That's a bit puzzling. The negative press that we get here deals pretty much with Mexico and not Central America.

Not entirely current but just over a year ago I did a solo return trip through Mexico and every Central American country. I encountered exactly zero problems and met pretty much nothing but friendly, genuine, helpful and interesting people. Guatemala was astounding (yes, I took mostly the little side roads that everyone warned me not to take). I absolutely loved Nicaragua and Honduras was almost too "American" at times. Southern Mexico was my fave for that country and all the others were special in their own way. I never once felt threatened or in any danger. When asking for directions, four times the locals decided to simply lead me out of the city on their little bikes as a courtesy to a foreigner. This happened to me twice in Mexico, once in Leon, Nicaragua and once in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Just go, use some common sense, don't get involved with shady characters, and don't believe most of what you hear.

Recommendations:

Mexico:
Pacific Coast
Sir Edward James' art near Xilitla (totally trippy, man!)
San Miguel De Allende (kinda trendy but absolutely beautiful ..and expensive)
Taxco
Real De Catorce (partly abandoned former silver mining town at 9500' elevation)
Barrancas Del Cobre (Copper Canyon)
Ruta Federal 40, Espinazo Del Diablo (between Durango and Mazatlan. Drive 240km's to cover about 120km's)
Colima (clean colonial city with a smoking 14,000' volcano standing guard. Set up for local tourists. Lots of clean green spaces filled with university students making use of the free wifi stations and plug ins.
Oaxaca (Authentic state capital)
San Cristobal De Las Casas (I was there during Easter weekend and almost everyone was local ...had a blast)
Art District, San Jose Del Cabo
Estuary at San Jose Del Cabo for bird watching
Cabo Del Este, outside of San Jose Del Cabo
El Triunfo between Los Barriles and Todos Santos

Guatemala
Fuentes Georgina near Xela (Quetzaltenango)
Thursday or Sunday market in Chichicastenango (go into the big central tent for the authentic market)
Antigua (touristy but very beautiful)
Back roads from Antigua south
Lago Izabal (north side, quiet and very non touristy ...aside from local tourists)
Hot springs waterfall above Finca El Paraiso, Lago Izabal north side
Tikal, camp on site to get into the ruins before the tour buses arrive
Yaxha. Smaller ruins on the road towards Belize. Great little site with no large tour buses. Watch the monkeys play in the jungle from the top of a pyramid.

Belize
Caracol (go in before the optional military escort leaves so you can have the place to yourself for several hours while ambling amongst the ruins and listening to the jungle sounds.
Rio On Pools, on the way to Caracol. Great place to cool down on a hot Belize afternoon.
Placencia. A bit too developed for my taste but it's a neat little expat artist community.

El Salvador
Ruta De las Flores

Honduras
Lago Yojoa
D&D Brewpub, near Lago Yojoa
Copan Ruinas
The highlands just outside of Tegucigalpa (Valle De Angeles area)

Nicaragua
Selva Negra (Black Forest)
Las Penitas (wild surfer beach outside of Leon)
Leon (more "real" than Granada)
Volcan Masaya (drive right to the crater's edge and go for an easy hike to escape the sulfur fumes)
Laguna de Appoyo (great swimming lake with lots of accommodation. Watch the lightning storms over the lake during the rainy season)
Isla Ometepe ...I loved Finca Magdalena, an organic coffee cooperative run mostly by women

Costa Rica
Pacific coast (quite Americanized but also quite beautiful)
Laguna Arenal (spectacular lake in the much cooler highlands, looks a bit like Switzerland at times)
Southern highlands (San Vito, Rio Sereno area)
Pan American going south from San Jose (high altitude with lots of twists and turns)

Panama
Northern highlands
Pacific beaches
Panama Canal
Panama city (just for the hell of it)
The end of the road at Yaviza (about 275km's south of Panama City)


...Michelle
www.scrabblebiker.com