Costa Rica mountains and hillside was amazing. view into valley was unbelievable. It was so much green for miles, and miles. cloud formation.

Central America

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.

Best Places to Visit

Money and Costs

Attractions

Must-see attractions for your itinerary

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…
La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Central Valley & Highlands
This polished storybook garden complex just east of Volcán Poás offers the most easily digestible cultural experience in the Central Valley and is the…
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…
Punta Uva
Southern Caribbean
Off a dirt road marked by Punta Uva Dive Center is a quiet, idyllic cove that could double for a scene in the film The Beach. When the water is calm, it…
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…
Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya
Masaya & Los Pueblos Blancos
Described by the Spaniards as the gates of hell, the craters that comprise Volcán Masaya National Park are the most easily accessible active volcanoes in…
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…

View more attractions

Articles

Latest stories from Central America

Filter by interest:

Two samba dancers performing at Carnival.

Beaches

8 great Carnival celebrations in Latin America and the Caribbean

Feb 15, 2023 • 6 min read

More than 50 countries across the world host Carnival, but it's in Latin America and the Caribbean that you will find its beating heart. These are the best.