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Central American Cultural Adventures

Since the general interest these days is to stay a bit closer to home, we have decided to focus on the wonderful history of our neighbors to the south: Mexico and Central America. Their proximity to each other makes them a natural combination for this issue.

The region abounds with monuments and history, ranging from the pre-Columbian cultures of the Maya, Toltecs, Olmecs and other civilizations to the great colonial-era cities, to today’s eight sovereign nations. We hope this issue will broaden the region’s scope in readers’ eyes.

Mexico with its diverse geography of mountains, beaches, valleys and deserts, offers a wealth of travel opportunities. Rich in history, culture, archeological sites, natural wonders and great regional cuisines, most any traveler there can find a location to suit his interests.

Central America, with its geographically compact seven countries, offers the same wealth of attractions, although with the slight inconvenience of many more borders to cross.

Albee Adventures
Location: Central America: Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Panama
Specialty: Custom-designed tours offering both single and multi-day itineraries
Why We Like Them: Albee's site offers a wealth of great information on the countries it visits and a complete list of available trips. With both a knowledgeable and responsive New York staff and local contacts in all the countries it serves, Albee Adventures insures that its clients always have personal contacts and assistance at every stage of their trip.

Far Horizons Archaeological & Cultural Trips
Location: Central America: Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico
Specialty: Archaeological and indigenous heritage, trips lead by specialists in the field
Why We Like Them: Founded by a Mayan archaeologist in 1982, Far Horizons offers small group tours to destinations of scientific and cultural significance. The small group size allows travelers to visit places normally out of reach to larger groups. Due to the company's close relationships with scientists and archeologist in the field, most trips feature meeting with the local specialists for a deeper understanding of the current culture and past achievements.

Siesta Tours, Inc.
Location: Mexico
Specialty: Mexico’s Colonial Cities, the Yucatan and Oaxaca
Why We Like Them: Siesta Tours creates trips primarily for museums and prearranged groups resulting in highly focused experiences. Since many of these groups allow outside participation, travelers joining one of these trips have the advantage of extremely knowledgeable local guides and specialists from the organizing institute. Siesta Tours' only focus is Colonial Mexico. The knowledge that Marion Bayer, the company’s president, brings to all the arrangements, and the access to sites not normally open to the casual tourist, is exceptional.
Article: The Day of the Dead Comes Alive in Oaxaca

Adventure Specialists
Location: Copper Canyon, Mexico
Specialty: Horseback and hiking trips into Copper Canyon
Why We Like Them: Adventure and archeological tours led by experts in the field. These trips allow travelers to experience the natural beauty of Copper Canyon’s local history, lost archeological sites and native peoples by horse or walking trek. Explore hidden waterfalls and learn about the local birds and animals from local experts.

Aper Tours Photography School
Location: San Cristóbal Mexico
Specialty: Photography tours in locations around Mexico
Why We Like Them: By utilizing the diverse landscapes and meeting the local people, students not only receive a great photographic education but a chance to experience the local culture. The exact itineraries of the trips are created upon arrival based on the interest of the students and create a personal experience for each participant.

Canyon Travel
Location: Mexico’s Western Sierra Madre
Specialty: Natural history trips and visits to indigenous peoples
Why We Like Them: Canyon Travel is dedicated to developing sustainable tourism in the Sierra Madre and assisting the local communities to prosper by utilizing the beauty and natural resources to develop tourism for future generations. Its eco-tourism trips are lead by knowledgeable local guides and all trips meet with native peoples for an deeper appreciation and understanding of the local area and indigenous peoples.

Mayatour
Location: Central America: Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Mexico
Specialty: Archeological tours to Mayan sites
Why We Like Them: A focused study of Mayan archeological sites throughout Mexico and Central America. Set departure itineraries, but Maytour can also create individual tours and offer its set tours for special departures for groups of four or more. Fantastic local lodges and expert guides provide a great introduction to the mysteries and history of the Mayan culture. General interest trips to their other destinations are available as well.

EcoTurismo Yucatan
Location: Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
Specialty: Eco-tours of the Yucatan with a focus on Mayan civilization 
Why We Like Them: Tours are created to focus on past cultures, both pre and post-colonial, and how the peoples of the periods co-existed with nature, and to encourage the understanding and protection of these natural resources for future generations. The company specializes in one-of-a-kind trips designed for the client’s specific interests and also offers a selection of set departures.