Central America

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Costa Rica

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Overview

With cerulean seas and verdant forests, magnificent Maya ruins and smoking volcanoes, Central America is like a tropical fairy tale except all of it is real.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA-MARCH 3, 2015: The National Theater in Costa Rica first opened to the public in 1897. It remains a top tourist destination today.; Shutterstock ID 265490903; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

Teatro Nacional

San José

On the southern side of the Plaza de la Cultura resides the Teatro Nacional, San José’s most revered building. Constructed in 1897, it features a columned…

Iguana in Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica

Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio

Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio & Around

Featuring lush jungle, picture-perfect beaches and craggy headlands, this tiny park (1680 acres/680 hectares) absolutely brims with wildlife (and often…

Playa Negra

Cahuita

At the northwestern end of Cahuita, Playa Negra is a long, black-sand beach flying the bandera azul ecológica, a flag that indicates that the beach is…

Stone water bowl at Hotel Casa Santa Domingo.

Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo

Antigua

Founded by Dominican friars in 1542, Santo Domingo became the biggest and richest monastery in Antigua. Following three 18th-century earthquakes, the…

Reserva Natural Volcán Mombacho

Nicaragua

It’s been a few decades since this 1345m volcano, the defining feature of the Granada skyline, has acted up, but it is still most certainly active and…

Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Ambergris Caye

At the southern tip of Ambergris, the 6.5-sq-mile Hol Chan Marine Reserve is probably Belize's most oft-visited diving and snorkeling site. It offers…

Convento y Museo San Francisco

Granada

One of the oldest churches in Central America, Convento San Francisco boasts a robin's egg–blue birthday-cake facade and houses both an important convent…

Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal

From 1968 until 2010, Volcán Arenal was an ever-active and awe-striking natural wonder, producing menacing ash columns, massive explosions and streams of…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Colonial cities, adventure treks, scuba diving, surfing: all there is to do in Central America can be overwhelming. Here’s our guide to the region’s best.

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Best Places to Visit

From coral reefs to Maya ruins and beyond, here are some of Central America's unmissable places.

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