Which Central American country is best?

Question

I am traveling to Central America with 7 of my friends, guys and girls are mixed. Which country is best for us? We looked into Costa Rica, Belize, or Honduras. What matters most to us are nice beaches, sites to see during the day, and a happening nightlife. We don't want to do Mexico because a few of us have already been there.

Answer 1

I would recomend GUATEMALA. Pleople are very warm. You could go to Flores and visit El Tikal and el Peten its so beautiful.

Answer 2

i recomend El Salvador! the people are warm and they have beautifull beaches and lakes and mountains the night scene is also good i went there last year and it was great....

Answer 3

La Ceiba, Honduras!! Go during May when they are having Carnival. Every night is a party-especially the last week of may. The beaches are nice but the rivers are amazing. Get someone to take you up Rio Cangrejal it is beautiful and way up Rio Danto is great for swimming. You can do whitewater rafting, go to Pico Bonito and see the rainforest and beautiful waterfalls. Find a good taxi driver and get his cell# he can show you all kinds of places to go!! You can take the ferry over to Roatan Island for a day or two-it is absolutely beautiful there!! I lived in Ceiba 3 years and loved it!!!

Answer 4

You need to experience the land of "Lakes and Volcanos" best known as Nicaragua.  Nicaragua has beautiful beaches, beautiful lagoons and rivers.   The culture is very rich in places like Granada, Leon just to mention a few towns.  It is pretty much an undiscovered country and once people visit there they just keep coming back over and over again and many love it so much they never go back home.  The people are very, very friendly.  It is also the safest country in Central America.  Crime rate is very low outside of Managua the capital.  To learn more go to   http://www.vianica.com.  I will highly recommend visiting Corn Island.  You would have to take a plane from Managua to Corn Island but it is worth the visit.  Pristine beaches, the food is very cheap and tasty, the island is very secure.    You can have all the seafood you want for a steal.  The other location is Isla Ometepe with the twin volcanos. I could go on and on as the places to visit are too numerous.

Answer 5

costa rica and guatemala are the most popular..

costa rica has natural beauty beyond belief and so does guatemala, but guatemala can be more for the people who like to get off the beaten track and see culture different than your own.  tikal is also a highlight of central america (in guatemala)...no need to visit guatemala city tho.

honduras has two main things...copan ruins (you can dip into there from guatamala) and the bay islands for water sports like scuba diving and the like.

el salvador has the least tourism infrastructure, but the greatest people.  really great to meet them.

panama has 4 highlights  the canal and panama city, the san blas islands w/ the kuna indians, bocas del toro (water sports galore and some cool turtles)  and the town of boquete (with the volcan baru).  great places but not all in the same place.....

nicaragua is perhaps the most underrated, and so many of the places are near each other....i recomend in no particular order....lake nicaragua and isla olmapec......granada........matagalpa (don't miss it) masaya....and leon.  i did not care for leon (and it is very very hot) but others like it.

nicaragua is not for the timid.  it is a well lived in country and has its quirks and dangers and anoyances.  but i think it is great....no need to visit the capital managua tho.

as for the party and nightlife.....guatemala has lots to do, but costa rica and panama are more modern.

my answer, the conservative traveler would chose costa rica,

the more adventurous would choose guatemala,

but those that want something completely different should check out nicaragua and give it some consideration....the locals are MUCH more lively than the costa rican people who are sorta quiet IMHO.

Answer 6

Hard to Call. Each country offers something great. The blue hole in Belize. Tours of the ruins. The freshwater sharks in Nicaragua. The fabulous night life in Boca de Toro in Panama, But of the ones you mentioned? Id say Belize. Lots to do and see and experience.

Answer 7

Well, I am of Guatemalan origin, and I would typically recommend it to anyone!  Just as another person said, Las Flores, El Peten and Tikal are beautiful and have great sights for hiking and archealogical sites.  No night life and no beaches, though.  

So I am going to recommend Costa Rica.  Particularly San Jose.  It is nearby to beaches like Puntarenas, which are famous for their beauty.  There's also volcanoes and rainforests that you can see if you want some variety.  The night life is pretty great too, since it's a very tourist-friendly town and has great diversity of clubs and scenes.  So, def. think you would enjoy Costa Rica.

Answer 8

roatan island in honduras and belize are my recomendations. both are amazing, you can't go wrong with either one.