Places lovexdumpling Wants to Go

A full-size replica of this well-preserved temple lets you take a walk through the Mayan age.

This staircase full of Mayan hieroglyphics is perhaps the largest single text in the world.

Hidden in the highlands of Guatemala, a small shrine venerates a forbidden folk saint.

These roaring primates were considered a divine creature in the cosmology of the Maya.

This restored colonial house was once home to the botanist responsible for bringing avocados to the U.S.

Monkeys inhabit the lush forest surrounding ancient Mayan ruins once considered sacred.

A collection of heirloom roses tucked in a spectacularly beautiful botanical garden on Lake Atitlan.

Deep in the Guatemalan jungle stands an ancient pyramid that once marked the reign of a king.

Mesoamerican monoliths and zoomorphic stones covered in royal visages, ancient mythology, and grand celestial events.

A ruined Maya city that suffered a years-long case of mistaken identity.

One of the world's largest pyramids stands within El Mirador, the "lost city of the Maya."

The remnants of an archaeological camp stand within Tikal National Park.

Giant kites are flown during this Day of the Dead celebration in Guatemala.

One of the world’s most colorful cemeteries, where each pigment is symbolic.

Hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle is a turquoise paradise of natural pools, caves, and waterfalls.

Dine inside a giant caterpillar at this community-run eatery.

In Costa Rica's cloud forest, the roots of a woody ficus create a botanical bridge.

This Costa Rican chapel is the most metal church in the world, literally.

There is a small island in the Gulf of Nicoya where the only human inhabitants are dead.

This abandoned hospital is one of the most haunted places in Costa Rica.

Once the foundation for a mansion, these ruins now offer amazing panoramic coastal views.

Disused penal colony features prisoner artwork, some sketched in human blood.

Where dogs like the rare "Fire-Tailed Border Cocker" run free on the mountainside.

This Costa Rican topiary park is a surreal garden of unearthly delights.