Central America Cruises from Tampa, Florida

Central America Travel Guide

Central America Cruises Things To Do

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  The Panama Canal (Panama)

  Situated in-between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal plays a vital role in the country's economy. Take a trip to the locks, cross the canal, and behold the beauty of this construction site. The Panama Canal was arguably the most complex engineering feat in the 20th century.

  Best Time To Visit

  Take a visit to the Panama Canal between November to April. However, the best time for this attraction depends on how you plan to spend your time.

  You Should Know

  It's a seafarer's shortcut: ships traveling between New York and San Francisco can cut short their journey by 7,872 miles. It is a safe route for ships as they avoid sailing into the dangerous waters of Cape Horn in South America. It features a legendary and impressive lock system with the lock and dam constructed with 4.5 million cubic yards of concrete. Lots of lives were lost while constructing the canal. Over 5000 on-site workers died between 1904-1913, while 20,000 workers died while the french were trying to build it during the 19th century. It was officially handed over to the control of Panama in 1999.

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  The Bahía Marine National Park (Cortez Sea - Mexico)

  This marine park was created in 1996 in the middle of the Cortez sea. You will get to see various fascinating landscapes such as mangroves, rocky shores, and cliffs. You will also see Montserrat Island, with its white sandy beaches, bright green colored waters, and Punta Agua Verde rock formation in this marine park. 

  Best Time To Visit

  Between August to October remains the best time for the Bahía Marine National Park. It is the driest time, which makes it an ideal time to visit.

  You Should Know

  The Cortez sea has some of the highest biodiversity on the planet. It serves as home to over 5,000 macro-invertebrate species. Bird lovers will enjoy this beautiful scenery as it is a bird watcher's paradise. It is a vital area for bird breeding, migration, and refuge.

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  Chichén Itzá and the cenotes of Yucatán (Mexico)

  This site is touted as the world's most famous and preserved Mayan site. You will get to see the sacred cenote, pyramid-shaped Castillo, observatory, and temples. All these with other amazing sites make the Chichén Itzá and the cenotes of Yucatán a fantastic place to visit.

  Best Time To Visit

  Considering the weather and how it will favor your trip, you may consider between November to March as the best months to go.

  You Should Know

  It has a depth of 30 meters diameter of 65 meters and was once used in human sacrifice ceremonies. Chichen Itza comes from two other Latin American "wonders" (Machu Picchu and Cristo Redentor) as a very highly rated wonder site. It features a naturally occurring phenomenon known as "cenotes," which means freshwater sinkholes.

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  The Blue Hole (Belize)

  The Blue Hole is a site you need to add to your Central America Ocean Cruise itinerary. It is located in Belize and with a massive 300 meters diameter and 124 meters depth. One of the highly sought-out diving spots in Central America.

  Best Time To Visit

  January to May is the ideal time to pay a visit to The Blue Hole. The reason for this choice of month is because of the impending rain in other months.

  You Should Know

  It is a massive underwater sinkhole situated off the Belize coast and lies close to the center of Lighthouse Reef. The Blue Hole consists of giant stalactites, columns, and dripstone sheets, which were believed to be formed during glacial periods. The Blue Hole Monument is ranked among the seven wonders of Belize's World Heritage site. According to The Discovery Channel, The Blue Hole is listed among the 10 Most Amazing Places on Earth.

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  Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica)

  Manuel Antonio National Park is located on the Pacific coast, closer to the ocean. Its length spans over 700 hectares of primary and secondary forest. In this park, you will enjoy lovely scenes of animals living and moving about in tranquility. 

  Best Time To Visit

  December to March are the best months to visit the Manuel Antonio National Park; this is the dry season. The month of September is the wettest season and should be avoided at all costs.

  You Should Know

  Come along with your food and water as you won't get such a service in the park. This park is close to the equator, so the sun is strong. It will be best to put on light-colored clothing. The park also has a beachside, so you can prepare for the beach while you visit.

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  Pura Vida Gardens (Costa Rica)

  The Pura Vida Gardens is dubbed as the most beautiful in Central America by the Tropical Sierra Foundation. A visit to this garden will expose you to a lot of Costa Rica's flora and fauna. From there, you can stroll to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Pacific Ocean.

  Best Time To Visit

  You can visit this attraction every day of the week from 8 am to 5 pm. Also, your schedule determines your month of a visit while targeting the dryer season of the year.

  You Should Know

  The botanical garden consists of thousands of flowers and several orchid varieties, both domestic and foreign, and has the tallest waterfall in South America. The waterfall is about 600 ft, which is an amazing site to view. It has a spectacular sunset.

• 
  Tazumal (El Salvador)

  El Salvador is renowned as a destination full of secrets, and true to this claim, you will soon find out when you visit. The Tazumal archaeological site has 5000 BC ruins in its site, which tells the story of Maya civilization.

  Best Time To Visit

  There is no right time to visit this attraction; it's solely based on your trip schedule. But we do advise you don't choose the heavy rainy season.

  You Should Know

  Formally, Tazumal was researched in 1940 by Stanley Boggs (archaeologist), where he identified 13 structures. This is an exciting site for archeology lovers as it tells a lot about pre-Hispanic cultures.

• 
  Fortress of San Fernando de Omoa's (Honduras)

  This tourist site was constructed between 1752 and 1775 to act as a guard for the Honduran coast to protect the shipment of silver ore Caribbean pirates. Presently, the fortress serves as one of Honduras' most historic monuments.

  Best Time To Visit

  Any time of the year is okay to visit this attraction; it's solely based on your trip schedule. But we do advise you don't choose the heavy rainy season.

  You Should Know

  The San Fernando de Omoa's Fortress has a rich history of war and conquest and was declared a national monument in 1959.

Central America Cruises When To Visit

• Dry Season - November to April & January to March - Best Season

  In most Central American countries, their dry season is usually around January to March, while it is November to April in Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras. In Nicaragua, rain usually falls for an hour in the afternoon, while December to April is very dry in Costa Rica.   On the other hand, Mexico is vast compared to the countries earlier mentioned; therefore, the weather too is very unpredictable. November ending to April is dry in the coastal areas while it snows from December to February in the northern mountainous regions. Usually, the dry season in Mexico is between January, February, and March (or November-April in Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras).

Central America Cruises Frequently Asked Questions