Our nation has cabin fever. The desire to find pleasure in travel is building up to the bursting point. Where to go? Travelers are looking for safe but exciting destinations to explore. Here's something to consider:
Central America. Costa Rica, Honduras, and Belize especially have attractions to suit those seeking adventure, education and culture, and just plain old relaxation in the sun.
{Costa Rica: Land of Rainforests and Beaches}
Costa Rica has for many years offered a safe haven for American travelers. With no army and a number of natural parks, beaches, and volcanoes, Costa Rica provides tourists with an interesting array of activities in a safe environment. Plus, homosexuality is legal between consenting adults (over age 18).
The climate of Costa Rica is ideal for relaxing. The capital city San Jose in the center of the country is 4,800 ft. above sea level and close to the equator. This means a moderate climate where the high temperature is always between 68 and 86 degrees. Sports enthusiasts love it because it is never too hot to play tennis or golf or go bicycling ... even in the middle of the day.
In terms of nature, Costa Rica offers: 850 species of birds, 9,000 species of plants, 1,100 varieties of orchids, several volcanoes including Poas with one of the world's biggest craters and Arenal, one of the most active in the world, rain forests, cloud forests, rivers for whitewater rafting, and 130 species of fresh water fish. All this is possible to experience because more than 12 percent of the land is part of a national park system.
Costa Rica has many excellent resorts and resort areas. One of the prime places is Quepos and near-by Manuel Antonio National Park. Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica's 29 national parks and biological reserves. Quepos is located on the Pacific Coast 97 miles south of San Jose. Bordered by tall evergreen ever green forest, the white sand beaches of Manuel Antonio slope to the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. Manuel Antonio is a beach-lover's paradise and a wildlife refuge. The park is home to more than 100 mammals, including the rare squirrel monkey. And 12 offshore islands, which are also part of the park, harbor about 180 species of birds. The waters teem with dolphins. There are three gay-friendly hotel accommodations in Quepos including Villa Roca, Casa Blanca, and Big Ruby's La Plantación.
Great places we have stayed in the area are the extravagantly decorated Hotel Villa Caletas (a queen's dream), on a mountain above Playa Herradura de Jacó and Hotel Si Como No near Manuel Antonio.
If you are looking for adventure, romance, and exotic luxury, there is no place in Costa Rica like eco-resort Lapa Rios. Lapa Rios blends into the surrounding rainforest and is a short hike from a secluded beach area. It consists of a main lodge, with a palm thatched roof, housing a bar and restaurant surrounded by tiers of bungalows more than 350 feet above the sea, breath-taking views from the pool!
{Honduras: Emerging Destination}
Surprise! One of the finest ecolodges in the world is situated in Honduras, The Lodge at Pico Bonito. This luxury nature resort is located on Honduras' Caribbean coast within a rainforest and on the border of the Pico Bonito National Park. It is about a 30-minute ride from La Ceiba International Airport to the lodge. Rent a car or have the lodge pick you up.
Raised wooden walkways join the lodge, restaurant and conference buildings. From the main buildings, gravel pathways lead through tropical foliage to the secluded guest cabins. From the grounds, you can hike trails going into the Pico Bonito National Park to see a variety of birds and other wildlife and visit the numerous nearby waterfalls. Guides are available for nature walks. In addition, the activities desk can arrange diving and snorkeling trips to the coral reefs of the Bay Islands and tours of the ancient Mayan ruins at Copán.
A highlight of any journey to Honduras has to be a visit to Copán. We took a comfortable, air-conditioned bus tour to these ruins in western Honduras. The road was very good, having been rebuilt after a devastating hurricane.
Copan was an important Maya center from about AD 400 to the mid-800's. In 800, the city reached its peak with a population of more than 20,000 people. The Mayan ruins are preserved within a well-developed archeological park. Inside the park are the remains of a magnificent ceremonial center with plazas, pyramids, and temples ornamented with elaborate stone carvings.
The most important artifacts are preserved inside a museum designed by a local architect. In its center, the building is open to the sky. We entered through the open mouth of a huge stone serpent, passed through a stone tunnel, and emerged to see a replica of one of the most sacred buildings at Copan. The building, like the original, is painted red. The original, however, remains buried underground. The site contains a museum store where you can pick up souvenirs, a soda, or a beer.
Some of the best beach resorts are on a Honduran Island called Roatan in the Bay Islands. One resort is Fantasy Island, a great place for beaching, diving, and snorkeling at an affordable price. It is literally an island separated from the main island by a narrow river. This resort offers a variety of activities all in one place. The beach is protected by a reef, so there are no powerful waves; just calm, clear water. At one end of the property is a pier where snorkelers take off to swim along a shallow reef populated by lovely tropical fish and coral of many colors. At the other end of the property is a marina, where you can set off in powerboats for scuba diving adventure or deep-sea fishing.
On the beach in between, you can find a variety of toys, such Sunfish sailboats and little plastic kayaks—available at no charge. We sampled all these pleasures, then pulled up beach chairs under the palm trees and ordered a beer. The resort has a restaurant serving anything from full dinners to a quick hamburger. You never have to leave the premises. This is an ideal place to veg out for three or four days.
{Belize: Premier Dive Destination}
The tourist board of Belize is willing to pit the underwater sites of this Caribbean nation against the best in the world—including Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Scuba/snorkeling is a distinct industry in Belize. There are a number of ways to experience underwater adventures, including live-aboard dive boats. There are no fewer than 16 companies devoted to the live-aboard experience. The number of cabins on individual boats range from three to 50.
Then there are resorts situated near the best dive spots. The most popular marine resort area is Ambergris Caye, the largest of the cayes, or small islands, off the coast of Belize. Ambergris Caye is known for its beaches and close proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef, a gorgeous coral reef that extends about 190 miles along the coast of Belize. Most visitors to Ambergris Caye come to experience the diving and snorkeling. You can rent gear at local dive shops rent and go for any level of certification offered by PADI and NAUII. There are scores of resorts to chose from to suit any type of travel budget.
{When to go}
There are two seasons in Central America, the dry season and the 'green' season. The dry season runs from December to April. This is also the high season at resorts and hotels. 'Dry' means there is very little if any rainfall. The other months are the 'green' season—you can expect from 20 minutes to three hours of rain per day. Needless to say, there are better prices on accommodations during the green season.
Bottom line: Central America is an attractive destination for U.S. tourists these days, and there really is no wrong time of year to be there.
Your travel writer: Cynthia A. Marquard along with Ted Lally owns and manages Aqua Terra Travel, 1640 N. Wells St. in Chicago. Cynthia or Ted at 312-787-2400 or 1-800-44-ENVOY. Visit their Web site at www.aquaterratravel.com .
