Once a place largely to be avoided for war and political upheaval, Central America in recent years is the darling of travel in the Americas. Led strongly by Costa Rica and Belize, the seven nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama are becoming immensely popular for family travel, luxury travel, adventure travel, and as new places to retire.

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the slender land bridge of Central America extends from Mexico to Colombia in South America. While some Central American countries still deal with mild unrest, most countries enjoy peace, stable governments and burgeoning tourism, business, agriculture and import/export industries.