At any time of year, Central America astounds with its gorgeous beaches, exciting hikes, ancient ruins and – above all else – extraordinary natural beauty.

As you mull a getaway to this region of small countries and huge pleasures, two of its most welcoming destinations will surely rise to the top of your list: Belize and Costa Rica.

Yet since we don’t feel qualified to recommend one over the other, we decided to outsource the question to two expert writers, who make the case for each here.

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It had better be Belize

Carolee has called Belize home for nearly 30 years where she lives, writes, and explores the curious destination as a freelance travel writer.

Ask yourself: why are Costa Ricans (knowns as Ticos) getting a little salty over little Belize, more than two times smaller? Perhaps because their country, long known as the adventure capital of Central America, has found some healthy competition against a younger, wilder, English-speaking cousin. 

Perhaps the most impressive view of the Great Blue Hole is from the air © Getty Images / iStockphoto

Belize might have played shy in the past. Now? It’s impossible to be low-key about the Great Blue Hole – which can be seen from space – or the world’s only jaguar preserve, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Even the small stuff shines: a wildlife documentary recently called the Belize Zoo “the best little zoo in the world.”

Ticos won’t tell you that less than two hours away is the world’s second-longest barrier reef, running parallel to all 185 miles of Belize’s coastline. In fact, nothing…

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