Belize's Caribbean sea is a diver's paradise

Central America is a humid, mountainous and volcanic isthmus stretching like a bridge from Mexico to Panama.

After decades of internal strife, United States-backed wars, drug scandals and rampant corruption, Central American nations have shaken off their dangerous reputation and emerged as culturally-rich, affordable eco-tourism destinations.

Guatemala beckons with ancient Mayan ruins, Honduras and Belize are gateways for spectacular diving on the world's second-largest barrier reef, Mexico tempts surfers to its boho beach towns, Costa Rica raises the temperature with its steaming active volcanoes, Nicaragua's Caribbean coast comes thick with virgin tropical rainforest, El Salvador charms with its Spanish colonial architecture and Panama rarely fails to impress with the modern construction marvel of its canal.

Despite drastic deforestation across the region, Central America remains famously biodiverse, boasting dense jungles teaming with wildlife including jaguars, pumas, monkeys, tapirs and sloth. Elsewhere, sea turtles, crocodiles, tree frogs and iguanas crawl the land while hundreds of bird species soar over rainforest canopies.

Survival guide

Spanish is the main language spoken across Central America, although Belize (a former British colony) is English-speaking. Many native Indian languages are still spoken across the region, particularly in rural areas.

Central America experiences a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The Caribbean coast remains humid all year round. The average daytime temperature across the region hovers in the high 20s and low 30s year-round.

Accommodation in Central America ranges from guesthouses (casas de huespedes) to luxury resorts.

The main international gateways to Central America are Panama City in Panama, Mexico City in Mexico, Belize City in Belize, Guatemala City in Guatemala, San Jose in Costa Rica, Managua in Nicaragua, Tegucigalpa in Honduras and San Salvador in El Salvador.