CENTRAL AMERICA - TRAVEL GUIDES

Rainforest hikes and brisk high-altitude trails, rushing white-water rapids and warm-water, world-class surfing: Costa Rica offers a dizzying suite of outdoor adventures in every shape and size – from the squeal-inducing rush of a canopy zipline to a sun-dazed afternoon at the beach. National parks allow visitors to glimpse life in both rainforest and cloud forest, simmering volcanoes offer otherworldly vistas, and reliable surf breaks are suited to beginners and experts alike. Can’t decide? Don’t worry: given the country’s size, you can plan a relatively short trip that includes it all.
- Lonely Planet

TRAVELING TO CENTRAL AMERICA

For travelers, Central America primarily means Costa Rica and Belize, and for good reasons.  Enjoy wonderful eco-lodges, Mayan ruins, tropical jungles, and world-class diving.  More adventurous travelers can definitely exotic trips to some amazing places in Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, and the Honduras.  Here are our recommendations for the best travel books for Central America.

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS

Lonely Planet: Central America on a Shoestring

Our primary recommendation for guidebooks to Central America is Lonely Planet.  They are one of the world’s best publisher of travel books, known for the depth of their coverage and for the strength of their local knowledge, which helps them truly capture the spirit of each region.  The original target audience for Lonely Planet was backpackers, but now the guides are oriented to all budgets.  But with that said, we still do like the "on-a-shoestring" guides for students, backpackers, and budget travelers.  

Frommer's Costa Rica

Our recommendation for the best travel guide for Costa Rica is the Frommer's travel guide.  The book is written by Karl Kahler, the travel editor for the country’s biggest English language newspaper, who does an especially good job with opinionated suggestions on the best beach towns, tips on where to see wildlife, advice on the best eco-lodges and hotels, and more. 

Easy Belize

Easy Belize describes how to relocate or retire in Belize, with a ton of information on the best regions and neighborhoods, how to find the best values in real estate, and how to manage health care and taxes.  The book also acts as a travel guide, with tips on hotels and restaurants, snorkeling, diving, fishing, boating and other great things to see and do., from a true local’s perspective.