Contents9

Responsible Travel 4

Central America Highlights 5

The Authors 12

Itineraries 15

Getting Started 20

Snapshots 24

Mexico’s Yucatán & Chiapas 34TRANSPORTATION 35CHIAPAS 37San Cristóbal de Las Casas 37Around San Cristóbal 43Palenque 44Bonampak, Yaxchilán & the Carretera Fronteriza 48THE YUCATÁN 50Campeche 50Mérida 53Chichén Itzá 56Valladolid 57Cancún 58Isla Mujeres 62Playa del Carmen 63Isla Cozumel 65Tulum 68Around Tulum 70MEXICO DIRECTORY 71

Guatemala 76TRANSPORTATION 88GUATEMALA CITY 89ANTIGUA 102THE HIGHLANDS – LAGO DE ATITLÁN 115Panajachel 117Santiago Atitlán 124San Pedro La Laguna 125San Marcos La Laguna 128Santa Cruz La Laguna 130

THE HIGHLANDS – QUICHÉ 131Chichicastenango 131Santa Cruz del Quiché 135Nebaj 136Sacapulas to Cobán 137WESTERN HIGHLANDS 137Cuatro Caminos 137Totonicapán 137Quetzaltenango (Xela) 139Around Quetzaltenango (Xela) 148Huehuetenango 150Around Huehuetenango 153THE PACIFIC SLOPE 155Retalhuleu 156Parque Arqueológico Takalik Abaj 157Champerico 157Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa 158La Democracia 160Sipacate 161Escuintla 161Monterrico 161CENTRAL GUATEMALA 163Salamá 163Biotopo del Quetzal 165Cobán 165Around Cobán 170Cobán to Poptún 171ZACAPA & CHIQUIMULA 172Estanzuela 172Chiquimula 172Esquipulas 174IZABAL 176Quiriguá 176Lago de Izabal 177Puerto Barrios 181Punta de Manabique 184Lívingston 184Around Lívingston 188EL PETÉN 188Poptún 189Flores & Santa Elena 191El Remate 197Tikal 198Uaxactún 205Sayaxché & Ceibal 206Remote Maya Sites 207GUATEMALA DIRECTORY 207

Belize 218TRANSPORTATION 223BELIZE CITY 225

© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

10 C O N T E N T S

Refugio de Vida Silvestre Cuero y Salado 402Parque Nacional Pico Bonito 403Trujillo 404Around Trujillo 407BAY ISLANDS 408Roatán 411Utila 419THE MOSKITIA & EASTERN HONDURAS 426La Moskitia 426SOUTHERN HONDURAS 430Tegucigalpa to the Nicaraguan Border 430Tegucigalpa to the Pacific 430Golfo de Fonseca 431Choluteca 432San Marcos de Colón 434HONDURAS DIRECTORY 434

Nicaragua 442TRANSPORTATION 452MANAGUA 454AROUND MANAGUA 464Lagunas de Xiloá & Apoyeque 464Pochomil & Pacific Beaches 464NORTHERN NICARAGUA 464Matagalpa 465Jinotega 469Estelí 470Reserva Natural Miraflor 473Reserva Natural Cerro Tisey-Estanzuela 475Somoto 475LEÓN & NORTHWESTERN NICARAGUA 476León 476Around León 481GRANADA & THE MASAYA REGION 483Granada 484Around Granada 489Masaya 491Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya 494SOUTHWESTERN NICARAGUA 494Rivas 494San Jorge 495San Juan del Sur 496Around San Juan del Sur 498ISLA DE OMETEPE 500Moyogalpa 501Altagracia 502Charco Verde & Playa Venecia 503Santo Domingo 503

San Vicente 308Alegría 309Carretera del Litoral 309Isla Montecristo 310Usulután 310Bahía de Jiquilisco 311San Miguel 311La Unión 314Beaches near La Unión 315Islands in Golfo de Fonseca 316Morazán 317NORTHERN EL SALVADOR 319Suchitoto 319Chalatenango 321Around Chalatenango 322La Palma 323EL SALVADOR DIRECTORY 324

Honduras 330TRANSPORTATION 340TEGUCIGALPA 342AROUND TEGUCIGALPA 351Suyapa 351Santa Lucía 353Valle de Ángeles 353Parque Nacional La Tigra 354WESTERN HONDURAS 355Comayagua 355Siguatepeque 358La Esperanza 358Marcala 359Cuevas de Taulabé 360Lago de Yojoa 360Santa Bárbara 361San Pedro Sula 362Parque Nacional Cusuco 367La Entrada 369Copán Ruinas 369Around Copán Ruinas 374Copán Archaeological Site 374Santa Rosa de Copán 379Gracias 381Around Gracias 383Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque 384San Juan 385Nueva Ocotepeque 385NORTHERN HONDURAS 386Puerto Cortés 386Travesía & Baja Mar 388Omoa 388Tela 389Around Tela 393La Ceiba 395Around La Ceiba 401

THE NORTHERN CAYS 231Caye Caulker 231Ambergris Caye & San Pedro 234NORTHERN BELIZE 237Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary 237Altun Ha 237Lamanai 238Orange Walk 238Corozal 240WESTERN BELIZE 242Starting West on the Western Highway 242Belmopan 244San Ignacio (Cayo) 245Mountain Pine Ridge Area 248West to Guatemala 249SOUTHERN BELIZE 250Hummingbird Highway 250Dangriga 250Southern Highway 253Placencia 255Punta Gorda 258Around Punta Gorda 260BELIZE DIRECTORY 261

El Salvador 267TRANSPORTATION 275SAN SALVADOR 277AROUND SAN SALVADOR 290Cihuatán 290El Boquerón 290Ruinas de San Andrés 290Joya de Cerén 290Los Planes de Renderos 290Panchimalco 291La Libertad 291La Costa del Bálsamo 293WESTERN EL SALVADOR 295Parque Nacional Los Volcanes 295Lago de Coatepeque 296Santa Ana 296Metapán 298Parque Nacional Montecristo–El Trifinio 299Ruinas de Tazumal 300Ahuachapán 301Tacuba 302Ruta de Las Flores 303Sonsonate 305Parque Nacional El Imposible 306EASTERN EL SALVADOR 307East along the Interamericana 308

C O N T E N T S 11

Parque Nacional Volcán Barú 667Cerro Punta 668Parque Internacional La Amistad 668The Road to Bocas Province 669BOCAS DEL TORO 670Isla Colón 670Isla Carenero 677Isla Bastimentos 678Almirante 680Changuinola 680THE INTERIOR 681Santa Fé 681Santa Catalina 681Chitré 682Pedasí 683El Valle 684COLÓN PROVINCE 685Colón 685Around Colón 687Portobelo 687Isla Grande 689COMARCA DE KUNA YALA 690DARIÉN PROVINCE 694Metetí 698Yaviza 698El Real 699Parque Nacional Darién 699La Palma 699Sambú 700Cana 701PANAMA DIRECTORY 701

Central America Directory 710

Transportation 726

Health 734

Language 741

Glossary 748

Behind the Scenes 751

Index 757

GreenDex 774

Peñas Blancas & La Cruz 583PENÍNSULA DE NICOYA 584Playa del Coco 584Playa Tamarindo 585Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste 590Playas Avellanas & Negra 590Playa Sámara 591Playa Naranjo 592Paquera 592Montezuma 592Mal País & Santa Teresa 595Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco 596CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST 596Puntarenas 596Parque Nacional Carara 597Jacó 597Quepos 600Manuel Antonio 602Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio 603Dominical 605Uvita 606Parque Nacional Marino Ballena 606SOUTHERN COSTA RICA & PENÍNSULA DE OSA 606San Isidro de El General 607San Gerardo de Rivas 608Parque Nacional Chirripó 609Palmar Norte & Palmar Sur 609Sierpe 611Bahía Drake 611Puerto Jiménez 612Parque Nacional Corcovado 613Golfito 614Pavones 614Neily 615Paso Canoas 615COSTA RICA DIRECTORY 616

Panama 625TRANSPORTATION 636PANAMA CITY 638AROUND PANAMA CITY 653Panama Canal 653Around the Canal 654Monumento Nacional Isla Barro Colorado 656Isla Taboga 657CHIRIQUÍ PROVINCE 658David 658Golfo de Chiriquí 661Punta Burica 662Playa Las Lajas 663Boquete 663

Santa Cruz to Balgüe 503Mérida & San Ramón 504SAN CARLOS & AROUND 505San Carlos 505Archipiélago de Solentiname 506Río San Juan 507CARIBBEAN COAST 508Managua to the Caribbean 509Bluefields 509Laguna de Perlas 512Corn Islands 513Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas) 516NICARAGUA DIRECTORY 517

Costa Rica 522TRANSPORTATION 532SAN JOSÉ 534CENTRAL VALLEY & HIGHLANDS 546Alajuela 546Parque Nacional Volcán Poás 547Heredia 547Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo 550Cartago 551Río Orosi Valley 551Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú 552Turrialba 552Monumento NacionalArqueológico Guayabo 554CARIBBEAN COAST 555Tortuguero 555Puerto Limón 557Cahuita 560Parque Nacional Cahuita 563Puerto Viejo de Talamanca 564Manzanillo 567Sixaola 568NORTH CENTRAL COSTA RICA 568Tilarán 568Monteverde & Santa Elena 569La Fortuna & Volcán Arenal 574Los Chiles 576La Virgen 577Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí 577GUANACASTE 578Cañas 578Parque Nacional Palo Verde 579Reserva Biológica Lomas de Barbudal 579Liberia 579Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja 581Parque Nacional Santa Rosa 582

Golfo deHonduras

P A C I F I C

O C E A N

Golfo deFonseca

Río Ulúa

Río Motagua

RíoUsum

acin ta

Río Aguán

Santa AnaSAN SALVADOR

San MiguelSan Vicente

Playa delCarmen

San Miguelde Cozumel

San Cristóbalde Las Casas

CAMPECHE

Celestún

RÍo Lagartos

MÉRIDAValladolid

Isla Mujeres

Cancún

Tulum

La Unión

La Palma

Hopkins

BELMOPAN

TEGUCIGALPA

MANAGUA

QuetzaltenangoSiguatepeque

Comayagua

Choluteca

La Ceiba

Tela

CHINANDEGALEÓN

ESTELÍMATAGALPA

CHETUMAL

Placencia

San Pedro

Lívingston

Flores

Chichicastenango

Retalhuleu

Panajachel

CobánHuehuetenango

Antigua

Chiquimula

Trujillo

Gracias

Danlí

El Progreso

La Libertad

Perquín

El Mozote

La Unión

OCOTAL

SOMOTO

JINOTEGA

RIVAS

MASAYAGRANADA

Corozal

Dangriga

Tapachula

La Mesilla

Palenque

Bethel

CiudadCuauhtémoc

San Ignacio(Cayo)

San Juandel Sur

BelizeCity

CrookedTree

FronteraCorozal Santa

Elena

PuertoCortés

RíoDulce

Santa LucíaCotzumalguapa

OrangeWalk

PuntaGorda

San PedroSula

PuertoBarrios

GUATEMALACITY

CopánRuinas Santa Rosa

de Copán

TUXTLAGUTIÉRREZ

Felipe CarrilloPuerto

Comitán

Copán

VolcánTajumulco

(4220m)

Volcán Izalco(1910m)

92ºW 90ºW 88ºW 86ºW

8ºN

10ºN

12ºN

14ºN

86ºW88ºW90ºW92ºW94ºW96ºW

94ºW

20ºN

22ºN

Lago deYojoa

Lago deIzabal

Lago deManagua

Lago dePetén Itzá

Utila

RoatánGuanaja

Caye Caulker

Ambergris Caye

TurneffeIslands

Bay Islands(Islas de la Bahía)

H O N D U R A S

B E L I Z E

G U A T E M A L A

M E X I C O

E L S A L V A D O R

M E X I C O

16ºN

18ºN

Tulum

Lamanai

Tikal

Palenque

CobáUxmal

ChichénItzá

PlayaTamarindo

TIKAL (p198)

NORTHERN CAYS (p231)

BAY ISLANDS (p408)

COPÁN RUINAS (p369)

RUTA DE LAS FLORES (p303)

TULUM (p68)

LAGO DE ATITLÁN (p115)

SAN CRISTÓBALDE LAS CASAS (p37)

GRANADA (p484)

The Yucatán's favorite backpacker base,with beachside ruins and nearby cenotes

for otherworldly swimming

Cool colonial town of cobblestonesand markets, near Maya villages

and croc-filled canyons

PALENQUE (p44)Sprawling hillside Maya ruins,

jungle cabins and emerald-coloredwaterfalls nearby

Nurse sharks and stingrays brushagainst snorkeled bellies by unreal

reefs at Caye Caulker

The mother of all Maya ruins – toweringtemples and oodles of birds and monkeys

chattering in the misty jungle

Groove is the word at this highlandlake rimmed by Maya villages, volcanoes,

and opportunity for yoga classes

ANTIGUA (p102)

El Salvador's quiet colonial hill towns,in a land of wildflowers, coffee farms,

and lots of hiking options

Mountain village boastingfabulous Maya ruins, plus

heaps of horseback-riding and bird-watching options

offer best-deal coursesfor marine-rich reef dives

Nicaragua's colonial lakesidegem rolls out the welcome mat with

Scuba-diving heaven:these islands

volunteering opportunities andvolcanoes to climb

A gorgeous volcano-clad colonial town with a lively Holy Week and Spanish-language schools

C A R I B B E A N

S E A

Golfode

Nicoya

BahíaPuntaGorda

Golfo delos Mosquitos

Golfo deChiriquí

Bahía dePanamá

Golfo dePanamá

G e deat l paRío Wawa

Río Escon dido

Río

Patuca

Río Coco (Segovia)

San VitoPANAMACITY

Turrialba

Monteverde

Los Chiles

SAN JOSÉ

COLÓN

PUNTARENASCARTAGO

DAVIDSANTIAGO

PENONOMÉ

Jacó

Quepos

Cahuita

Tortuguero

Montezuma

El Coco

Rama

El Castillo

Yaviza

LA PALMA

Chepo

Chitré

Boquete

BOACO

JUIGALPA

BLUEFIELDS

LIBERIA

KINGSTON

San Isidrode El General

Puerto Viejode Talamanca

PUERTOCABEZAS

BOCAS DELTORO

PUERTOLIMÓN

Parque NacionalCorcovado

Volcán Arenal(1633m)

VolcánBarú

(3475m)

La Moskitia

84ºW 82ºW 80ºW 78ºW

16ºN

14ºN

12ºN

78ºW80ºW82ºW84ºW

18ºN

20ºN

22ºN76ºW

LagoBayano

RíoCh

ucunaque

Ríorand

Maga

Laguna deCaratasca

Lagunade Perlas

Isla deOmetepe

Isla deCoiba

Archipiélagode las Perlas

Corn Islands(Islas del Maíz,

Nicaragua)

Isla de San Andrés(Colombia)

Cayos Miskitos(Nicaragua)

Islas Santanilla(Swan Islands, Honduras)

Archipiélagode San Blás

Isla de Providencia(Colombia)

Península deNicoya

Penínsulade Osa

Penínsulade Azuero

J A M A I C A

C O L O M B I A

P A N A M A

C O S T A R I C A

N I C A R A G U A

10ºN

8ºN

76ºW

LA MOSKITIA (p426)

ISLA DE OMETEPE (p500)

CORN ISLANDS (p513)

PARQUE NACIONALTORTUGUERO (p555)

BOCAS DEL TORO (p670)

PANAMA CITY (p638)PARQUE NACIONALCORCOVADO (p613)

BOQUETE & THE CHIRIQUÍHIGHLANDS (p663)

sit back in Garífuna villages

hiking and pre-Columbian rock art

One-time pirate hub, now alow-key Caribbean kick-backer

with fresh lobster and cheap dives

Road-free 'mini-Amazon' that is hometo jigsaw canals, turtle-watching sites

and Creole cuisine

PUERTO VIEJO DETALAMANCA (p564)

Costa Rica's party central,with palm-backed beaches andgood breaks for expert surfers

Archipelago for island-hoppersseeking surf spots, village barsand a deserted beach or two

Remote national wonder of coastalrainforest where macaws circle

above and whales dance offshore

Cool, coffee-scented hills where roads through

Wild, remote rainforest – explore it in a dugout canoe or just

A fantasy island formed by joined volcanoes,with lovely villages, great beaches,

quetzal territory lead up Volcán Barú and raftingjunkies bounce through narrow canyons

Enjoy the great colonial district with Havana-esque faded

charm, plus canal trips

90 miles0150 km0

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