When I visited León, Nicaragua recently, I was fortunate to be hosted at two of León's high-end hotels, Hotel La Perla and Hotel El Convento (pictured at right).

Both León hotels are centrally located in the up-and-coming colonial city, in walking distance of León's most famous attractions.  Both feature historic colonial architecture, pleasant courtyards, and friendly service.

• Luxury Hotels in León, Nicaragua
• Photos of León, Nicaragua

I love the Sister Cities program. Maintained by Sister Cities International (for the most part), Sister Cities are pairs of international cities with commercial and cultural partnerships. Every country in Central America has Sister Cities; most are linked with cities in the United States, but there are also some pairings in Europe, Asia and South America.

• Sister Cities in Central America

Our Central America animal for May is tripled: three iguanas sunning themselves on a wall in Ambergris Caye, Belize. Iguanas are common all over Central America. The mellow lizards are totally harmless, but can be quite huge!

• More photos of Ambergris Caye, Belize
• Belize wildlife photos

Crossing the border between Central America counties can range from a breeze, to a hassle, to a major headache. But, borders are often an inescapable part of Central America travel.

We've compiled a list of all the Central America border crossings, from Belize to Panama and in between. Before crossing any border, make sure your passport is up-to-date, and you have cash in the correct currency to pay any entrance or exit fees.