The fascination of Central America

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California. San Francisco is the 16th most populous city in the United States, and the fourth most populous in California, with 881,549 residents as of 2019.

Santa Barbara is a city on the central California coast, with the Santa Ynez Mountains as dramatic backdrop. Downtown, Mediterranean-style white stucco buildings with red-tile roofs reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage. Upscale boutiques and restaurants offering local wines and seasonal fare line State Street. On a nearby hill, Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, houses Franciscan friars and a museum.

Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, is known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife. Playa El Médano is Cabo’s main beach, with outdoor restaurants and numerous bars. Past the marina is Land’s End promontory, site of Playa del Amor (Lover’s Beach) and El Arco, a natural archway in the seacliffs.

Zihuatanejo is a resort city on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, northwest of Acapulco. It’s known for its beaches, like the sweeping Playa La Ropa, which is backed by palm trees. Galleries and seafood restaurants line the city’s winding lanes. Offshore, the sea teems with marine life such as dolphins and sea turtles. Long, sandy Playa El Palmar is the main beach in the neighboring town of Ixtapa.

Puerto Quetzal is Guatemala’s largest Pacific Ocean port. It is important for both cargo traffic and as a stop-off point for cruise liners.

Puntarenas is a port town on Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya. Its Casa de la Cultura is a cultural center with a theater and art gallery. On the main boulevard, Paseo de los Turistas, Parque Marino del Pacífico includes an aquarium and rescue center with seahorses, turtles and crocodiles. The town beach, Playa Puntarenas, is backed by shops and cafes. Southeast of town, Playa Doña Ana is a beach known for strong surf.

Puntarenas is a port town on Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya. Its Casa de la Cultura is a cultural center with a theater and art gallery. On the main boulevard, Paseo de los Turistas, Parque Marino del Pacífico includes an aquarium and rescue center with seahorses, turtles and crocodiles. The town beach, Playa Puntarenas, is backed by shops and cafes. Southeast of town, Playa Doña Ana is a beach known for strong surf.

The San Blas Islands of Panama is an archipelago comprising approximately 365 islands and cays, of which 49 are inhabited. They lie off the north coast of the Isthmus of Panama, east of the Panama Canal. A part of the comarca Guna Yala along the Caribbean coast of Panama is home to the Kuna people.

Cartagena is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. By the sea is the walled Old Town, founded in the 16th century, with squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings. With a tropical climate, the city is also a popular beach destination. Reachable by boat are Isla de Barú, with white-sand beaches and palm trees, and the Islas del Rosario, known for their coral reefs.

Limón, commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is home of the Afro-Costa Rican community.

Belize City is a port city in the Central American country of Belize. It’s divided into north and south sides by Haulover Creek, which opens into the Caribbean Sea. The manually operated 1920s Swing Bridge, a busy crossing point, links the two. On the north side, the Museum of Belize traces the country’s history, with exhibits including Mayan artifacts. The Image Factory gallery shows local contemporary art.

Cozumel, a mostly undeveloped Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, is a popular cruise ship port of call famed for its scuba diving. At Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, theres diving spots around a section of the Mesoamerican Reef and the Museo Subacuático de Arte’s submerged sculptures. Chankanaab is an eco park surrounding a lagoon with underwater caverns, home to dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.

Cozumel, a mostly undeveloped Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, is a popular cruise ship port of call famed for its scuba diving. At Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, theres diving spots around a section of the Mesoamerican Reef and the Museo Subacuático de Arte’s submerged sculptures. Chankanaab is an eco park surrounding a lagoon with underwater caverns, home to dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.

Miami, officially the City of Miami, is a metropolis located in southeastern Florida in the United States. It is the third most populous metropolis on the East coast of the United States, and it is the seventh largest in the country.