In the last couple of decades, the likes of Costa Rica and Panama have transformed Central America into one of the world's adventure havens.
It's a land scored by smoking mountains, threaded with coconut-dotted beaches and dressed from head to toe in jungles packed with sloths and slithering snakes.
This guide to eight of the region's best hiking trails will hop from the wave-bashed Pacific to the untrodden reaches of the Darien Gap. The aim? To reveal Central America's finest trekking paths and day hikes, with something for all levels, beginner to Bear Grylls.
Best for sloth viewing 1.3km (0.9 miles), 30 minutes, easy
Ask 10 people why they came to Costa Rica in the first place, and sloths are likely to feature somewhere in the answer. Cue this short detour off the main Park Trail in that ground zero of biodiversity, Manuel Antonio National Park, built to offer hikers access to some of the most sloth-rich jungles in the world – hence its name.
The Sloth Trail begins less than a 10-minute walk into the forest from the reserve's main entrance. Take the spur that leads off to the west and follow the raised boardwalk pathways; soon you'll be dwarfed amid phalanxes of silk cotton trees and buttonwoods.
They're known to host two- and three-toed sloths, but spotting the critters can be tricky – they hardly make a move! Try to get on this one nice and early, because there are more sloths when there are fewer people.
The end of the trail connects to the main intersection for all routes through Manuel Antonio. That's a great place to be, what with the cinnamon sands of Playa Espadilla Sur on one side and the route to the much-photographed scythe of powder at Manuel Antonio Beach on the other.
Best for a challenging long day-hike 16km (9.9 miles), 11 hours, challenging
Volcán Concepción is one of two cone-shaped summits that keep watch over Lago de Nicaragua, the largest freshwater lake in Central America.
It might not look it, but it's doable in a single push; just leave early, because it'll take 10 to 11 hours for most, and the cool morning air is a blessing on the initial ascent.
Speaking of ascents, the real killer here is the altitude gain. The summit is at a relatively mild 1610m (5282ft), but the base level of the hike is a mere 130m (427ft), meaning it's a long way to the top. First sections are through lush jungle, and then you get a zigzagging mud track up the spine of the mountain.
The final leg above 1200m (3937ft) is trickier. That's where the scree takes over, and there are steep parts where you might be asked to scramble against a vertigo-inducing backdrop of swirling lake waters and surrounding coffee plantations.
But there's a reward: clear days at the top mean visions of a
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