Panama Whitewater
Local guides have named some of the rapids—like "the Mexican" and
"the Brazilian"—on Panama's classic Class IV Chiriquí
Viejo day trip after clients who received a particularly artful thrashing when
they went overboard. Less intimidating but more adventurous is the two-day
Changuinola River, which begins in the Bocas del Toro highlands and empties
into the Caribbean. The 20-mile stretch of Class III whitewater winds through
La Amistad International Park and, after last year's first descent by
guides from Chiriquí River Rafting, will see its first commercial
expedition this winter. Guests will swap the maiden voyagers' 12-hour
bushwhack to the put-in for a 20-minute helicopter shuttle, but
that doesn't mean they can let their guard down: There are still plenty
of rapids waiting to be dubbed "the American." Base yourself at Los
Establos (doubles from $130; losestablos.net), near Boquete.
Chiriquí Viejo day trip, $105; Changuinola overnighter, $500;
panama-rafting.com
Costa Rica Submarine
A two-day sail off the Pacific coast, Cocos Island is Costa Rica's
answer to the Galápagos, a remote haven that gives visitors a taste
of unaltered nature. But there's a chance at deeper understanding—1,500
feet below the surface. Last March, Undersea Hunter began offering submarine
exploration to complement its seven-day diving excursions, which are
best known for encountering schools of hammerhead sharks as well as manta rays
and whale sharks. Since then, the submarine crew has explored huge swaths
of a quarter-mile-deep vertical wall a mile offshore, plus they've
added to Cocos's list of known species the prickly shark and the sand tiger
shark. Ten-day scuba trip aboard the Sea Hunter, $3,945; two-to-four-and-a-half-hour
submarine trips, $595–$2,495 per person; underseahunter.com
Guatemala Fat Tire
The chill air of Guatemala's 8,000-plus-foot Alaska region holds
some of Central America's best and freshest singletrack. Local outfitter
Viaventure guides mountain-biking clients in the Sierra Paraxquim, where
a two-hour car ride from Lake Atitlán to the slopes of 11,621-foot
Pico Zunil buys 30 miles of downhill, with views of ten extinct volcanoes,
on trails originally cut by the Quiché Maya. Though it may be cool near
the top, the trail quickly drops through three climate zones—from pine
forest to cloudforest to coastal lowlands—on the 9,000-foot descent.
Villas at Casa Palopó (casapalopo.com),
on the shores of Lake Atitlán, come with private jetted tubs and
a personal chef. Weeklong custom trips from $2,295, including lodging
at Casa Palopó and mountain-bike rental; viaventure.com
| Also Try… |
| The surf in El Salvador might not be as big in the winter, but neither are the crowds. Las Flores Surf Club opened in May 2005, and its namesake wave can peel for 200 yards before ending at the hotel steps. One week, $1,475, including meals; wavehunters.com > After discovering one of Honduras's most important archaeological sites, the jade-filled tomb of Copán's Maya king Kinich Ajaw Yax Kuk Mo, David Sedat has begun offering dinner lectures on the ancient kingdom at his Copán Ruinas home. $152; viaventure.com > Now that they've completed the first summer crossing of the North Pole, Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larson, in need of a thaw, will hold court December 5–6 at Costa Rica's Pacuare Lodge with hang-on-to-your-mai-tai tales of polar bear encounters and hypothermia. $300, including rafting, lodging, and a Greenpeace donation; pacuarelodge.com |
Nicaragua Multisport
The number of visitors to Nicaragua has risen 700 percent over the past six
years, but that doesn't mean travelers can't still experience the
"perishable thrill of being first," says Michael Kaye, owner
of Nicaragua Expeditions. Kaye, who launched Costa Rica Expeditions 28 years
ago, will introduce an eight-day Nicaragua tour this month. Beginning
with 20 miles of mountain biking, guests will make their way to the former
Spanish capital, Leon Viejo, for a tour of the abandoned city's
ruins. Then it's on to the ceramists' enclave of San Juan de Oriente
and, finally, up the dormant 4,573-foot Maderas volcano for
a glimpse of the cinder cone on Concepción. $1,989; nicaraguaexpeditions.com
Belize Basking
Azul Resort, one of the country's most tranquil and exclusive refuges,
owes its birth to punk rock. In 2003, after four years managing San Francisco
indie label Fat Wreck Chords, Jeff Spiegel found that the best cure for
his ringing ears was the powder-fine sand and turquoise waters of Belize's
Ambergris Caye. He and co-owner Vivian Yu have since constructed a pair
of 3,000-square-foot, two-bedroom villas, along 400
feet of private beach, with rooftop hot tubs and private chef service—and
a vibe that's more Bunny Wailer than Johnny Rotten. From $1,575
per night; azulbelize.com
