CONTENTS LIST OF MAPS 1 THE BEST OF CENTRAL AMERICA 1 1 The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences.................1 2 The Best Small Towns & Villages....3 3 The Best Beaches..................4 4 The Best Outdoor Adventures......5 5 The Most Intriguing Historical Sites.....................7 6 The Best Museums & Churches.....8 vii 7 The Best Small & Moderately Priced Hotels......................9 8 The Best Luxury Hotels & Ecolodges........................10 9 The Best Local Dining Experiences.......................12 10 The Best Markets & Shops.........14 11 The Best of Central America Online...................15 2 CENTRAL AMERICA IN DEPTH 17 1 Central America in 2 Weeks or More...........................17 2 Central America Past & Present....21 Maya History........................ 22 3 A Central American Cultural Primer....................41 Etiquette Tips........................ 50 4 The Lay of the Land...............51 5 Eating & Drinking in Central America...................53 3 PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO CENTRAL AMERICA 56 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 1 Visitor Information................56 2 Entry Requirements...............56 3 When to Go.......................59 Calendar of Events.................. 59 4 Getting There & Getting Around...........................62 5 Money & Costs....................67 Central American Currency Conversions......................... 68 6 Health............................70 7 Safety.............................72 8 Specialized Travel Resources......72 9 Sustainable Tourism...............74 It s Easy Being Green................ 75
iv 10 Packages & Escorted Tours........76 11 Special-Interest Trips..............78 12 Staying Connected................80 13 Tips on Accommodations.........81 4 BELIZE 84 CONTENTS FROMMER S CENTRAL AMERICA 1 The Regions in Brief...............84 2 The Best of Belize in 1 Week.......85 Belize.......87 at a Glance......................... 88 Fast Facts: Belize.................... 93 4 Belize City.........................95 Baron Bliss.........................101 in Belize............................107 5 Ambergris Caye................. 108 The Perfect Plunge.................112 6 Caye Caulker.................... 121 Chocolate & the Manatees.........124 7 San Ignacio & the Cayo District.......................... 131 8 Placencia & Southern Belize..... 142 5 GUATEMALA 152 1 The Regions in Brief............. 152 2 The Best of Guatemala in 1 Week....................... 153 Guatemala...................... 156 at a Glance........................157 Fast Facts: Guatemala.............162 4 Guatemala City................. 164 in Guatemala......................177 5 Antigua......................... 178 Semana Santa (Holy Week)........184 6 Panajachel & Lake Atitlán........ 190 Maximón..........................194 7 Quetzaltenango & the Western Highlands.............. 200 8 Tikal & El Petén.................. 207 Sunrise, Sunset.....................214 Seeing the Forest from the Trees....215 6 EL SALVADOR 222 1 Regions in Brief................. 222 2 The Best of El Salvador in 1 Week.......................... 224 El Salvador...................... 226 CORSATUR Offices..................227 at a Glance........................233 Fast Facts: El Salvador..............234 4 San Salvador.................... 236 Remembering Monseñor Romero............................242 Staying Safe........................244 Fernando Llort: El Salvador s Preeminent Artist..................247 Spanish Classes in El Salvador.....253 5 Santa Ana....................... 255 Defining MS-13....................258 6 Lago de Coatepeque............ 262
Natural Disasters...................265 7 Ruta de las Flores............... 267 Sonsonate.........................270 8 Tacuba & Parque Nacional El Imposible.................... 275 9 Parque Montecristo & Lago de Guija........................ 277 10 Suchitoto....................... 280 11 Concepción de Quezaltepeque................. 287 Volunteer Opportunities in El Salvador......................289 12 La Palma & El Pital............... 290 13 Barra de Santiago............... 294 14 Balsamo Coast.................. 298 15 Eastern Pacific Coast............ 304 16 Eastern El Salvador.............. 309 Understanding El Salvador s Civil War...........................310 7 HONDURAS 318 1 The Regions in Brief............. 319 2 The Best of Honduras in 1 Week....................... 320 Honduras....................... 322 at a Glance........................323 Fast Facts: Honduras...............328 4 Tegucigalpa..................... 330 5 Western Honduras.............. 341 Parque Nacional El Cusuco........345 La Entrada & the Ruins of El Puente........................356 6 Copán Ruínas & Copán Town.... 356 7 Santa Rosa de Copán........... 366 8 Gracias.......................... 369 National Hero: Lempira............370 9 The North Coast................ 374 10 The Bay Islands................. 398 Top Scuba Diving Sites in Roatán..........................404 Top Five Scuba Diving Sites in Utila............................416 Top Scuba Diving Sites in Guanaja........................422 11 La Mosquitia.................... 425 v FROMMER S CENTRAL AMERICA CONTENTS 8 NICARAGUA 429 1 The Regions in Brief............. 429 2 The Best of Nicaragua in 1 Week....................... 431 3 Planning Your Trip to Nicaragua.................... 432 at a Glance........................434 Fast Facts: Nicaragua..............439 4 Managua....................... 440 Where the Streets Have No Name: Getting Around in Managua.......................445 5 León & the Northwest........... 460 Festivals in León....................463 Volcano Hopping from León.......466 The Life & Times of Benjamin Linder..............................471 6 Granada & the Masaya Region.......................... 473 Volunteering Opportunities in Nicaragua.......................484 7 Masaya......................... 488 Festivals in Masaya.................492
vi 8 San Juan del Sur & the Southwest...................... 494 9 Lago de Nicaragua & Isla de Ometepe.................... 503 Climbing Ometepe s Volcanoes....508 10 The Caribbean.................. 514 Attractions Around Bluefields......517 11 North-Central Nicaragua........ 523 Coffee Cooperatives Around Matagalpa.........................526 Reserva Natural Miraflor...........533 CONTENTS FROMMER S CENTRAL AMERICA 9 COSTA RICA 536 1 The Regions in Brief............. 536 2 The Best of Costa Rica in 1 Week....................... 538 3 Planning Your Trip to Costa Rica.................... 540 at a Glance........................541 Fast Facts: Costa Rica..............548 4 San José & the Central Valley.... 550 Only in the Central Valley: Dining Under the Stars on a Mountain s Edge...............................567 Holy Smoke! Choosing the Volcano Trip That s Right for You............574 5 Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula....................... 578 6 Monteverde..................... 592 7 The Arenal Volcano & Environs........................ 601 Boats, Horses & Taxis...............604 Taking a Soothing Soak in Hot Springs........................606 in Costa Rica.......................611 8 Manuel Antonio................. 612 9 The Southern Zone............. 621 10 Caribbean Coast Beaches: Cahuita & Puerto Viejo.......... 627 11 Jungle Canals & Turtle Nesting in Tortuguero................... 632 10 PANAMA 636 1 The Regions in Brief............. 636 2 The Best of Panama in 1 Week... 638 Panama... 640 at a Glance........................643 Fast Facts: Panama................646 4 Panama City.................... 649 Other Museums in Panama City...658 Spas in Panama...................672 5 The Panama Canal & the Canal Zone..................... 673 Volunteer & Study Programs in Panama...........................680 6 Boquete........................ 680 Isla Coiba..........................683 Central Panama in Brief............690 7 Bocas del Toro Archipelago..... 692 Isla Bastimentos...................697 The San Blas Islands................702
APPENDIX: FAST FACTS, TOLL-FREE NUMBERS & WEBSITES 703 vii 1 Fast Facts: Central America...... 703 2 Toll-Free Numbers & Websites... 707 INDEX 710 LIST OF MAPS Central America in 2 Weeks....... 18 Belize in 1 Week.................. 86 Belize City....................... 98 The Northern Cayes & Atolls..... 113 Caye Caulker.................... 125 Placencia....................... 145 Guatemala in 1 Week............ 155 Guatemala City.................. 168 Antigua......................... 183 Lake Atitlán..................... 193 Western Highlands.............. 203 Tikal............................ 211 Flores & Santa Elena............. 219 El Salvador in 1 Week............ 225 San Salvador.................... 238 Santa Ana....................... 257 Ataco & Ruta de las Flores....... 269 Suchitoto....................... 283 Balsamo Coast & Western Pacific Coast.................. 299 Eastern Pacific Coast............ 307 Honduras in 1 Week............. 321 Tegucigalpa..................... 331 San Pedro Sula.................. 343 Copán Ruínas................... 357 Copán Archaeological Site....... 361 Tela............................. 375 La Ceiba........................ 383 Roatán.......................... 399 Utila Town...................... 413 Nicaragua in 1 Week............. 432 Managua....................... 441 León............................ 461 Granada........................ 475 San Juan del Sur................ 495 Isla de Ometepe................. 505 Big Corn Island.................. 521 Matagalpa...................... 527 Costa Rica in 1 Week............. 539 San José........................ 552 Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula..................... 579 Monteverde..................... 593 The Northern Zone.............. 603 Manuel Antonio................. 613 Panama in 1 Week............... 639 Panama City.................... 650 Canal Zone...................... 675 Boquete........................ 681 Bocas del Toro................... 693 FROMMER S CENTRAL AMERICA CONTENTS