Surf and turf: Central America holiday ideas Central America has something for everyone, from surfing down a volcano to surfing in the Pacific, and from rainforest lodges to pensiones in colonial cities
The Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica. Photograph: Alamy
Central America is gaining in popularity for adventure travel. Earlier this year, Latina Marketing, which promotes the region in Europe, announced a 7% increase in British travellers there in 2011 compared with 2010 – there were around 85,000 between January and October. There had been a 6% increase in foreign visitors, to more than 9.5 million.
Here are some of the region's highlights, to explain why it's on the hot list.
Belize
Tiny, English-speaking Belize is great for an action-packed holiday: snorkelling or diving on the second biggest barrier reef in the world, spotting jaguars in the Cockscomb Basin wildlife sanctuary, kayaking down jungle rivers or just relaxing on the Caribbean beaches. Don't miss Belize City, Mayan archaeological sites (such as Lamanai or Caracol) and the fantastic islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.
Go it alone Check out travelbelize.org for unusual activities including cave tubing, plus ideas of where to stay.
Book a trip Journey Latin America (020-3432 1514,journeylatinamerica.co.uk) has a 12-day trip from £1,976pp, staying in luxury countryside and beach lodges, excluding flights.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is paradise for watersports fans, with white-water rafting at Turrialba, surfing on the Nicoya peninsula and calm seas for swimming along the Caribbean coast. Land-based attractions aren't in short supply either, with volcanoes in Rincón de la Vieja national park and cloud forests around Monteverde. Tortuguero national park is a great place to see leatherback and green turtles. La Kukula Lodge is a new small hotel in the jungle, a few hundred metres from the white-sand beaches (lakukulalodge.com, doubles $80).
Go it alone Visitcostarica.com has information about destinations, accommodation and events, plus bus timetables and a list of car rental companies for independent travellers. It also has a large section on sustainable tourism, with details of ecohotels and activities, such as zip lines in the rainforest. Go to turismo-sostenible.co.cr/en for more on sustainable travel in Costa Rica.
Book a trip Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com) has a two-week multisport holiday from £1,099, excluding flights but including rafting, hiking and biking, and optional kayaking, waterfall rappelling, ziplining and surfing.
Guatemala
Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. Photograph: Ocean/Corbis
Guatemala is home to one of the finest colonial cities in Central America, Antigua. The craft markets in the highland villages are renowned, especially Chichicastenango. and natural highlights include Lago Atitlán, a highland lake encircled by volcanoes, Semuc Champey, a series of limestone pools, and the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes mountain range. The lost city of Tikal is one of the largest Mayan archaeological sites, and American archaeologists have just discovered the oldest Mayan calendar ever found (1,200 years old) on the walls of Xultun in the north. You could stay in that region at film director Francis Ford Coppola's La Lanchacoppolaresorts.com/lalancha, casitas sleeping two from $101) resort.
Go it alone The official tourist information site, visitguatemala.com, is very basic. A better starting point is the Wikitravel page,wikitravel.org/en/Guatemala, which has useful information on travelling by "chicken bus" and getting off the beaten track.
Book a trip Explore (0845 013 1537, explore.co.uk) has a 15-day family trip, Active Guatemala, from £1,275 (adults), £805 (children), excluding flights.
El Salvador
Another tiny but hugely scenic country, El Salvador boasts great mountain landscapes along La Ruta de las Flores, tropical forests in the El Imposible national park and surfing beaches on the Pacific coast – El Sunzal is the best. The Akwamar Adventure Club based there offers surfing and paragliding packages (akwamarsunzal.com). Cobbled Suchitoto is a lovely colonial town with an arty feel, and Joya de Cerén is unmissable: a pre-Hispanic village that was engulfed by a volcano and preserved under a layer of ash, like Pompeii.
Go it alone Elsalvador.travel has six suggested routes through the country, depending on your interests: coffee, culture, beaches, archaeology ... It also has a handy distance guide so you can work out if your planned trek/cycle ride is actually feasible. Or travel along the Peace Trail, through an area in the north-east that suffered most in the civil war (1980-92). It is a beautiful region of rivers and waterfalls, ideal for hiking and mountain biking, where tourism really benefits the local community (seeelsalvadordestinos.com).
Book a trip Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com) has a four-day La Ruta de las Flores tour from £521 excluding flights, or Journey Latin America (020-3432 1514, journeylatinamerica.co.uk) has a 10‑day Highlights of El Salvador trip from £1,322, excluding flights.
Nicaragua
Unspoilt Nicaragua is famed for lakes and volcanoes, some covered by rainforest and suitable for hiking, some home to coffee plantations. You can walk to the top of the active Masaya volcano (usually – in recent weeks it has been a little too active for comfort); find petroglyphs on the volcanic island of Ometepe; visit the far-flung Corn Islands; or even surf down the side of the Cerro Negro volcano. The country's best-preserved colonial cities include Granada and Léon – the capital Managua is less appealing. Nicaragua is also a cheaper alternative to Costa Rica for surfers – for a budget break on the Pacific coast, try El Coco Loco, a surf and yoga resort (elcocolocoresort.com, cabins for four from around $65pp/pn, including meals and beer).
Go it alone Vianica.com is a comprehensive resource, covering everything from sea turtle nesting sites to homestays where you can learn about coffee cultivation and Nicaraguan cooking.
Book a trip Exodus (0845 004 7089, exodus.co.uk) has a 16-day cycle tour of Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica from £2,499 including flights.
Honduras
Ruins at Copán in Honduras. Photograph: Ocean/Corbis
Honduras is ideal for island-hopping: the Bay Islands have white sandy beaches and the main island, Roatán, has good accommodation. The fishing villages around Tela on the northern coast are the place to experience authentic Garifuna food and culture. Wildlife lovers should head to the Pico Bonito national park to observe native armadillos, or to Lago de Yojoa, with its hundreds of bird species. The ruined city of Copán is an impressive site.
Go it alone Roatanisland.net focuses on the largest island, including where to find a secluded beach. Letsgohonduras.com has a directory of hotels across Honduras plus details of La Ruta Lenca, a trail through towns that still keep the traditions of the ancient Lenca, predecessors of the Mayans.
Book a trip On The Go Tours (020-7371 1113, onthegotours.com) has a 15-day tour of Honduras and Nicaragua from £990, excluding flights, staying in simple hotels and guesthouses.
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