Nicaragua has been developing a discreet, eco-friendly approach to tourism for some years while El Salvador now presents its Mayan sites, colonial cities, delightful rural drives and the El Imposible National Park. On this holiday you'll be among the first to discover their natural beauty and unpretentious charm. The people of both countries are among the most hospitable in Latin America.

The two newcomers on the radar of adventurous travellers, Nicaragua and El Salvador, share gorgeous landscapes of volcanoes, lakes, palm-fringed beaches, fertile slopes smothered in coffee bushes, and a diversity of flora and fauna. Both have only relatively recently emerged from a period of political turbulence: the impressive level of reconciliation between formerly warring factions has resulted in the creation of two of perhaps the most appealing and friendly countries on the continent. They cannot be compared with the big hitters of Mexico, Peru and Brazil in terms of mind-boggling attractions but their scantily populated rural landscapers of chains of volcanoes, coffee plantations, lakes and remote rivers combine to create a captivating destination.