Courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola Presents
The Turtle Inn welcomes guests to powder-soft sands in Belize
Barra de Santiago, El Salvador
With tourism so new here, visitors are often treated more like friends of the family. The country’s Balsam Coast is known as a surfers' paradise, but those seeking solitude should check out the ultra-remote Barra de Santiago, on the northern Pacific coast, a national park with estuaries and mangroves on a broad, tawny sandbar. Inside the park, El Salvador’s first ecoresort, La Cocotera Resort & Ecolodge, debuts in style with thatched-roof bungalows set in a stand of coconut palms. In August and September, guests can see thousands of endangered Olive Ridley turtles hatch in the park's sanctuary and then help release them into the ocean. Getting there entails a complimentary 1.5-hour car transfer from San Salvador or, at an extra cost, a chartered plane or helicopter ride. From $115/night, includes all meals, airport transfers, kayak use; lacocoteraresort.com
$99+: Santa Ana hotel nr coast w/spa escapes & shopping Marriott Hotels
