San Jose is quite a young capital city, without much in the way of fanciful architecture or colonial streets. Besides neat street art and delicious food, the main attraction is the National Theater. There are also quite a few museums downtown, like the National Museum of Costa Rica below. The best part about our time … More San Jose, Costa Rica
La Fortuna lies at the base of Arenal Volcano, which rises over 1,600 meters high. Although it has been dormant since 2010, a major eruption is 1968 destroyed a nearby village. Unfortunately, these are the only photos I could snag of a sloth. Sloths are only found in Central America. We saw this beautiful crested … More La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Monteverde is absolutely gorgeous. The lush canopies and rolling hillsides harbor countless mammalian and reptilian species, and provide the perfect habitat for many migratory birds including the famous quetzal. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the surrounding region contain seven different ecological life zones and have nearly continual cloud cover, lending plenty of humidity and … More Monteverde, Costa Rica
Ometepe Island is the largest island on Lake Nicaragua. The Nahuatl word Ometepe means “two mountains,” named for the two large volcanoes on the island. Concepcion and Maderas are the two volcanoes that loom over the island, always partially covered by clouds. Although volcano hikes are an optional activity on the island, we instead decided … More Ometepe Island, Nicaragua
Granada was founded in 1524 by Cordoba, just like Leon. The architecture is beautiful, but the streets are a little rougher than Leon. We took a long day tour of Granada and the surrounding areas. It included a city walk in the old district, visits to a chocolate factory and ceramic workshop in the white … More Granada, Nicaragua
We kept hearing about the Nicaragua “crisis” over and over, and each time, our fears loomed larger. Should we really be traveling there right now? Is it safe enough for tourists? We questioned our guide about the crisis, and he gave a great synopsis of the recent happenings in the country since that fateful April … More Leon, Nicaragua
El Cuco is a surfer’s paradise. We stayed at an ecolodge known for saving sea turtle eggs and rescuing injured pelicans, basically an animal lover’s dream. The rolling waves and soft sandy shores provided the perfect learning environment for surfing. We took surf lessons one morning and lo and behold, I can get up on … More El Cuco, El Salvador
With the continued violence of drug cartels after a prolonged and bloody war, it is not surprising that El Salvador is not exactly known for tourism. With a peace agreement signed between the two warring drug cartels of the country, reports of violence has dropped, but the residual fear of extortion, kidnapping, and the likes … More Suchitoto, El Salvador
Copan is a quaint and humble town without much to do other than touring the Mayan ruins. We strolled along the various streets and stopped at a chocolate and tea shop, where a family makes each product from plants grown on site. We tried the traditional Mayan chocolate drink, which was quite bitter and ended … More Copan, Honduras
I am in rapture over Antigua. The terracotta and sky blue buildings interspersed with pale yellows and oranges, the uniquely tiled ceilings and floors, the cobblestone streets with views of volcanoes, and the hip vibe all captured my imagination. It is a small town that is easily navigable with countless old wooden doors that lead … More Antigua, Guatemala