I'm writing this from an office in Puerto Jiménez, in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula, where they've been kind enough to let me crib some wi-fi waves. I'm stranded in this tiny, tumble-down Pacific Coast village. Just outsid
Latin America (48)
Volunteering your time to an organization and dedicating some of your time to a cause is one of the most noble and meaningful things a person can do. Whether assisting the poor, taking care of abandoned children or helping communities grow, the simple and generous act of participation is a rewarding experience to both the volunteer and the people they help.
Being that our own volunteer program is only months away we thought it a good idea to highlight why volunteering in Peru is such a special an
Pablo Rogat
by Miguel Martínez Rabanal
Unfamiliar compared to many than other Latin American cuisines such as Mexican, Peruvian, and Cuban, Chilean cuisine has always been considered one of those that best blend the traditions of the Spaniards and the pre-Columbian people of the Americas, and drawing from the bounty of fertile agricultural lands, highlands, and thousands of kilometres of coastline. Here they call it sazón chilena (Chilean seasoning), and it imbues all of this country's most belo
Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism
The Dominican Republic is one of those Caribbean countries that truly offers the proverbial something for almost everyone (OK, admittedly, skiers are out of luck). On this blog we’ll be covering them one by one. But to kick things off, here’s an overview:
Santo Domingo History & Culture
The DR’s capital (top) is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the Americas, founded in 1498 by Bartolomé Colón, brother of Cristóbal (better known to
Central America's smallest country (tinier than the US state of West Virginia and just a bit bigger than Wales) gets a bad, exagerrated rap because of gang violence that's limited to a handful of the capital's rougher neighborhoods. But in fact El Salvador does offer visitors a safe a varied menu of beaches (including some surprising surfing), ecotourism, adventure, charming colonial towns, and even several interesting Mayan archaeological sites such as San Andrés, the "Pompeii of the
Steven Zwerink
Giant marine turtles are truly one of nature's most moving miracles throughout their life cycles - babies hatch from beach sands and endure a frantic rush to the ocean before being devoured by ravenous, swooping sea birds, growing up in the ocean, then the females instinctively finding their way by back thousands of kilometres to their birth beaches to lay eggs, thus keeping this amazing cycle in motion. And Central America is one of the world's premier regions to witness this
Holidays in Honduras are truly economical and holds a wide range of beautiful places to see and do, including Mayan ruins, jungle adventure and ecotourism, Caribbean isles, and lively towns and cities. Here are its top highlights:
Dating back to around 100 AD, the capital of a powerful dynasty during the Mayan Classical period, ruling much of the surrounding area, is one of the Mayan world's greatest archaeological sites (top) because though while it's far
by José Alejandro Adamuz
Central America's largest and perhaps most diverse country has many dramatic spots that evoke a marked sense of place - the spectacular Mayan ruins of Tikal; the colonial splendour of Antigua; the castaway Caribbean vibe of Livingston; and much more. But Lake Atitlán, in the highlands a 2 1/2-hour drive north of Guatemala City, does that and more - it evokes something akin to an interior emotion and energy, a soaring of the soul, even a sense of the sublime.
Among
by José Alejandro Adamuz
One of the best ways to get to know a country is through its markets. What you find is not only its products, but an entire way of life, of feeling, of talking… dare we even say, of falling in love with the place. An entire country is exposed to our senses, through its people and its culture. And so in order to get to know Ecuador better, we’re going to take a stroll through one of the most important markets – not just of the country, but of all South America. Get yo
photos: ProColombia
by Miguel Martínez Rabanal
Along with cumbia, the folk music form known as vallenato is a calling card of Colombian culture, and its Vallenata Legend Festival is a particularly momentous one, marking its 52nd edition this year April 26-30 in the city of Valledupar, in Colombia's northeast, about an hour and a half flight from Bogotá and just under four hours' drive from Cartagena.
Truth to tell, Colombian culture wouldn't be the same without this music, which goes back more
Right astride the Caribbean's largest barrier reef – also the world’s second largest after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – this small island (just 83 square kilometres/32 sq. miles) off the coast of Honduras has become not only this country’s top visitor draw (outstripping the other main one, the impressive Mayan archaeological site Copán) but also, unsurprisingly, a star among the world’s diving community.
Actually the largest of seven Islas de la Bahía (Bay Islands)
I will never forget, nearly 40 years ago, laying eyes for the first time on my first ancient archaeological site. About an hour’s drive north of Mexico City, this UNESCO World Heritage complex of temples absolutely electrified my imagination and became a driving force in my fascination with not just archaeology but travel and world cultures in general. Teotihuacán has that kind of impact.
Even after decades of study, archaeologists still aren’t quite sure who (Toltecs? Otomi? M
Not too long ago, who would’ve predicted it? The Central American country of El Salvador, once known mostly for being both poverty-stricken and war-torn, has become a surfing power of sorts, attracting millions of surfers to its Pacific beaches.
Despite its past trials and tribulations, both internal and external, this land just a tad smaller than New Jersey and a bit bigger than Wales has many of the key ingredients of a tropical paradise, including dramatic volcanoes and lands
Since the 1980s, Costa Rica has of course made a huge name for itself as not only a beach but also ecotourism and soft-adventure destination. And it’s especially this last that has become a specialty of a region of Alajuela province in the country’s Central Valley, about a couple of hours north of capital San José, called Arenal. For adrenaline and the great outdoors, it doesn’t get much better.
The area takes its name from an active volcano and the lake beneath it. At 5,35
Costa Rica Tubing Tours on Rio Negro
There’s nothing like a day of exciting fun bouncing and splashing down a cool, crystal clear tropical river under the hot Guanacaste sun. On the Rio Negro (Black River) Tubing Adventure at Hacienda Guachipelin, you ride five kilometers (three miles) of class II and III rapids in special, individual river tube rafts that are designed with handles and protective bottoms. Guides are with you the whole time to ensure your safety.
When it comes to tourism in Central America’s largest country, the city that tends to get most of the attention is Granada (while ironically, capital Managua is pretty much avoided by all but business people). But in many ways I find its traditional – and less tarted up for tourists/expats – rival Santiago de los Caballeros de León, even more fascinating, beginning with the fact that despite its somewhat lower contemporary profile among foreigners, Nicaragua's second largest city (aft
by Miguel Martínez Rabanal
Chile is a very special country, full of very special sights and experiences. But the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui is not only special, but dramatically unique in all the world. What makes it worth the time (a five-hour flight from Santiago), effort, and expense to make your way out to this wee chunk of rock in the middle of the southeastern Pacific Ocean – one of the world’s most remoted inhabited islands?
Named Isla de Pascua because it was found by Europeans (th
by Felice Hardy
Even if you’ve been not just to Buenos Aires but also the pampas, Mendoza, Córdoba, Patagonia, and Iguazú Falls, that still leaves much more wonderful stuff to explore in Argentina. I recently took the sunny city of Salta in the far north of the country as the stepping-off point for a 900-kilometre (560-mile) round trip, with only the first 90 minutes’ drive outside the city on paved road. It’s an area that is so little known that in some parts they see almost no visitors all
Kobby Dagn
Way down South America way, one of the hemisphere’s most chichi beach resorts sits astride the Atlantic coast of one of South America’s lower-profile countries, Uruguay. On a narrow spit of land separating the Atlantic from the Rio de la Plata, Punta del Este is a 90-minute drive east of the national capital, Montevideo, and a 45-minute flight from Buenos Aires. Why do I mention the latter?
Because as popular as Punta is with many Uruguayans, it would be pretty much nowheresville wi
Shutterstock/Felipe_Frazao
by María José Cortés Llamas
Carved out of the Amazonian rain forest, Manaus (pop. 1.8 million) has been little known by the outside world, the capital of Amazonas state is filled with contrasts and intrigue, and previously lived through a golden age due to the rubber boom in the 19th century. The results can be seen in the architecture, which exude majesty and the inspiration of Belle-Époque Paris. The Amazon Theatre is the foremost example; inaugurated in 1896, it’s
