As the topic says, we are going to discuss tourism in Central America. Why, especially in Central America, instead we can discuss North or South America. Central America is an important region because it is divided into north and south America and covered mostly only by water and forest areas. Due to this geography, Central America is famous for its beaches, rain forests, mountains, lakes, etc., and hence it is a large attraction for tourists from all around the globe. Costa Rica luxury resort, Guatemala beaches, Honduras nightlife, etc., are very popular for their beautiful tourism. Central America consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Important tourist attractions:
As mentioned already, Central America is full of beaches, mountains, forests, islands and volcanoes. Let’s discuss in brief the tourist places in Central America and their specialities.
Forests
Forests cover most of the area of Mesoamerica and are responsible for the climatic changes in and around this region. Almost 50 per cent of the carbon in Central America is stored in these forests, thus acting as the heart of the vast land area. The important forests of this region are
Maya forest
This is the second-largest forest after the Amazon, covering up to 13.3 million acres of forest area stretching across Belize and Guatemala. These forests have served as a home for many rare and endangered species like tapir, harpy eagle, jaguars, margay, puma, howler monkeys, etc. this forest helps to prevent the sites of Maya civilization excavated by archaeologists. Furthermore, tourists are encouraged to visit and know about the Maya culture and handicrafts by the special guided tours arranged by the government.
Moskitia forest
This forest is the second-largest tropical forest located partly in Honduras and Nicaragua, which has been dying due to deforestation. Almost 30 per cent of the forest area has vanished, and hence tourists are not encouraged in large numbers. But afforestation initiatives have been carried out by people and tourists take part in this good cause.
Beaches
The major tourist attractions are the beaches, and some of the famous beaches are:
Placentia, Belize
This warm beach located at the southern tip of the peninsula of Belize is used by visitors for complete relaxation in hammocks between the trees. In addition, this beach is popular for some activities like scuba diving, kayaking, climbing coconut trees for fresh tender coconuts and snorkelling.
San Juan del sur, Nicaragua
Busy yet small beach along the coastline of Nicaragua near the border of Costa Rica. This beach is popular for its lagoons, wildlife, lush greenery and sea turtle nesting spots. The main attractions are sunbathing, surfing, sailing and sport fishing.
Roatan, Honduras.
Located in Honduras bay islands, this white sand beach is the prime choice of tourists for its nightlife, Caribbean waves, price, fresh varieties of seafood, and whale sharks’ beauty.
Playa Tamarindo y Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.
Though the expenses are at the higher end, these beaches are worth it for their forest backed seashores, Costa Rica luxury resort and state of the art facilities for tourists making them the densely visited beaches of Central America.
Mountains
Mountains in Central America are mostly volcanic, and to name a few -Tajumulco, Tacana, Acatenango, Santa Maria, Volcan de agua, etc. the major mountain peaks are Sierra de Los Cuchumatanes, Cerro Chirripo, Doyle’s Delight and Cerro las Minas. These mountains are major tourist attractions for the active volcanoes, viewpoints for sunrise and sunsets, camping etc.
Most of the tourist attractions in Central America have been discussed above. However, the highlight in tourism of Central America is that most of them are natural tourist spots, thus making them best suitable for the tourists loving fauna and flora.
