It’s also possible to come at night to see the core of the crater glowing magma red in the depths below. You can get disconcertingly close to the smoke-belching opening by hiking to the lookout points on the western rim. The most striking of the lot is the gaping mouth of the Santiago crater, which the conquistadores christened The Mouth of Hell for its bubbling lake of molten lava. Sandwiched between two of the biggest cities in Nicaragua – Managua to the north and Granada to the east – Masaya Volcano National Park is home to a pair of mighty volcanos and a series of five craters. Marvel at the volcanoes of Masaya Volcano National Park in Nicaragua Stay in the nearby town of La Fortuna, where backpackers gather in the bars to share stories of the capuchin monkeys and snakes they’ve spotted on the trails. Over 29,600 acres of land are cut through by whitewater rivers and zigzagging hiking paths ending at broiling hot springs. The real adventure awaits in the national park on the slopes surrounding the crater. Its centerpiece is the perfectly cone-shaped peak of Arenal itself (which one can’t summit, unfortunately, given the volcano’s habit of spewing out magma up to five times each day). Adrenaline buffs should head to Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa RicaĪrenal has established itself as one of the go-to adventure meccas of Costa Rica. The best part? It’s well off the beaten track, which means you can channel proper Bear Grylls vibes when you head out into the jungle. The rare cloud-forest habitats that you can access on day hikes from La Guama village are home to a kaleidoscopic array of bird life – hummingbirds, toucans, flycatchers and more. It rises in a symphony of rugged rock spires tufted with jungle, looking like something that would be right at home amid the karst hills of Southeast Asia. In Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park in Honduras, you’ll find miles of hiking paths through the jungle – and few other visitors © Unaihuiziphotography / iStockphoto / Getty Images Skip the crowds at Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park in HondurasĬerro Azul Meámbar National Park hugs the see-through waters of Lake Yojoa in the depths of central-west Honduras. Within the park boundaries, you’ll find swathes of taupe sand at Espadilla Sur Beach and Manuel Antonio Beach at the end of tree-fringed paths patrolled by howler monkeys and green iguanas. Sloths – of the two- and three-toed varieties – are the stars of the show, and there’s even a dedicated hiking trail (the Perezoso Trail) to help you spy out those famously lazy Big Lebowskis of the jungle. Straddling a series of jungle-dressed headlands south of the town of Quepos, this reserve has enough biodiversity to make you drop your gallo pinto. Small yet mighty, Manuel Antonio National Park in west-central Costa Rica packs a hefty punch. Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica is ideal for families Read on for the 10 best national parks in Central America. These are the best of the best, with options for both families keen to spot two-toed sloths and budding explorers looking to leave the rat race firmly in the dust. This roundup of national parks will help you whittle down your myriad options for nature reserves between Panama in the south and Guatemala in the north – with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras in between. In fact, the region is often hailed as the most biodiverse place on the planet, something that’s evident at every turn and twist in every backcountry trail through the region’s national parks. Strung with liana vines and shadowed by mighty silk-cotton trees, surrounded by salt-spraying oceans and turtle-filled reefs, Central America teems with life and nature.
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