There are affiliate links in here.  I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you.

Looking for the best adventure trips in Central America?

Adventure travel in Central America is actually really great and not what I expected.  With everything from hiking to caves and flowing lava to flowing emerald water, Central America has it all. 

No matter if you’re a backpacker on a budget or a luxury traveler with money to burn, these are best adventures in Central America you should definitely at least consider doing while you’re there.

In this post, you’ll find some of the best outdoor destinations in Central America.  You’ll learn about some of the best volcano hikes in Nicaragua, the best surfing spot in El Salvador, the best place to zip line in Costa Rica, and the best places to dive in Central America. 

While I have a whole Central America bucket list, this one would be great for first time visitors to the region and it could all definitely be done in one 2-2.5 month trip.

Best adventures in Central America

Central America is an adventure lover’s paradise. It has volcanoes, surfing, Mayan ruins, diving, snorkeling, caves, and so much more.

These are some of the best things to do in Central America to soak up the beautiful nature the region has to offer.

ATM Cave in Belize

Where: San Ignacio, Belize

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: This is an easily accessible cave not too far from San Ignacio, Belize, near the Guatemalan border.  As someone who doesn’t love water or the dark, I do love caves and really enjoyed this trip. 

There is a short hike to get to the cave entrance with a few river crossings.  Once you’re at the entrance, you have to swim a bit to actually get into the cave before you’re just walking through the water.

In the cave, it’s all pretty easy.  You might have to do some squeezing between rocks, but if you’re claustrophobic, there is usually another way around the rocks, they’re just making it a little more exciting I think.

Eventually, you are out of the water and are climbing up into another area that if I didn’t have someone showing me around, I never would have seen. 

That’s where you’ll see the pots and the skeleton.  If you want another Mayan ruins archeological experience, visit the Cahal Pech ruins! 

Book an ATM Cave Tour here!

Know before you go:

• You’ll want to wear good water shoes.  If I was going back now, I would probably go with my Chacos.  Closed-toe shoes might be required, though.  I can’t remember for sure.
• You will get wet, there’s no avoiding that.  Actual swimming is minimal, though, so that’s good if you don’t like water.
• You can only go into the cave with a tour and it can easily be booked in San Ignacio.  It is expensive, though, at around $95USD.
• You can’t take a camera in here anymore because someone dropped theirs on a skull and broke it.

Swim in Semuc Champey in Guatemala

Where: Lanquin, Guatemala

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: I don’t know if Semuc Champey can really be called hidden anymore, I mean, it is a stop on the gringo trail if you’re coming from Belize that pretty much everyone makes.

This is a little piece of paradise where you can relax in the emerald pools in the river, slide down natural waterslides, hike up a million stairs to an overlook, make your way through a cave by candlelight, float down the river with a beer, and jump off a bridge 40 feet above the water.

Like I said above, I don’t like water stuff, but I loved hanging out in the pools.  It was also a pretty awesome hike up to the overlook platform to see the pools from above. 

It’s a great little place to just get away and relax with little or no Internet and stellar views.  It’s easily one of the best places to visit in Central America, adventure or not.

Know before you go:

• You can get a tour to take you to the overlook, to the pools, to the cave, and to float down the river after.  It’s convenient, but not necessary if you just want to see the pools.
• There are a lot of tours that will take you to the overlook, the pools, and the cave, followed by a short float down the river.
• You can either stay in Lanquin and take a truck up during the day to get to Semuc Champey, or you can stay right up by Semuc, which I would recommend.  If you want to stay at Zephyr Lodge (the party place) it’s in Lanquin.  I would recommend El Portal up by Semuc.  It makes visiting on your own easier.
• If you just want to hike to the overlook and swim in the pools, you can do that without the tour.  I would just ask for directions at your hostel.
• If you don’t like water or the dark, I wouldn’t recommend the cave tour.  I skipped it because of those two things and I know you had to jump into the water in the dark which sounds awful to me.   All while holding a candle, your only light.  While I didn’t do it, the people I know that did, really enjoyed it.

Climb Volcan Pacaya in Guatemala

Where: Antigua, Guatemala

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: If you like hiking, but aren’t a hardcore hiker, and want to climb a volcano, this is a great option.  It’s just outside of Antigua and from what I’ve been able to tell, way easier than climbing Acetenango, the next activity on this list.

If you’re limited on time, Pacaya is a great volcano hike in Guatemala.  You can find tours all over Antigua that will take you up.  The hike wasn’t as difficult as I was imagining and it offers great views of Acetenango, Fuego, and Agua.

There is a little shop at the top, yes at the top of an active volcano, that you can buy a souvenir at if you’d like.  Your guide will also probably bring a bag of marshmallows and some sticks so you can roast them on the hot rocks.  When I went we didn’t see any lava.  I’m not sure if you can at all.

Book a Volcan Pacaya tour here!

Know before you go:

• You can find tours all over Antigua that are probably pretty similar.  I booked mine with Bigfoot Hostel, the one I was staying at.
• There are morning and afternoon hikes.  I went in the morning and it was super cold.  I heard that it was really nice in the afternoon.
• If you do go in the afternoon, you’ll get to watch the sunset, but you’ll also have to hike down in the dark.
• Lonely Planet warns of thieves and bandits on the trail, but going with the tour is supposed to help reduce the risk of that, and it seems to be the only way you can go.  If you know otherwise, let me know and I’ll update this!

Climb Volcan Acatenango in Guatemala

Where: Antigua, Guatemala

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: If you want a more challenging hike than Pacaya, this is the one for you.  This hike is possible to do in one day, but most do it as an overnight trip. 

This hike is about four-mile up and ascends 5,000 feet.  If you do it in a day, you’ll have lunch at 13,000 feet before heading back down.

If you do the overnight trip, you’ll camp at the top (and have to carry everything up with you), but you’ll get to watch Fuego spew lava and rocks throughout the night. 

This is definitely one of the best adventures in Central America and one I want to do next time I’m there.  Better start preparing now!

Join an overnight Acatenango tour here!

Know before you go:

• This hike, according to this guide, is not for people of below average fitness.  Take that as you will.
• If you do the overnight trip, you will have to carry up your stuff, so keep that in mind, too.
• If you go overnight, you’ll need to bring, or get, some warm clothes for up at the top.
• If you want to go by yourself, this post will be super helpful for you.

Kayaking on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala

Where: Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: Lake Atitlan is a gem in Southeastern Guatemala, only a couple hours from Antigua.  The lake is surrounded by volcanos and has buildings and trees submerged beneath the waters.  It is about 1,100 feet at it’s deepest point.

While it’s awesome exploring the villages by land and hiking Indian Nose and Volcan San Pedro, it’s a totally different experience renting a kayak and seeing the towns from the water.  It may not be the most adventurous things on the list, but it is a must-do in Central America.

Know before you go:

• I know you can rent kayaks in San Pedro, but I’m not sure about any of the other towns.  If you’re based in another town, you can always to a day trip to San Pedro.  It’s super easy getting around the lake by boat.
• It’s pretty cheap to rent the kayaks in San Pedro, I can’t remember how much exactly, but it’s not expensive.
• I think we rented ours for two hours, but you can probably rent them for a whole day.  I know sometimes people kayak from San Pedro to San Marcos.
• If you do kayak from town to town, just remember, you still have to kayak all the way back.

Surfing in El Tunco

Where: El Tunco, El Salvador

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: While you can learn to surf all over Central America, El Tunco is a great place to learn.  Or, if you already surf, it’s a great place to go to experience some world-class surfing. 

A lot of people, myself included except for a stop on a shuttle, skip over El Tunco, but it deserves some love.  It’s a cute little two-street town with smoothies, surfing, and sunsets that shouldn’t be missed.

Know before you go:

• If you’re a beginner, the best time to surf is early in the morning.
• If you have more experience, the rest of the day and evening are better.
• You can just find an instructor on the beach and set up lessons for the next day if you want to learn.
• Definitely pack a drybag here.  There are some caves you can go into at low tide, but you’ll want to keep your camera and phone safe.
• If you’re spending a lot of time on the beach, make sure you either have someone to watch your stuff while you’re in the water or don’t bring anything.

Dive Honduras’ Bay Islands

Where: Utila and Roatan, Honduras

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: This is arguably the best place to go diving in Central America.  It also happens to be some of the cheapest diving in the world, too.  Most hostels are dive shops, too, and some offer free nights on days that you do a dive.

If you’re looking for more of a backpacker island, check out Utila.  Roatan will be more laid back, but will offer just as stunning diving. 

Tons of people I met on my trip learned to dive here so if you’ve always wanted to dive, this is a great place to learn. I would say this is one of the top Central American adventure activities.

Know before you go:

• Utila is a Whale Shark hot spot.  If there is word of them around, guides may make a detour so you can see them if you’re out on a dive.
• If you are planning on doing a lot of diving, see if you can find a place to stay that offers free nights for days you go on dives.
• Even if you don’t dive, you can still go here, you just might feel a little left out sometimes.  That happened on Malapascua for me in the Philippines, but I still loved it.
• If you like weird restaurants and things like that, check out Treetanic on Utila.

Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua

Where: Leon, Nicaragua

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: As far as I know, this is the only place you can do this: volcano boarding. 

Even if you’re not an adrenaline junkie like myself, this is a pretty awesome activity.  It’s definitely one of the more unique experiences in Central America.

You hike up Cerro Negro, an active volcano, and then slide down the other side on a piece of wood.  It’s not as horrifying as it sounds.

The way the volcano erupts (which isn’t very often) the big rock goes to one side and the smaller dust and pebbles go to the other, which is the side you slide down. 

The record going down this is like, 91 or 95 kilometers per hour.  I went a whopping 35.  No matter how fast you go though, it’s easily one of the coolest things to do in Central America.

Book a volcano boarding tour here!

Know before you go:

• You can find tours offered for this all over Leon.  I went with Bigfoot Hostel and thought it was fine, but we were only able to go down once.
• Some places will let you hike back up and go down a second time.  If I could have, I probably would have.
• There are also some places that have snowboards that you can take down instead of sledding style.
• Keep your mouth closed on your way down so you don’t get rocks and dust in it.
• While no one in our group left injured, it is possible to break things and get hurt while doing this, so just be aware of that.  The guide will give you a safety briefing, along with a jumpsuit and goggles, before sending you on your way.

Canyon de Somoto in Nicaragua

Where: Esteli, Nicaragua

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: If you enjoy or have always wanted to try Canyoneering, this is a great opportunity that often gets overlooked by backpackers passing through.  I knew about this when I was there, but didn’t make it and wish I did. 

I need to go back just see a lot more of Nicaragua.  You hike, scramble, and swim your way through the canyon with the walls towering overhead. While I haven’t done this, I would say this is an underrated Central America adventure.

Know before you go:

• There are tons of tours that can take you, but you can also visit on your own.  This guide will help you.
• If you go on your own, definitely have a dry bag for your phone and camera.  Some tours may provide one, I would ask ahead of time.
• Some tours offer tubing in the water, but it’s slow and doesn’t have rapids.
• There are tours of different lengths from two to six hours.

Beach Bum on Corn Islands in Nicaragua

Where: Corn Islands, Nicaragua

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: While this isn’t an adventure activity directly, it’s definitely an adventure to get here. 

The Corn Islands are off of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua and one of the best places I visited in Central America.

Whether you fly or go by land and sea, Big Corn Island is where you’ll first get dropped off. I would spend a night here to take the morning panga to Little Corn.

Big Corn does have some nice beaches but I would go to Little Corn Island and hunker down in a beach hut there for a week.

If just laying around on the beach isn’t your thing, you can go snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, and learn to dive.  It was my favorite place in Central America and I could have stayed for two more weeks just laying around.

Know before you go:

• Most places on Little Corn Island don’t take reservations, but some do.  Try emailing them or sending a message on Facebook if you want to book ahead.
• To make sure you have somewhere to stay, take the morning panga over form Big Corn.
• I would recommend finding a place on the beach side of the island, aka the side you don’t get dropped off on.  There are a bunch of cheap beach huts.  Ours was $15 a night, but not the first row of huts, back a bit.  Still a 20 second walk to the water.  That was at Grace’s Place, next to the Cool Spot.
• If you want to go paddleboarding or kayaking, I would recommend doing that on the food sid, aka this side you do get dropped off on.  The water is a lot calmer.
• You can walk all the way around the island in a couple hours with stops.

Climb Telica in Nicaragua

Where: Leon, Nicaragua

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: If you want to get up close and personal with a volcano, this is the hike for you.  You can get right up to the lava and even camp in the crater.  Yes, in the crater.  Of an active volcano. 

There are camping tours you can take or you can do it as a day hike.  Either way, if you want to see lava, this is probably the best place you could easily do that in Central America.

Know before you go:

• It is possible to hike Telica without a tour group, but I wouldn’t unless I was an experienced hiker.
• Watch out for snakes on your way up.  There are rattlesnakes that can kill you very quickly, apparently.
• The hike up is about four hours.  You can go up to watch the sunset, but you’ll be walking back down in the dark.
• I would recommend booking the tour with Quetzaltrekkers in Leon.

Zip Line in Monteverde in Costa Rica

Where: Santa Elena/Monteverde, Costa Rica

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: This is the home of ziplining, meaning you have to do it here.  You’re probably not even allowed to leave until you do.  I’m kidding, you can.  This is a great place to try ziplining though.

There are a lot of lines, so you’re not just going for one ride, meaning it’s well worth the money.  The guides are fun and it’s just a great place to try this. 

Costa Rica in general is one of the best adventure destinations in Central America with all of it’s volcanoes, surfing, and waterfalls.

Go ziplining in Monteverde!

Know before you go:

• It can get a little chilly being up in the clouds, so be prepared for that.  I wouldn’t dress super cozy, but a light jacket and pants wouldn’t be a terrible idea.
• You can most likely book a tour through your hotel or hostel.  Then you’ll get picked up right there when you need to be.  There are also tour agencies around town in Santa Elena that you can book through.
• I think there were 15-20 lines that you get to use with some easy walks between beginnings and ends.  It’s not very strenuous.  It will be pretty wet, though.

Night Jungle Tour in Costa Rica

Where: Monteverde, Costa Rica

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: This is another must-do activity in Monteverde Cloud Forest.  This is a great way to get a totally different jungle experience. 

You can see all kinds of wildlife.  You can admire the night sky.  And you can see tons of cool light up bugs.

Yes, that is the scientific term.  This isn’t any strenuous hiking, it’s basically a walk in the woods.  And even though I hate the dark, I really enjoyed this!  I even stuck my head in a tree before anyone else to see a porcupine.

Know before you go:

• It will probably be cold, so dress warmly.
• Bring a headlamp or flashlight if you have one.  If you don’t, I’m pretty sure they provide them, too.
• When the guide tells you to turn off your flashlight to see the stars, do it.  Don’t use yours to look at them.  It doesn’t work and makes it harder for everyone else to enjoy.
• Like any wildlife experience, there is no guarantee of seeing anything, so go into knowing that.
• Like zip lining, tours can be booked all over Santa Elena/Monteverde.

Explore Costa Rica’s National Parks

Where: Arenal, Costa Rica

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: Costa Rica has so many amazing looking national parks, I couldn’t choose one.  You can hike through jungles and along beaches, at the base of volcanos or in the treetops. 

No matter where you like hiking, there is a park for you.  There are some that are great for wildlife viewing, others not so much.  There are tons to choose from to make your trip amazing.

Know before you go:

• All of the parks are different, so choose one that is good for you.
• Manuel Antonio is great for wildlife viewing.
• Make sure you do your research on the parks ahead of time.  Some you need to know low and high tide for some hikes.
• Make sure you know about the wildlife in the area as well for safety.
• You can usually visit the parks with tours and on your own.  Do your research to find out which is best for you.

Bioluminescent Tour in Panama

Where: Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: Because it’s awesome.  That’s why.  But for reals, I didn’t know this was possible to see in Panama and when we were thinking about going, we weren’t even sure if it was legit because there wasn’t a tour being offered everywhere in Bocas Town.

We went out with a guide on a tiny little boat and watched the water glow beneath us as we zipped through the waters and swirled our hands around. 

This was one of the coolest, most unique things I did in Central America and I would most likely do it again (the boat did freak me out a bit).

Know before you go:

• We only saw this tour at one hostel.  If your back is to the water on the main street, walk to your right. it will be around the corner next to a pizza place.  They had a sign out front about the tour.
• You can swim at the last stop, but it was pretty chilly once the boat was moving.  Bring a sweatshirt or something and a towel if you want to swim.
• I don’t think this is a super popular tour.  There were three of us on ours, but one didn’t show up, so we basically got a private tour.
• This isn’t the most impressive place to see bioluminescence, but it’s still really cool to see if you’re in the area and have a few hours free in the evening.

Island Hopping in Panama

Where: Bocas del Toro, Panama

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: While it may not be like the island hopping in EL Nido in the Philippines, you’re still going to be able to see some amazing beaches around Bocas del Toro.  It may just be split up between hiking to them, boating to them with tours, or biking to them.

It may even be a combination of all three.  Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos is popular as is Playa Estrella on Isla Colon.  You can also find snorkeling tours that would count as island hopping, too.

Know before you go:

• Make sure you know about and have enough money with you for park or beach entrance fees.
• Definitely, have a dry bag for this, too.  You want to keep your electronics safe!
• Sometimes the water was rough going between islands, so if you get seasick, take some Dramamine.
• If you can, go snorkeling here.  I wish I would have because it looks pretty awesome.
• If you like biking and want to see a beach, rent a bike in Bocas Town and bike across the island to Boca del Drago and Playa Estrella.  I did it and I’m not super fit.  There’s also a cave you can see on the way.  Just watch out for speed bumps on the road.

Sail from Panama to Colombia

Where: San Blas Islands to Cartagena, Colombia

Why it’s one of the best things to do in Central America: Because it’s probably the most adventurous way of getting from Central America to South America!

I met a few people that did this and liked it a lot and I would probably consider doing it if I was back in the area.

This is not just one day of adventures but 4-6 days of awesome island activities and sailing, which is an adventure in and of itself.

Read some of these sailing books too get you in the spirit or while you’re on board!

Know before you go:

• Trip length seems to vary from 3-5 nights, depending on who you go with.
• I would expect to pay $500+ for this adventure.
• I haven’t done this so I won’t even try to recommend a company but be sure to read around and lots of reviews. I know boat conditions can vary quite a bit. Here are some posts that may help:
  • Sailing Around the San Blas Islands: Our Voyage from Panama to Colombia
  • Sail San Blas Islands: Journey from Panama To Colombia
  • San Blas Sailing – Panama to Colombia via the San Blas Islands with Ave Maria Sailing

Central America adventure FAQs

What is the best country for hiking in Central America? I would say Costa Rica or Nicaragua. Both are great hiking destinations in Central America.

What is the best country for diving in Central America? Honduras. It’s home to the Bay Islands which are probably the best and most popular place to get SCUBA certified in Central America.

What is the best country to see volcanoes in Central America? Nicaragua, for sure. While Costa Rica has a lot of volcanoes, too, Nicaragua is best for hiking volcanoes.

What country has the best beaches in Central America? I would say Costa Rica has the best beaches in Central America because it has so many, but Panama and Nicaragua are also good beach destinations in Central America.

What is the best country for surfing in Central America? El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica are the best surfing destinations in Central America.

What is the best country to see ruins in Central America? Guatemala and Belize are the best countries to see Mayan ruins in Central America.

Final thoughts on Central America adventures

There are so many amazing things to do in Central America, adventure travel or not. Whether you want beaches, volcanoes, ruins, or jungles, you’ll have plenty of options for all of them.

Other posts you may like

23 Central America Books That Will Inspire You To Plan Your Own Trip

Why Central America Is Perfect For Your First Solo Trip

Probably The Best Central America Bucket List For Outdoor Lovers Ever

What To Pack For Two And A Half Months In Central America

21 Solo Female Travel Memoirs I Love And Can’t Wait To Read

Have you done any of these things?  Which ones?  Do you want to do them?