Mornings start high up, where mist hangs in the trees and the air smells of wet earth. Cloud forest shelters birds you hear before you see them, old Maya stones rest among the roots, and then the land tilts toward a coral reef off the Bay Islands.

The weather follows the altitude. Lowlands run hot and humid, the highlands stay mild and cool, and the dry months give the clearest skies. Pack a layer for chilly hill evenings and expect rain on the Caribbean coast. A Local Friend tells you when to go early and when to linger, so every view arrives in its best light.