is on display in destinations like Belize’s Toledo District, with as many as 30 Maya villages, and Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán, sacred to the Maya who still live on its shores.

Earthquakes and some 70 volcanoes have shaped this region in other ways, shattering cities and creating fertile lands for growing coffee, tobacco and fruit. There are beaches to suit every taste, too — some wild with surf, others soft-sand hideaways with clear waters. Inland, tropical jungle, rivers and mountains harbour between 5-12% of the world’s biodiversity; Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula is … Read More