2 Central American countries in 2 weeks: which would you choose?

My partner and I are looking to travel Central America, but realistically can only get 2 weeks off at work at a time. Which two countries would you pair together if we are looking for beaches + national parks to hike, explore wild life + rich culture (food, language, music)? Likely going in mid January 2024. We're also fairly novice travellers, so are there any countries that you would completely nix for us (i.e., safety concerns)?

Thanks!

Submitted October 05, 2023 at 10:36PM by mellowbanana2 https://ift.tt/fJeAsPv