Need advice on planning a trip to Central America.

I'd consider Panama.

Panama City is fascinating, both modern and historic. And there are some great day trips. I worked with Panama Road Trips (https://panamaroadtrips.com/) when I was there in 2023. They took me to an Emberá Drúa village (a fascinating look at a traditional indigenous culture). We traveled part of the way by road and part of the way by motorized dugout canoe.

We also went to Gomboa and Lake Gatún. We started with a boat ride on the lake, exploring a number of islands. Then we walked on Pipeline Road, an old road the US built parallel to the canal during WWII as a backup in case Japan attacked the canal. (Which they never did.) Now it's part of Parque Nacional Soberanía. Used by hikers, birdwatchers, and wildlife lovers.

I know I've mentioned water activities, but those were mainly modes of transportation to get to where you can see some interesting things.

I also visited Colombia on the same trip. Cartagena would be my top recommendation. It can be extremely hot and humid, which is my least favorite travel weather, but it is still a completely enchanting city with gorgeous colonial-era architecture.

I visited Costa Rica in 2018. It has much to offer besides water activities, especially if you are interested in seeing birds and wildlife. It has the highest density of biodiversity on the planet. Consider Corcovado National Park, on the Osa peninsula. The best way to get there is by boat (sorry!), but there is a small airfield and there are commercial flights daily from San José.

Let me know if you'd like to see my photos of these places.

Guatemala is a Level 3, so double check your insurance will cover you if something happens. Also ask the question with any travel policies you have or are thinking about. Someone pointed this out when I went to a similar early this year. Turns out my policy said no, but I bought something for the trip. Or, just wing it.

Are you aware of the varying economics of the places on your list? For example, Antigua (which I'm sure has poorer areas) includes many expensive winter resorts. Guatemala does not. I mean, Lima and Cusco are among the wealthier places in Peru, and highly developed. Costa Rica is loaded with American pharma plants and similar, while still having beautiful, un-developed jungles, and expensive resorts.

Check which places you need a malaria preventative, and whether the same one is right for multiple places you might need it.

Tikal in Guatemala is breathtaking-- it was an every bit as amazing as Machu Picchu. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I will confess to have been less impressed by Santiago-- but that may have been just our tour.

Costa Rica (because of its many modern amenities) is the easy trip for jungle / eco adventures. We've been there a few times now.

P.S. Antigua may have been where wife got norovirus-- great visit, but considering Tikal exists I'd allocate my time there. In any case, be on the watch out for stomach bugs.

Happy travels!

Costa Rica is great and probably safer than the other CA countries.
Also, going through the Panama Canal is special. Do it on a cruise, or you can visit the Docks and take the train.

Peru is my favorite South American country (Argentina and Chile are next). Lima is worth three days, take local tours there.
Cuzco, the sacred valley and Machu Picchu is amazing. It is fantastic. Cuzco was the ancient Incan capital.
We took a four day tour from PeruAgency.com.
It is a great tour company, our tour was in 2019 and the cost was very low. However, you don't want to go during the rainy season, with Feb. is in that season. We did it the last week in March, which is when the rainy season ends.

It is best to do those places on a tour, we had a private guide/driver.

There are places in Peru that no tourist should go. Make sure you get the intel on this before you try going alone.

I may sound like a curmudgeon, but reviewing the OP's posting history, and the fact that they never reply to questions put to them, or any follow-up, I get the feeling that they are simply mining the forum for info to put in an AI (or other) site. There do seem to be quite a few similar type of entries lately.....pretending to an interest in a trip, but really searching for data to repeat somewhere else. I hope I am wrong, but I have begun checking a poster's history more often. I am sad to have become such a cynic, and would welcome any good refutation of my suspicions.
That being said, I hope everyone here has a wonderful Christmas (and I add a belated Channukah, plus Kwanzaa and New Year as well).
Happy travels in 2026!