It’s easy to dismiss Central America as the stringy, gristly bit that connects two very exciting continents. People know all about package-holiday Mexico, and perhaps they’ve heard that Guatemala has some interesting ruins, but the rest of the territory gets overlooked. That’s a pity, as this slender isthmus is packed with interest and perfect for a wide-ranging three-week adventure.

Our dream itinerary is a tasty club sandwich: two soft slices of easy-to-digest beach life on the white-sand shores of the Caribbean, stuffed with slice after slice of rich cultural exploration in the jungly interior. There is plenty to get your teeth into, including alligator-spotting, cave-walking and pyramid-exploring. And we’ve assembled all the names and numbers you need to enjoy every step of the way.

TULUM, MEXICO
Days 1-4

You’ll arrive in Cancun, on the Yucatan Peninsula, in the warm early evening, and with time enough to get out again and head down the coast. The concrete overdevelopment of the Riviera Maya is barely a murmur by the time you reach Tulum. The 80-mile land transfer costs £22 through Best Day Tours (00 52-998 881 7309, www.bestday.com).

Here, treat yourself to a few days of winding down. If you get up early enough and walk the five miles of deserted white beach, you can explore the spectacular clifftop Mayan ruins long before the tour buses arrive (admission £2, free on Sundays).

For a little adventure, take a short jungle hike and visit one of the limestone sinkholes, swimming and diving among stalactites and stalagmites (£10-£30; 00 52-984 871 2311, www.aktundive.com).

Further afield, sign up for a day trip to the vast Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. The Maya believed it to be “where the sky is born”, and it is inhabited by alligators, turtles and abundant birdlife (Centro Ecologico Sian Ka’an, 984 871 2499, www.cesiak.org; tours £37-£42).

ON TO BELIZE
Day 5

It will take the best part of a day to travel on to the Belizean islands, so set out early. The cheapest option is a first-class bus from Tulum to Chetumal (£8; 4 hours; regular departures from the main street terminal), then another bus over the border to Corozal (£1.20; 1 hour). From there, jump on a plane to Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker (£22 or £38; 20 minutes or 40 minutes; last departure 5.15pm; 00 501-226 2012, www.tropicair.com).

Easier, but more expensive, is to arrange a private car transfer all the way from Tulum to the cayes (£190, excluding flights; 223 1623, www.mayatravelservices.com).

BELIZE’S BARRIER REEF
Days 6-7

Marauding English and Scottish pirates taunted the treasure-laden Spanish fleet here in the 17th century, hiding in the cuts and gaps of Belize’s 184-mile barrier reef. Today, a more welcoming Caribbean atmosphere greets visitors to the offshore cayes, and anything akin to plank-walking is likely to be enjoyed while dressed in a wetsuit.

Take your pick from two islands: Caye Caulker draws budget-minded bohemians; Ambergris Caye is more upmarket. Whichever you choose, skipping between them is easy thanks to the cheap, frequent water-taxi service (hourly; £3).