Jasooralmadinah Travels&Tours: NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA TRAVEL GUIDE

Saturday 4 April 2015

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA TRAVEL GUIDE

North America Best Destinations - North America Travel Guide - photo of Iguana in San Pedro de la Roca Fortress Cuba

North America is an amazing continent to visit. It has a total of 23 countries with a total population of 739 million. The most spoken languages in North America are English, Spanish and French. On this page you have a list of North America and Central America Best Destinations.

INSPIRING PLACES TO VISIT IN NORTH AMERICA

1- VISIT TRINIDAD, REPUBLIC OF CUBA

Visit Trinidad, Cuba

Trinidad is a Cuban city with traditional architecture which was founded on December 23, 1514, by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. Its original name is Villa De la Santisima Trinidad. The city takes us back in time not only in its cobbled streets and the architecture of rich colonial-style mansions but also in the way things are done by the nice country folks that live there.

Trinidad is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, mostly because it is some sort of beautiful city museum. I really loved this city, the people, the whole ambiance and the architecture. It is a nice place to let life happen. Just for a little while.

2- VISIT FORTRESS CASTILLO DE SAN PEDRO, REPUBLIC OF CUBA

Visit Fortress Castillo de San Pedro, Cuba

The impressive Fortress Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca, also known as Castillo del Morro, is located south of the city of Santiago de Cuba. The fortress was built in 1700 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This distinction was gained for its importance in the pages of History, being erected to protect the vital port of Santiago due to the commercial and political conflicts that had been happening in the late 17th century in this Caribbean region.

From the rocky ridge, the views over the island's coast are very nice. It makes you wonder if it would be even possible to conquer the fortifications built in Spanish-American military architecture based on Italian and Renaissance design principles. What a powerful, resistant place.

3- VISIT MONTREAL, CANADA

Visit Montreal, Canada

Montreal is the largest city of the Province of Quebec and the 2nd largest in Canada. The city is located on the island of Montreal, hence the name. Montreal is a city that has a European style, both in its architecture and also in the whole atmosphere. Having a heritage closely connected with Britain and France, it’s no wonder your head keeps turning on the street or in the many cafés every time you catch yet another change from English to French conversations and the other way around one minute later. You will also notice French on the traffic signs and on the delicious food you will find.

Besides tasting the flavours of a cosmopolitan city and immersing in the excellent and varied cultural scene, there has to be time to visit several monuments and places in Montreal: the Notre Dame Basilica, La Citadelle, Parc du Mont Royal, Quebec Museum of Civilisation, Parc Olympique, the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupre, Isle d'Orleans, the Bridge Calliere Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts.

4- VISIT NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Visit New York City, USA

New York is a city on the east coast of the United States of America, the largest metropolitan area in the country, counting about 22 million inhabitants. It really needs no introduction, since it is surely the most well-known city in the whole world… through the screen of TVs and cinema theaters. Finding the set of your favorite series or film is reason enough to visit New York.

NYC’s five boroughs are Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island (on the outer area) and, of course, the central island of Manhattan. Each one is different, each one has a different story. This is maybe the most cosmopolitan city of all, meaning that it is as if you could visit, taste or see part of every country on earth in the busy streets and avenues of New York or on its quieter areas. It’s impossible not to find your “thing”. Go all the way here. Visit the most incredible museums, enjoy the areas by the river and its bridges as well as Central Park, go up a skyscraper. Check out Wall Street, the Lower East Side, Times Square,… I could write a hundred websites about New York.

5- VISIT BUCCOO CORAL REEF, REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Visit Buccoo Coral Reef, Trinidad and Tobago

The incredible Buccoo Coral Reef is located in Tobago Island, Trinidad and Tobago, in the southeastern West Indies. It is one of the most accessible coral reefs in the Caribbean, which means everybody can get there and everybody can see what’s going on under the shallow waters. Buccoo Coral Reef is a protected marine park with amazing colorful marine life.

Take a boat trip to do some snorkeling to see the submarine gardens, the star corals, the many fish that live here. If you don’t want to get wet or want time to enjoy the sun, get onboard a glass-bottom boat and take a different peek.

6- VISIT PIRATE'S BAY, REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Visit Pirate's Bay, Trinidad and Tobago

Pirate’s Bay is a beautiful, beautiful bay in Trinidad and Tobago, located near Charlotteville. Getting to the beach is not easy at all, you need to walk for a while, then get down the stairs with a lot more than 100 steps. The easy way there is asking a fisherman in Man of War Bay to take you to the beach and back.

This was the place I most enjoyed in Trinidad and Tobago. Truly unique. The crystal clear water with several sailboats moored is of a unique beauty and a fantastic snorkeling site. The beach was almost deserted when I visited it. I stayed until late. The sunset came to flood the bay with an unbelievably dazzling light.

7- VISIT BOCAS DEL TORO, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Visit Bocas del Toro, Republic of Panama

West Indians and Latinos share and compose the atmosphere in this island town in Panama. They’ve made it a colorful site that screams Caribbean in a place where the United Fruit Company started building in the early 20th century.

The ecosystem in Bocas del Toro is extremely complex and well preserved. There is nothing to do except snorkeling, lying on the beach, exploring the islands and slowing down our pace. Just what I was looking for when I was here.

8- VISIT ZAPATILLAS ISLANDS, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Visit Zapatillas Islands, Republic of Panama

The Zapatillas Islands, or Cayos Zapatillas, are two peaceful unspoilt islands in Panama’s Bastimentos Island National Marine Park, more precisely in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Do you love those old postcards and computer screensavers with white sand beaches, tropical forests and noticeable coral reefs in the shallow waters? Well, if you have been looking for them, you’ve found them.

Whether you’re fond of diving and snorkeling or simply relaxing your body, soul and mind, do make time to try to discover the two islands: Zapatillas Menor, the base center of scientists studying mostly the ocean turtle; and Zapatillas Mayor, where the Park Ranger Camp is located to maintain the species and protect nature. The islands are uninhabited but you can get a camp permit for a fee to stay there.

9- VISIT PORTOBELO, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Visit Portobelo, Republic of Panama

Portobelo is a port city in Colón Province, in the north of Panama. Now an easygoing small city, it was once the center of silver exporting during colonial times, the most important Spanish port in Central America because of its deep natural harbor.

The highlight in rural and fishing Portobelo is the fort which, together with the nearby Fort San Lorenzo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Spanish military architecture of the fortification is a good example of these characteristic structures in the Caribbean. It was built, destroyed and rebuilt several times and still stands tall after more than 300 years.

10- VISIT FORT SAN LORENZO, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Visit Fort San Lorenzo, Republic of Panama

Fort San Lorenzo is another one of the oldest Spanish forts in America, inscribed with Fort Portobelo in UNESCO. This fortification was built in 1597 on top of a strategic cliff to protect the mouth of Chagres River, the entry point towards inner Panama.

Time and pirates have left their mark but the fort is still a great place to visit. Climb as high as you can to appreciate the view even further.

11- TRAVEL ON THE PANAMA CANAL RAILWAY, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Travel on the Panama Canal Railway Panama

Travel on the Panama Canal Railway, Republic of Panama

Imagine a railway running parallel to a canal that links the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean... These would be the Panama Canal Railway and the Panama Canal. Operating from Colón to Balboa, the 76km / 48mi track, which started having trips in 1855, was extremely vital for the building of the canal.

You can be a passenger in the vintage train to relive the golden era of railway travel. The interior is classy. The ride takes only one hour, going through jungles and rain forests. Don’t miss it.

12- VISIT PANAMA CITY, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Visit Panama City, Republic of Panama

Panama city is a melting pot fed by the commerce that the Panama Canal has attracted along the decades. Almost a third of the country’s population lives in a city which will probably remind you of the images you’ve seen of Miami.

The old city center of Casco Viejo (Casco Antiguo or even San Felipe) was considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. It has collapsing convents to see and cobblestone streets to cover. While you're staying here, visit the neighborhoods of Bella Vista, El Cangrejo and Punta Paitilla. For an excellent perspective over the modern city and the ships that cross the canal go to Paseo Las Bóvedas. Don’t forget to take a picture.

13- VISIT EL CASTILLO, REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

Visit El Castillo, Republic of Nicaragua

El Castillo is a village on the San Juan River, in Nicaragua. Everything started with a settlement in 1673, when the Fortaleza de la Limpia Pura e Inmaculada Concepción (Castillo de la Inmaculada Concepción) was built by the Spanish to protect colonial Nicaragua from the attack of foreign enemies in a place where El Diablo rapid and the jungle were powerful allies.

Strategically located at the top of a hill, the military building defended the area to stop anyone from arriving to the city of Granada. This construction still has three barracks, a chapel, an armory, a powder area, several towers, a prison and many bulwarks. Nowadays, you can wander around inside the pebbled-concrete paths and passages of the fortress and try to envision how it was to see a boat coming and not know if there was going to be trouble. There is a small museum about the town of El Castillo that will help you visualize that.

14- VISIT MOMOTOMBO VOLCANO, REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

Visit Momotombo Volcano and Lake Managua Nicaragua

Visit Momotombo Volcano and Lake Managua, Republic of Nicaragua

On the shores of Lake Managua, near the city of León, Momotombo volcano is kind of a symbol of Nicaragua, showing up when you least expect it on murals, posters and drawings a bit everywhere. This is due to its beautiful symmetrical shape, whether you admire it from afar or closer by.

This stratovolcano, a conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, forced the inhabitants of León to run away and relocate 48km / 30mi west because of an eruption in 1610. They left their city behind, today the ruins called León Viejo (Old León), which you can visit. You can just sit on the shore and enjoy the landscape or decide to climb the volcano if you’re feeling more adventurous.

15- VISIT LEÓN, REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

Visit León, Republic of Nicaragua

León is probably the city in Nicaragua that you will miss the most once you get back home. First, you will remember the energy that perspires in the streets and the people. There are university students everywhere, which accounts for the youthful feel you get. The colonial architecture makes a walk in the center something very interesting, with the many art galleries you’ll find working as additional points of interest.

Because of its bloody past, with several battles and the Revolution having key events in León, the city is the Ciudad Heroica (Heroic City). The city center is packed with beautiful churches. The heart of León is the Parque Central. Close by you’ll find the magnificent Catedral de León, a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO. The building was built between 1747 and the beginning of the 19th century, resulting in a transition from Baroque to Neoclassical architecture. Inside, the light is always present and the decoration is sober, except for the vault.

16- VISIT GRANADA, REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

Visit Granada, Republic of Nicaragua

Granada, located on the western shore of Lago de Nicaragua, is probably the first European city in mainland America, founded in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, who named it after his hometown, in Spain. On the route for the transport of the rich minerals found in the Spanish Empire, mainly gold, Granada came to be immensely rich and powerful.

Also known as La Gran Sultana, due to its Moorish and Andalusian architecture, Granada is a great place just to walk around without a plan. It is guaranteed that you'll find restored colonial buildings and some churches in the city center. Slow your pace along Calle La Calzada and take a peek inside the courtyards.

17- VISIT MANAGUA, REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA

Visit Managua, Republic of Nicaragua

Manuagua, Nicaragua’s capital city since 1851, is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Managua (Lake Xolotlán). It is a busy and chaotic city but it is also where the country’s economy and culture is really strong.

The main attractions in Managua are found by the old ruined center on the lakeshore. It is there that we can see the colonial-style buildings which survived the earthquakes provoked by the eleven seismic faults over which the city was built. The most important monument is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, an imposing building. Don’t leave the city without visiting the Plaza España and La Colonia supermarket.