Central American round up

Mexico: Two months
Mexico has it all: amazing beaches, mountains, jungles, wildlife, culture, ancient ruins, music, great food, fiestas, and of course wonderful people. There is a lot of pre and post Hispanic history, as well as pre-human natural history. Mexico was our favorite country in central america. 

Belize: One week
Belize is an interesting contrast to the rest of Latin america- it has a distinctly Caribbean feel and is an interesting mix of cultures. It was once a British colony, and is now home to people who speak a creole language, cook a lot of delicious Caribbean barbecue, and are much darker than the rest of CA. The beaches and jungles are stunning.

Guatemala: One month
Guatemala has the highest percentage of indigenous people in CA, and this makes it the country with the most interesting culture. The Mayan ruins are spectacular, the native women in their traditional dress are beautiful, and the colonial spanish towns are fascinating. We loved it.

El Salvador: Two weeks
El Salvador's biggest draw is its beaches, which are amazing. It doesn't have as much wildlife or culture as its neighbors, but the Salvadoran people make up for that- they are the friendliest in CA. We found good volcano hikes, surf beaches and lovely small towns.

Honduras: Three hours
While you can't judge a country in three hours, our time here was full of difficult customs officials and very bad roads. 

Nicaragua: Three weeks
Getting robbed will always cloud your judgment of a place. There are excellent beaches, stunning canyons, gorgeous colonial towns, and heaps of volcanoes. But there are also people who will break into your van in the middle of the day and steal a whole bunch of your stuff.

Costa Rica: One week
We were expecting it to be really expensive and full of Americans (we have nothing against Americans, of course, but we don't travel around Latin America to hang out with them). It is both of those things, but it is also full of wildlife and home to incredibly friendly people. Costa Rica is our second favorite country in CA, and we can't wait to go back.

Panama: Three weeks
We hadn't given Panama much thought. There's nothing but the canal, right? Nope. Panama had the most and best free camping spots in all of CA- next to rivers, canyons, and coral reefs. And thanks to the huge international influence from the canal, we could find really good cheese, cheap wine, quinoa, and Triscuits. Panama is all right with us.