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Central America Travel Guide

Last Updated: August 30, 2023

Surrounded by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the slender land bridge of Central America runs from Mexico to South America and is made up of seven countries: Guatemala , Belize , El Salvador , Honduras , Nicaragua , Costa Rica , and Panama .

Political and civil unrest in the 1980s kept most tourists away for decades (people never forget bad news), but now the area is becoming hotspot for travelers, surfers, luxury travelers, and even retirees.

Because Central America is beautiful, filled with history, affordable, and much safer than it used to be.

While there are still regions where you need to be vigilant, people have realized that it’s not the place the media makes it out to be. The region’s rainforests are filled with unexplored Mayan ruins and wildlife, its beaches are great for surfing, its reefs offer world-class diving, there’s a huge variety of flora and fauna here, and the cheap accommodation, food, and transport throughout the region make it a budget traveler’s dream.

I’m glad the collective consciousness is shifting and people are finally recognizing how amazing this area. I began my nomadic life traveling around Central America and whenever I return, I fall in love even more with the friendliness of the people, the tasty food, the weather, the history, and the beauty.

This travel guide to Central America will give you all the tips to help you plan your trip, stay safe, and save money in this underrated region of the world.

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Central America

Click Here for Country Guides

Top 5 things to see and do in central america.

1. Explore the volcanoes

This region is rich in volcanoes — both active and inactive. You can hike, take a horse up, and even roast marshmallows at Pacaya (Guatemala), known for frequently erupting in ash clouds. Poás (Costa Rica) is famous for its green volcano crater lake, Arenal has hiking trails, geothermal springs, a gorgeous rainforest area with waterfalls, ziplining tours and a plethora of wildlife. Masaya in Nicaragua is well known for its spectacular crater lava lake that you can visit at night to truly see the bubbling lava (coined ‘La Boca de Infierno’ (or ‘Mouth of Hell’). For adventure seekers, don’t miss trying some adrenaline-inducing sandboarding down Cerro Negro volcano in Nicaragua.

2. See Mayan ruins

Central America has many ruin sites. Tikal, in Guatemala, is an enormous national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site with centuries of Mayan history and archeology covered in lush vegetation and rare tropical wildlife. Copán in Honduras dates back to the 5th century and boasts intricate stelae, tunnels, a hieroglyphic stairway, and lush tropical vegetation filled with monkeys, sloths, parrots, and macaws. Meanwhile, Xunantunich is one of Belize’s most impressive and easily accessible Maya sites known for its scenic location in the middle of the jungle. Last but not least, San Andrés archeological site in El Salvador is the largest pre-hispanic ruins site in the country and includes pyramids and ancient plazas. The intricate wall carvings, imposing pyramids, and crumbling columns should not be missed. Prices vary but expect to spend around $20 USD for admission.

3. Relax on Caye Caulker, Belize

This little island is incredibly popular with backpackers. It’s less expensive than some of the larger islands in the country and has a relaxed atmosphere to it. There is something here for everyone and there is way more to do here than just lay out on the exquisite beaches (although this is definitely a place you could chill for a few days). However, it’s also a spectacular place to see the delicate ecosystems of Caye Caulker Forest Reserve, which is filled with rare tropical plants and marine life. Caye Caulker is also a great place to snorkel with nurse sharks, dive the Belize Barrier Reef or the Great Blue Hole, swim with gentle manatees, or just kayak around “The Split” in paradise. July is a great time to go because of their famous lobster festival, offering tasty lobster as well as lively beach parties.

4. See the Panama Canal

First opened in 1914, the Panama Canal is an 80-kilometer (50-mile) marvel of human labor and engineering. 13,000-14,000 ships cross between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean every single year thanks to the canal (nearly a million boats have crossed since its construction). The canal raises ships an impressive 27 meters (85 feet) using a complex lock system, so it takes 8-10 hours for each boat to cross. The Canal relies on three sets of locks: Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks on the Pacific side and Gatun Locks on the Caribbean side. The most common place to see the canal is at Miraflores Locks in Panama. Admission is $20 USD.

5. Trek through the rainforests

Much of Central America is covered in lush and humid rainforests. A popular way to see these is to take a canopy tour, where you’ll be suspended on a zip-line and glide over the tops of the trees. The rainforests are filled with howler monkeys, jaguars, lizards, tropical birds, and so much more. Check out Costa Rica’s Volcán Arenal or La Fortuna Zip lines for breathtaking scenic views. Or Guatemala’s Atitlán canopy tours, where you can zip right over the stunning blue lake below. Honduras’s remote paradise Roatán Island offers incredible zip line views of its perfect crystal coast before sunning on the beach too. Expect to pay $40-65 USD.

Other Things to See and Do in Central America

1. head to antigua.

Considered one of the best-preserved colonial cities, Antigua (in Guatemala ) is a major travel hotspot for backpackers. Wander around the Spanish-style cobbled streets and visit the ruins of San Francisco Church. Don’t miss the opportunity to hike up to the 3,976-meter-high (13,000-foot) summit of one of the most active volcanoes in the world, “Volcan Fuego” (which is nearby). You can also head to Acatenango (another nearby volcano) if you’d rather see a volcano spit smoke and fire. Plus, there are tons of pubs, restaurants, coffee shops, hostels, and even Spanish language schools here if you want a reason to stay longer!

2. Go diving

The shores around Central America are home to many coral reefs. As such, diving is hugely popular. The colors and variety of fish will amaze you, as will the clear visibility. Diving here is cheaper than in the Caribbean and most parts of Mexico . Popular dive countries include Panama, Honduras, and Belize. Expect to pay $50-100 USD for a two-tank dive, or a few hundred dollars for your certification course.

3. Tour coffee plantations

This entire region is known for its coffee, particularly Costa Rica and Panama. Tour the plantations and see how the beans are grown, picked, and ground. You can also buy fresh coffee at heavily discounted prices (it’s a great souvenir). I found the best coffee to be from Monteverde, Costa Rica — and I don’t even like coffee! But I drank it and loved it (it tasted like chocolate!).

4. Visit Chichicastenango

Most people who come to Guatemala visit Chichicastenango , the largest indigenous market in Central America. Stalls sell handicrafts, blankets, pottery, souvenirs, and more. It’s the best place to find local food for cheap and take in the hustle and bustle of local life.

5. Tour the museums

Most cities in Central America are filled with museums, particularly those paying homage to the Mayan civilization. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum in San José, Costa Rica is fascinating, with over 1,000 different gold objects such as animal figures, and jewelry, as well as a scale model of a Pre-Columbian village. For Mayan artifacts, head to the Copán Archaeology Museum in Honduras ($3 USD).

6. Sail the San Blas Islands

This archipelago in Panama consists of 378 islands and cays to explore. Taking a day, or even a week-long sailing trip throughout them is super fun. There are incredible seascapes to behold, as well as fascinating people to meet and colorful reefs to see up close. There is an abundance of wildlife to check out and the boats make frequent snorkeling and scuba diving stops. These trips are popular with budget travelers and can be organized anywhere in the country. You can do a day trip to three of the islands for $90 USD but expect to spend upwards of $600 USD for a 4-5-day cruise. It’s not super cheap, but it’s worth it!

7. Surf down a volcano in Nicaragua

If you like adrenaline activities, try volcano boarding. Cerro Negro, a young and active volcano in Nicaragua, offers tourists a chance to ride a surfboard down its graveled slopes. You have to hike up to the top yourself (which takes around an hour) so be prepared for a climb and to get dirty! A full-day excursion costs $45-50 USD, with transportation, gear, and drinks included.

8. Dive the Great Blue Hole

This natural wonder in Belize is part of the Lighthouse Reef system. It’s a near-perfect circular hole that stretches 146 meters (480 feet) below the surface. The water here is almost completely motionless, so visibility is clear to about 60 meters (200 feet). The Great Blue Hole is an amazing place to dive or snorkel and is considered one of the best natural dive spots in the world! Tour prices vary, but snorkeling tours cost around $220 USD, and diving tours start at $240 USD. A half-day tour with two dives starts from $130 USD. The trips to the Blue Hole are full-day, 3-tank tours and start from $300 USD.

9. Walk through the Treetops

The Rainmaker Aerial Walkway in Costa Rica was the first aerial walkway to be built in Central America and it’s still considered one of the top aerial walkways in the region. At the highest point on the walkway, you’ll find yourself 20 stories above the ground. Tours start at $75 USD and include two light meals. There is also a night tour that lasts three hours and costs $60 USD.

10. Visit the Macaw Mountain Bird Reserve & Park

Located in Copán Ruinas, Honduras, this enclosure is in a tropical rainforest brimming with an amazing range of birds. You’ll see everything from brilliant Buffon Macaws to vibrant Blue and Gold Macaws to colorful Keel-Billed Toucans. Included in the ticket price is a three-day access pass to the park, a one-hour guided tour, and a 20-minute walk through an adjacent coffee plantation. Admission is $10 USD.

11. Admire the Belize Barrier Reef

This is the second-longest barrier reef in the world. It’s home to a vibrant coral reef and magnificent marine life (including sea turtles, rays, and sharks) and is the country’s most popular tourist attraction. In 1996, the reef was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it’s now a popular spot for diving, snorkeling, and boat tours. A three-tank dive costs around $115-125 USD.

12. Go to Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Located on Nicaragua Lake, this is the largest volcanic island in the world that resides inside a freshwater lake. It’s easy to get to and is close to Managua. There are a plethora of restaurants and hotels on the island. Be sure to check out Cascada San Ramon, a waterfall you can access via a beautiful four-hour hike. Also, don’t miss El Pital where you can learn how chocolate is made (tours are $15 USD).

13. Take in the Nicoya Coast, Costa Rica

This is a beautiful peninsula in Costa Rica peppered with quaint little towns and plenty of beaches. It is constantly sunny here, and there’s a lot to see and do. Some of the main attractions include Barra Honda National Park, Isla Tortuga, scuba diving, and driving along the coast. My favorite town in this area is Santa Teresa.

14. Visit La Libertad, El Salvador

For those of you who are big on surfing, this is considered the best place to catch a wave in Central America. While there is the risk of bumping into a swarm of beach-bum types, it doesn’t take away from the amazing waves, the endless seafood barbecue, and cool accommodation. Surfboard rentals start at $15-25 USD.

15. Enjoy Carnival

The biggest carnival in the region is La Ceiba in Honduras. Held every May, the streets fill with bright costumes and dancing, while bars and clubs burst with locals and tourists alike, all vying to soak up the party atmosphere. Different neighborhoods host “Carnavalitos” (little carnivals), competing on who can throw the best party.

16. Visit the Montecristo Cloud Forest

This cloud forest has a diverse swath of flora and fauna including ferns, orchids, mosses, spider monkeys, and anteaters. Hike to the highest point, El Trifinio, where the borders of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala converge. It’s a steep 7-kilometer (4-mile) climb, so bring lots of water. There’s a limit to how many people can visit the park each day so it’s best to arrive bright and early and finish before the park closes at 3pm.

17. Dive the Bay Islands in Honduras

The Bay Islands are one of the best diving spots in Central America. The Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja archipelagos all offer stunning dive sites. Get up close to colorful coral formations or deep dive 600 meters (2,000) feet into the abyss for bluntnose sixgill shark sightings. It’s also super affordable; prices start at $35-40 USD.

Be sure to visit our Central America country travel guides for more detailed information about what to see and do in each destination:

• Belize Travel Guide
• Costa Rica Travel Guide
• El Salvador Travel Guide
• Guatemala Travel Guide
• Honduras Travel Guide
• Nicaragua Travel Guide
• Panama Travel Guide

Central America Travel Costs

Accommodation – Hostel dorms with 6-8 beds cost $8-20 USD per night while private hostel rooms cost $15-30 USD for a single or double bed with private bathroom (in Belize, Costa Rica or Panama, you will pay on the higher end of that range).

Family-owned guesthouses or hotels are the next most affordable accommodation. These rooms average $25-40 USD per night for a private room with an ensuite bathroom. Many include breakfast, not to mention the added bonus of meeting a local.

In cheaper countries like Honduras, a private room can cost $15 USD per night while in a more expensive destination like Panama City, you can expect to pay on the higher end, about $40-50 USD per night.

Airbnb is also an option around Central America, with private rooms starting at around $30 USD per night. For an entire home or apartment expect to pay at least $70 USD per night (though prices are often double that).

Camping can be done easily at some hostels and in certain national parks. Many hostels have spaces where you can pitch a tent or string up a hammock for under $10 USD per night. National parks require camping fees that vary from country to country. See country guides for specifics on where to stay.

Generally, I’d avoid wild camping in this region (even where it is legal it is not advised due to crime, the heat, and wildlife).

Food – While the cuisine for each country in Central America varies, there is some overlap. Expect to find dishes centered around rice, beans, tortillas, meat, and seafood. Generally, you’ll find a mix of Spanish, Caribbean, and traditional Mesoamerican influences here. Fresh fruit is also huge, including favorites like bananas, plantain, mangoes, papaya, and more.

The cheapest food option is to eat at the roadside restaurants that dot the region. Buying your own groceries and cooking is also super affordable, though not all hostels have kitchen facilities.

At small restaurants serving regional cuisine, expect to pay around $5 USD for a meal. If you want really cheap food, you can find empanadas (fried pastries filled with meat, cheese, or potatoes) for under a dollar.

If you plan on cooking your own meals, head down to the local market and pick up fruit, vegetables, rice, and some meat or seafood for $20-40 USD per week depending on your diet.

The local markets have tons of fresh fruit for incredibly cheap, so fill up on that when you can. A typical restaurant meal per main dish and a drink is about $10 USD, however, western food costs about three times as much as local dishes — so skip it!

See each destination’s guide for more info and prices.

Backpacking Central America Suggested Budgets

On a backpacker budget of $30-55 USD per day, you can stay in a hostel dorm, eat some local street food, cook most of your meals, visit a few attractions (like museums and national parks), do some free walking tours, and take local transportation to get around. If you plan on drinking, you’ll need to add a few extra dollars to your daily budget.

On a mid-range budget of $75-150 USD per day, you can stay in a private hostel or Airbnb, eat out more, enjoy a few drinks, visit some historical sites and do some tours, and take coach buses and the occasional taxi to get around.

On a “luxury” budget of $180-290 USD per day, you can stay in a hotel, drink as much as you’d like, eat out for all your meals (including at Western restaurants), take private tours, rent a car for day trips, go diving, and even take the occasional flight. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

Note that if you visit Costa Rica and Panama (the region’s two most expensive countries), you’ll spend on the higher end of these ranges (and above).

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily. Keep in mind these are daily averages – some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in USD.

Central America Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

While our country guides have more specific ways to save (every country in the region is very different), here are five general rules for saving money in Central America:

• Visit the markets – Although eating out is cheap in Central America, it makes sense to shop at the markets for your food to take on day trips or to prepare at your hostel. Fruit is super cheap!
• Hitchhike – Hitchhiking is one of the most popular ways to get around the region and used extensively by locals. You’ll find people regularly willing to pick up people and give them a lift. Just be sure to use common sense as some regions should not be traveled by hitchhiking.
• Eat on the side of the road – The local eateries at the side of the road will be the cheapest food you can eat, costing just a couple of dollars per meal.
• Avoid flying – Bus rides are longer, but if you are trying to see this region on a budget you shouldn’t fly. Flights are 5-10 times more expensive than the bus! An hour-long flight can cost hundreds of dollars. Avoid flying as much as possible!

Where to Stay in Central America

Each country guide has lots of suggested places to stay but here are some of my top top places to stay in the region:

• The Red Hut Inn (Belize City)
• Sophie’s Guest Rooms (Caye Caulker)
• Dirty McNasty (Caye Caulker)
• D’s Hostel (San Ignacio)
• Maya Papaya (Antigua)
• La Iguana Perdida (Santa Cruz, Lake Atitlan)
• Casa de Grethel (Flores)
• Hostal Los Lagos (Guatemala City)

El Salvador

• Hostal Cumbres del Volcan Flor Blanca (San Salvador)
• Hostel Casa Verde (Santa Ana)
• Roatan Backpackers Hostel (Roatan)
• Palmira Hostel (Tegucigalpa)
• Iguana Azul (Copan Ruinas)
• De Boca en Boca (Granada)
• Bigfoot Hostel & Volcano Boarding (Leon)
• Managua Backpackers Inn (Managua)
• Hostel Life is Good (Ometepe Island)
• Rocking J’s (Puerto Viejo)
• Costa Rica Backpackers (San Jose)
• Pura Natura Lodge Manuel Antonio (Manuel Antonio)
• Camino Verde B&B (Monteverde)
• Hostal Casa Areka (Panama City)
• Magnolia Inn Casco Viejo (Panama City)
• El Machio (Panama City)
• Bambuda Castle (Boquete)
• Bambuda Lodge (Bocas del Toro)

How to Get Around Central America

Public transportation – Public buses are the most common (and cheapest) way to get around, with fares costing less than a dollar. These buses are often referred to as “chicken buses” because of the number of chickens and rice that is transported on them. They stop just about everywhere to let people hop on and off, and you’ll be crammed in tight with locals. They’re slow, but cheap.

Taxi – Taxis are common and affordable, but not all of them have meters. Be sure to check before you get into the taxi and if there’s no meter, negotiate a fare upfront.

On the higher end, taxi fares start at about $2 USD in Panama City and then they charge $2 USD per kilometer. In San Jose, Costa Rica, rates start at around $1 USD and then are $1.11 USD per kilometer.

Always ask your hotel/hostel staff how much your ride should be so you know in advance. When in doubt, have them call a taxi for you as well so you know you won’t get ripped off.

Bus – Longer bus rides and overnight buses between countries usually cost between $10-30 USD. They’re not always overly comfortable, but they usually have air-conditioning and some night buses have reclining seats.

Shuttle buses are a popular way to get travelers around the backpacking trail. All you need to do is show up at a travel agency (they’re everywhere) and negotiate a price and route. Make sure you’re clear about where the bus is picking you up — it’s not always a bus station. In some cases, you can just show up and pay the driver onboard.

Larger international buses also run between the larger cities and tend to have their own bus terminals. Some services include Tica Bus, Central Line, and Expreso Panama.

On Tica Bus, for example, you can get from Panama all the way to Guatemala. From Panama to Costa Rica is about $55 USD, and the price increases the further you go. These buses are more comfortable, but the smaller minibusses arranged through an agency tend to be cheaper.

Train – Trains are non-existent in this region. Stick to buses.

Flying – Flying between cities and countries is expensive and routes are limited. A flight from Guatemala City to Belize City can cost upwards of $240 USD while a one-way flight from Belize to Panama is over $375 USD! I would avoid this method of travel unless you are very pressed for time and have lots of money to burn.

Car rental – Roads and driving conditions vary widely here. Overall, you’ll want to be an experienced driver here if you are going to rent a car. Rentals cost around $15-35 USD per day for a multi-day rental. For the best car rental prices, use Discover Cars .

When to Go to Central America

The weather in Central America varies drastically depending on where you are thanks to its many distinct microclimates from coast to coast (and with the altitude in the mountainous areas). The dry season is from December to April, which is generally considered the best time to visit. This is also when most people visit so you can expect more crowds and inflated prices.

The rainy season is from April to December, with hurricane season being at its peak in September and October (especially on the Caribbean side). Having said that, the rainy season isn’t a bad time to visit. Mostly you’ll find periods of heavy rainfall, but plenty of nice weather otherwise. Humidity can be high, and mosquitos and tropical storms can be a nuisance.

In the mountains, temperatures can drop as low as 10°C (50°F). In the hottest places, it’ll soar into the high 30s°C (80s°F). Refer to our country-specific guides to get a better breakdown of temperatures and climates!

How to Stay Safe in Central America

While Central America is generally safe for traveling and backpacking, there’s no denying that certain precautions should be taken. There are certain parts of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala that are currently best to avoid completely and theft and pick-pocketing is common in most cities around the region.

Additionally, there are lots of places you don’t want to go out at night (especially in big cities).

You can find the current situation for each country in their destination guide but here are some general rules for staying safe in Central America:

• Avoid isolated areas, especially at night and in big cities.
• Avoid night buses, where robberies are common, unless your hotel/hostel staff say otherwise.
• Avoid taking drugs here. Penalties are stiff.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Keep your personal belongings on you while using public transit (especially chicken buses).
• Take taxis at night in foreign cities (ideally with other travelers).
• Don’t wear flashy items or start flashing your phone around (especially at night).

Overall, violent attacks against tourists are rare. Petty theft is common here and you must be extremely vigilant to make sure you don’t get robbed — especially when on public transportation or in large crowds.

Don’t carry lots of cash on you and avoid flashing expensive gear. When you go out, only take as much money as you need.

Keep an eye out for common scams against tourists , such as fake ATMs, taxis that don’t use a meter, and questionable tour operators.

For more in-depth coverage of how to stay safe in Central America, check out this post we wrote that answers some frequently asked questions and concerns.

Solo female travelers should generally feel safe here, however, the standard precautions apply (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone intoxicated, etc.).

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past.

Central America Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!

Central America Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Central America travel and continue planning your trip:

Do You Need Travel Insurance for Costa Rica?

The Best Tour Companies in Costa Rica

The 6 Best Hostels in Panama City, Panama

Is Belize Safe to Visit?

Is Central America Safe to Visit?

How to Get Around Central America on a Budget

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Home » Central America » Backpacking Travel Guide

Backpacking Central America • TOP TIPS, Itineraries + Costs 2024

Backpacking in Central America was the best decision of my life . My experiences here moulded me into the man I have become today, and I’m now OBSESSED with inspiring others to visit this magnificent region.

Central America is an enchanting amalgamation of jungles, surf beaches, (tequila), and volcanoes. This part of the world attracts a certain kind of vagrant and broke backpacker – so you’re sure to fit right in. 😉

After exploring for months on end here, I now kinda consider this part of the world to be my second home. You won’t have to spend long here to feel the same, trust me.

There’s something so magical about these lands and the endless array of surprises and opportunities they possess…

Part of it is the unrivalled beauty of the jungles, mountains, volcanos, desert islands and beaches. Part of it is all the relaxing and inward soul searching. But truly, it’s the kindness and open-heartedness of the people that make you fall in love.

If you travel slowly while backpacking Central America  (and trust me, you should) you’ll find yourself on all sorts of weird and wild side quests. You know, the kind with people that very quickly become your new friends for life. One minute you’ve stopped for tacos and the next you’re chasing down Rodrigo’s pet chicken or singing karaoke with a Mayan grandmother.

A part of me is desperate to keep this place a secret before it turns into Southeast Asia 2.0, but I just can’t. I gotta spread the love ( pura vida style).

So, I’m here spilling the beans: insider tips, ups and downs, and essential information that I wish I had before I went backpacking in Central America.

Listo ? – Vamos!

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Why Go Backpacking in Central America?

Backpacking Central America is a wild romp through both chaos and a long chill-out session. It lends itself to some incredible overland journeys and rounding out your own manifesto through travel. Because if you really get into learning Spanish here, you’ll suddenly find a whole new world of locals and fellow artisan backpackers opens up to you!

There are markets full of amber, beaches to sell your jewellery at (Central America is actually a good place to have a backpacker hustle), and of course, there is so much delicious food. I’m talking fried platanos, tacos, and ceviche whenever you’re on the coast. Plus, a party is never too far away. 😉

Then there’s the fact that Central America is a pretty cheap place to travel in. Backpacking Central America is ideal for those on a grown-up gap year or another type of time-constrained trip. But for the long-term vagabond who knows how to stretch every last dollar and doesn’t mind camping on beaches – man… Central America is a dreamy place for you!

And when you do want to splurge on some once-in-a-lifetime experiences, well the region delivers them in spades! Learning to free dive or SCUBA dive are two of the more popular ones. Take epic trekking trips, sky diving, and paragliding!

Now, not everyone is ready to throw themselves off a cliff in the name of a bucket list experience … and that’s ok! Central America hears you and instead offers up peaceful yoga retreats in the mountains or lazy beach days in the sunshine. Plus, because the countries that comprise this region are small (with the exception of Mexico) you can spend less time physically travelling and more time actually exploring – or chilling!

Honestly, backpacking in Central America is the whole package: the people, the parties, the paradisiacal landscapes. Now let’s take a look at some of your options for exploring this fantastic part of the world.

Best Itineraries for Backpacking Central America

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Depending on your time frame, there is a wide range of places to begin and end your backpacking trip. Choosing a general Central America backpacking route and itinerary that works for you will help in some of the basic planning on your journey.

One of the reasons I love backpacking in Central America is the ability to be spontaneous. The region thrives on a certain degree of chaos! Best of all, the distances in Central America are not as daunting as in other parts of the world, so it’s a good choice for backpackers short on time.

Besides, I don’t see much point in rushing around the countries. You might as well slow down your travels and enjoy the ride!

Whether you are looking for a 2-week Central America itinerary or a 2+ month travel odyssey, I’ve got you covered amigos! Let’s dive in a explore some of the tried and true Central America backpacking routes I have enjoyed.

2-week Travel Itinerary for Central America: Mexico to Guatemala

This 2-week Central America backpacking itinerary starts on the opposite end of the region. The cheapest flights into Central America usually fly into Cancún, Mexico.

Find somewhere to stay in Cancun and leave the next day – it’s no secret I STRONGLY dislike Cancun! But do spend some time exploring those insane white sand beaches and cenotes in Quintana Roo to make memories you’ll never forget.

Now onwards to Chiapas ! Chiapas is one of Mexico’s most fascinating regions. The food alone makes it worth the visit, although the mix of cultures and the drop-dead gorgeous landscapes will compete for your attention, too. Explore San Crístobal de las Casas before you head to Guatemala.

Guatemala is a whole other fascinating country. Backpacking Guatemala is truly a special experience. It’s here that I accidentally spent six months falling in love with the country.

Some of the best trekking in Central America can be found in Guatemala. It also boasts steamy lush jungles with the most impressive Mayan ruins in the region. Lake Atitlan has, dare I say, spiritual energy that hasn’t been quashed by the many tourists that call it home.

And rounding out your taste for Central America you can stop in at one of the many awesome places to stay in Antigua – one of the most beautiful cities filled with the most delicious food in the world. Honestly, after two weeks in Central America, you’ll be hungry for more!

4-week Travel Itinerary for Central America: Guatemala to Costa Rica

Have a month to visit Central America? Perfect.

This route has you starting off in Guatemala. Of course, you could start in Costa Rica as well. In my opinion, it is better to save it for the end!

I recommend spending at least ten days in Guatemala before heading south. Definitely go to the ruins in Tikal – and make sure to stay in Flores , the town I fell in love with!

Check out the incredible pools at Semuc Champey . Now if you bus back across to find things to do in Lake Atitlan , you can get in your yoga fix while learning deeply from the Mayan culture still strongly felt here.

Next up, walk to the cobblestone streets of the beautiful colonial city, Antigua . This is all before you get out of Guatemala – there is truly so much to do in Guate !

El Salvador is a country that is often skipped over entirely – and what a mistake that is! While backpacking El Salvador certainly is a bit lighter on the typical tourist things, the surfing and epic street food make it a worthy stop on your Central American itinerary. You won’t run into the safety problems you might think you would – especially if you stick to the beautiful beaches.

The killer beaches do not stop when you enter Nicaragua via a Honduras detour. But if you’re somewhat limited by time – my dudes, you’ve got to hit those surf beaches in Nicaragua. Playa Popoyo has some of the most consistent surf but less popular beaches on the way down!

Then there is Costa Rica : the cherry on top of your Central American pie. A big beautiful world of adventure backpacking awaits you when you arrive in the land of Pura Vida.

The surfers will want to stick to the Pacific Coast. Mal Pais  and  Montezuma  are classic Costa Rican surf towns that suck you in!

And the Caribbean beaches of Costa Rica are the perfect end to your Central America backpacking trip – nothing but good vibes out here.

6-week Travel Itinerary for Central America: Mexico to Panama

If you have 6 weeks or more then you can see the whole damn region. A trip to Honduras for some SCUBA diving is totally worth the effort.

The Bay Islands are one of the cheapest places in the world to get your PADI certification. Annddd, you could also learn to freedive aka underwater meditation!

Look, if you do a bunch of diving on top of exploring the Yucatan and the best beaches in Mexico and even doing some sightseeing in Belize and Guatemala , you’ll quickly run out of time!

This 6-week itinerary is the whole enchilada as they say – it’d ideally be better off done with a lot more time up your sleeve. Still, if you head from Utila and the Bay of Islands through the jungle of Honduras you can have an awesome time trekking and exploring Mayan ruins such as the trails through Parque Nacional Montaña de Comayagua.

From there, you can cross to the Pacific side of Nicaragua and surf your way down the coast into Costa Rica and beyond. You have options in terms of the order of everything to see in this route, but it would work well to duck into Panama and hike in Bouquet, before returning to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica .

Settling into the Caribbean vibe, you can carry on back up the Nicaraguan coast and fit in some more snorkelling and diving!

I found a good balance between trekking, diving, visiting ruins, chilling out, and learning a travel language – Spanish. If you do too much of either of those things you can lose appreciation for how special they are. I found it best to settle into a place for at least a few days before heading out on chicken buses.

There are eight countries that make up the region of Central America; each one is worthy of exploration! Backpacking Central America offers up the opportunity to experience a vast array of landscapes, cultures, food, and activities.

Belize, Costa Rica, and parts of Mexico are more expensive than the other countries. El Salvador and Honduras are probably the least visited countries on the list – and yet have some of the best surfing and hiking in the region respectively!

If you are looking to get off the beaten track and away from the gringo trail, it’s easy in all of the Central American countries. This is especially true in Honduras and the Caribbean side of Nicaragua, where few backpackers go. Depending on the time you have, and more importantly your interests , your options of where to go backpacking in Central America are limitless.

Backpacking Mexico

Mexico is Northern America geographically . No, North America is not just the USA and Canada…

But culturally? Central American all the way! Of course I’m including it in backpacking in Central America.

It is a huge country with incredible diversity: ice-capped mountains, steamy jungles, bustling metropolises, great beaches…

The majority of people on a Central American backpacking route tend to stick to the Yucatan Peninsula and Chiapas regions. That said, there is much, much more to Mexico than those two places.

One could spend a lifetime backpacking Mexico and not see all of it. If you’re short on time, these two regions are some of the richest in landscapes and things to do. If you have longer, you should explore Mexico more deeply!

Tulum makes a good base to explore natural and historical treasures of the Yucatan. Seriously, get yourself to the mind-boggling cenotes for a swim and learn to snorkel in epic cave systems. There is some excellent SCUBA diving in Mexico too, but it’s more expensive than Honduras.

Chiapas is one of my favourite parts of Mexico. There is plenty of history, incredible people, and natural wonders to keep you busy for as long as you want. Once you’ve had your fill of epic street food, you can ply through the local markets for colourful trinkets, and top it all off hiking through the highlands. Chiapas really has it all!

An alternative to flying into Cancun is to fly to Mexico City . From there, you can easily catch long-distance buses to other parts of the country or Guatemala. Take the opportunity to explore Mexico city a bit while you’re there though.

The longer you have to spend in Mexico, the longer you should spend in Mexico. She’s a special one!

What to Know Before Visiting Mexico

• Don’t miss out on… The Caribbean side . It’s touristy, but that’s for good reason. Go in search of hidden beaches and the best snorkelling spots.
• You know what’s overrated… all of those beach resort towns. Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas…these aren’t the real Mexico.
• The coolest hostel is… Casa Angel Hostel (Oaxaca City) – This place is pretty dope. Clean, friendly, and great atmosphere. Ticks every box when it comes to hostel life!
• The best food is found in… Oaxaca. Oaxaca is very well-known for its delicious moles and for being the birthplace of mezcal aka the original tequila.

Backpacking Belize

The paradise of Belize is a country I think of as the black sheep of Central America. For one, English is the official language.

Spanish is increasingly spoken as you get closer to the Guatemala border. Belizean Creole is commonly spoken on the coast.

In truth, a well-planned Belize itinerary is a great addition to any Central American backpacking trip. Belize is home to some of the best SCUBA diving opportunities anywhere in the North or South American continents.

The outlying reefs off of the coast are a part of the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world! Yeah eat your heart our Great Barrier Reef – these ones aren’t bleached either!

There are also some terrific Mayan sites inland from the coast. The ruins at Caracol are some of the finest in Central America.

Whilst backpacking Belize, if you are not a vegetarian – and fuck it even if you are – you absolutely must eat lobster on one of the islands. This beautiful, fresh seafood delight will have a little party on your taste buds for less than half the price of the States. Mmmmmm, you delicious little langouste – I miss you!

What to Know Before Visiting Belize

• Don’t miss out on… exploring some of the offbeat Mayan Ruin sites. For some reason, Belize is often overlooked when it comes to Mayan culture.
• You know what’s overrated… going snorkelling at The Great Blue Hole. It is costly to get out there but to really see the marine life, you need to dive . Don’t fall for the snorkelling package.
• The coolest hostel is… Yellow Belly Backpackers (San Ignacio) – A true paradise, this yellow house is the perfect base for travellers to explore natural treasures. It has a darts board, free biked and is 700m from the beach!
• The best food is found in… Caye Caulker has some of the best lobster in the world – with decent prices too!

Backpacking Guatemala

Guatemala is hands down one of the most dynamic and exciting countries I have ever backpacked. In fact, I loved it so much that I ended up living in Flores (near Tikal) for six months!

The country is so rich in amazing things to experience. You can try artisanal coffee, chow down on the world’s best tamales ( shh don’t tell Mexico!), and experience some of the best hikes in the world in their national parks of volcanoes and jungles.

Mayan cultures are still very strong here. The ruins aren’t so much a relic of a culture lost, but reminders of a culture that remains. I remember walking down my street only to find pieces of obsidian embedded in the dirt road.

The land is very much a life with the people that have occupied here for the last 10 000 years. Tikal is particularly impressive at sunrise, but there are many other Mayan sites to check out, too – like El Mirador .

There are a number of great Spanish language schools in Guatemala if you are keen to learn some Spanish and stay with a host family . Spending a few weeks at a Spanish language school was a game-changing experience for me.

The schools in Antigua or Quetzaltenango are the best. Not only do you embed yourself with a local family and get the privilege of experiencing the town, but your Spanish skills improve at light speed! Speaking Spanish opens up a whole new world for you on your travels in Latin America.

Check out Semuc Champey and Lake Atitlan while you’re in Guate. They might be touristy but they’re still beautiful!

For a true change of pace, you could even try out the boat life by volunteering on a sailboat in the Rio Dulce . Oooh boy, the sailors are a funny bunch down there!

You will fall in love with Guatemala, it’s unavoidable. I’m most certainly counting the days until I return…

What to Know Before Visiting Guatemala

• Don’t miss out on… a 3-day trek around Lake Atitlan, ending in Xela. This one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala .
• Keep an eye out for… safety in Guatemala City. This is probably one of the most hectic places in Guatemala. Base yourself in Antigua instead.
• The coolest hostel is… Earth Lodge (Antigua) – Yoga studio? Organic kitchen? Avocado farm? I can hear the Californians stampede here already.
• The best food is found in… Antigua for western food, Xela for Guatemalan food. Avoid all of the American fast-food restaurants.

Backpacking El Salvador

Straight off the bat, El Salvador has some of Central America’s best and least frequented surf beaches. The Town of El Tunco is a fantastic backpacker hub. La Libertad is another great beach town with excellent surf.

The Montecristo Cloud Forest is a beautiful place to hike. Since El Salvador is not as popular with backpackers, there is ample opportunity to venture off the beaten path.

So bring your bloody surfboard, ok? When you need to leave it behind to go hiking for a few days, the local hostels are more than happy for you to do so.

El Salvador is a country with a troubled history (even by Central American standards) and many problems in the present day. While it is true that El Salvador experiences one of the highest rates of violent crime anywhere on earth, foreigners are rarely targeted .

Basically, if you go looking for trouble, you’ll definitely find it in El Salvador. That being said, the locals look forward to the day when tourism can take off a little better because life is calmer here. They’ll go out of their way to make sure you’re safe and comfortable and enjoying this epic little country.

That said, I wouldn’t venture out into San Salvador at night. However, during the day, San Salvador is pretty dope to explore.

What to Know Before Visiting El Salvador

• Don’t miss out on… Visiting the surf town El Tunco. There is a fun expat vibe, plus the seafood and waves are plentiful.
• Keep an eye out for… Pickpockets and being out late at night in San Salvador. San Salvador is probably not going to be the greatest experience anyway. Get out and head to the beaches, mate!
• The coolest hostel is… Tunco Lodge – a great place to relax in between surf sessions.
• The best food is found in… small local eateries, markets, and food stalls. Generally, I found the best food in the small coastal towns in El Salvador. I mean, fresh ceviche all day, every day? Yes, please!

Backpacking Honduras

Do you want to get PADI SCUBA certified on your backpacking Central America adventure? Head to the Bay Islands , amigos! This is one of the cheapest places in the world to get certified for SCUBA diving.

The legendary island of Utila is a backpacker’s paradise. There are more than a dozen dive centres to choose from. Roatan is a bigger island that caters more to cruise ships and older tourists. It is more expensive than Utila, but the SCUBA diving is arguably better.

The ruins at Cóban are the most significant in Honduras. Pico Bonito National Park is another major highlight of the country. There is an abundance of wild camping and hiking potential in the park.

Honduras often gets skipped over by backpackers – except for Coban and Utila. No, the rest of Honduras seems to remain off the beaten path!

This is a bit of a shame considering there are some epic jungle hikes, and even a sneaky surf beach or two. It’ll definitely be less touristy so your Spanish better be up to scratch. 😉

In all seriousness, as this whole Central America backpacking thingy is very serious, if connecting with locals and seeing a more local side to a region is up your alley – Honduras is the place for you to explore.

What to Know Before Visiting Honduras

• Don’t miss out on… SCUBA diving in the Bay Islands and going to Utila in particular.
• Keep an eye out for… your general well-being in big cities. Also avoid being ripped off by taxi and shuttle drivers. Try to learn what the fair price should be before setting off.
• The coolest hostel is…. Roatan Bed and Breakfast – This super chill hostel in Roatan has been popular with travellers and lived up to expectations since it opened. A great place to make new friends.
• The best food is found in… Johnny Cake bakeries! Honestly, anything from the street stalls!

Backpacking Nicaragua

I love Nicaragua because you can get beautiful beaches similar to those in neighbouring Costa Rica, but without the steep prices. Nicaragua is becoming the backpacker capital of Central America, and fast too.

The Pacific Coast is brimming with surf beaches, funky yoga retreat centres, and ex-pats in addition to friendly locals. The colonial cities of Granada and Leon have beautiful architecture, grand plazas, and strong ties to the Sandinista movement that gripped Nicaragua in the 1980s.

Ometepe Island is surprisingly underdeveloped in many areas. You can rent motorbikes and really explore what the island has to offer. If you like waterfalls, motorbikes, swimming, and rum, head to Ometepe for a few days.

The river and jungle areas of Nicaragua’s interior are wild and full of adventure potential. The Corn Islands off of Nicaragua’s Caribbean beaches are the most far-flung destinations in Central America.

It is no easy effort to arrive there (without flying). Once you do, you will be rewarded by the lack of backpacker hordes.

Nicaragua is the cheapest Central American country! So have a blast without breaking the bank, aye!

What to Know Before Visiting Nicaragua

• Don’t miss out on… Laguna De Apoyo – A gorgeous freshwater lake where one can swim and chill. Also renting motorbikes on Ometepe Island.
• Keep an eye out for… Other backpackers to share the cost of pricy tours with.
• The coolest hostel is… Surfing Turtle Lodge – I personally stayed at this place and kept extending! This is one of the coolest and most unique hostels in the world. If you don’t believe me, Lonely Planet says so too. It’s remote though – cos it’s ON the beach.
• The best food is found in… Leon and Granada for authentic local food. Like with anywhere in Central America: eat from the streets! The world’s best street food is always worth the diahorrea risk. 😉

Backpacking Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the long-standing adventure capital of Central America. Backpackers have been flocking here in search of that pura vida for decades. Costa Rica offers pretty much everything you could ask for: endless wildlife, cloud forests, amazing beaches , huge parties, and an overall easygoing vibe.

The thing is, Costa Rica lives up to the hype. From the capital of San Jose to the Pacific Coast and then back through the jungle to the Caribbean Coast – Costa Rica is really a slice of paradise. Camp out on the beaches as much as possible – trust me, it’s incredible!

Explore the Costa Rican national parks . Learn how to surf. Drink coconut water every damn day.

Make new friends and have the time of your life exploring this special place! I can guarantee that you will come back to Costa Rica for more someday. I sure did.

With so much natural beauty, it’s no surprise that Costa Rica is full of great hikes . The Arenal Volcano area is particularly packed with excellent trails.

Costa Rica has the reputation for being one of Central America’s most expensive countries. Unfortunately, that reputation is true.

That said, exploring this magical country is bound to be a highlight of your backpacking trip. Budget travel in Costa Rica is entirely possible. It just takes a little more effort than backpacking in one of the neighbouring countries.

What to Know Before Visiting Costa Rica

• Don’t miss out on… trekking through the cloud forests around Monteverde, taking a surf class, and staying in a jungle treehouse.
• Keep an eye out for… Staying in San Jose too long. Just a night is enough in San Jose. Keep moving on to the next place.
• The coolest hostel is… Luminosa Montezuma Hostel – Great staff and unbeatable location atop a small cliff overlooking the ocean! Natural springs nearby.
• The best food is found… along the Caribbean coast (e.g Puerto Viejo ). Food in Costa Rica is quite similar from region to region, so I really appreciated the Afro/Garifuna influence found here.

Backpacking Panama

Ok, straight off the bat: Panama is much more than just a tax haven for rich guys . There are some pretty epic volcanoes and jungles to go romping through and the Caribbean Coast is full of some pretty epic slices of paradise!

In fact, the journey from Bocas Del Toro in Panama takes only a few hours to get to from Costa Rica. If you are there in the right season (dry) there is great scuba diving and fishing.

Like Costa Rica, Panama has some fantastic wild jungles and forests once you escape the numerous banana and palm oil plantations.  Baru Volcano National Park is a good place to start exploring.

The San Blas Islands are stunningly beautiful as well. Going through the San Blas Islands is a popular way that backpackers end up getting to Colombia and beginning their backpacking South America journey. Really, if you want to be exploring these low-lying islands by boat – you could try volunteering on a sailboat in the area!

Panama City is a huge sprawling metropolis where one can find some civilization and the associated annoyances. The international airport in Panama City is the main hub for transportation for the region – including flights south to Colombia.

I found it deeply interesting to catch a bus from the outskirts of Panama city and watch as the rural landscape dotted with shanty houses slowly transformed into a city more shiny and full of skyscrapers than anything I’d known back home (bearing in mind I came from a wee Australian town!).

Still, Panama City has some great hostels and interesting sights. I’d recommend climbing the hill to get some epic views of the place.

What to Know Before Visiting Panama

• Don’t miss out on… spending a night on Red Frog Island. If you’re a bit sick of the party hostels in Bocas del Toro , Red Frog is a great place to escape to.
• You know what’s overrated… Any organised “coffee” tour. Honestly, I’m partial to instant coffee so maybe I’m not the best judge! Apparently some of the best coffee in the world is here in Panama – but I’d just sample it yourself from local cafes!
• The coolest hostel is… Lost and Found Hostel – A legend among Panamanian hostels! Fun, interesting, eco-friendly, and amazing views.
• The best food is found …when sailing in the San Blas. Nothing beats fresh fish caught that day by the skipper.

Off the Beaten Path Adventures in Central America

The so-called gringo trail is definitely a thing here in Central America. There are certain hotspots where backpackers congregate. If you ask me, Costa Rica is the country most heavily populated by people travelling in Central America.

While there are plenty of spots on the gringo trail worth visiting, there are ample opportunities to get out and really explore. Indigenous villages, far-flung jungles, isolated beaches, remote mountains, winding rivers, and plenty of national parks provide an eternity of off-the-beaten path adventure potential.

Honduras and El Salvador are two countries that get almost entirely overlooked! This to me is crazy, as I had some of my best memories surfing in El Salvador and tramping through the Honduran jungle.

Even within relatively popular countries like Nicaragua, far fewer backpackers check out the Caribbean Coast. And what a mistake! Some of the best diving, beaches, and food is here.

I think it’s about travelling slowly, authentically, and mindfully. Sure, some tourist spots will be worth your time – but many won’t. And the rewards of getting out there to explore are just so juicy!

We’ve tested countless backpacks over the years, but there’s one that has always been the best and remains the best buy for adventurers: the broke backpacker-approved Osprey Aether and Ariel series.

Want more deetz on why these packs are so  damn perfect? Then read our comprehensive review for the inside scoop!

It’s not finding something to do that’s tricky in Central America – it’s picking what to do first! There are some truly spectacular adventures to be had: above, below, and on the water. Whether you end up a boat bum, sailing the Caribbean Coast of Central America or whether you simply dive from time to time, the water will reward you here!

But the jungles, the Mayan culture, the street food, and the markets are also incredible. The more friends you make with artisans, the more likely you are to suddenly know how to make macrame. This is a bit of an obscure thing to do, but it is a handy backpacker job in a pinch!

Anyway, whatever you end up doing in Central America, you know it’s going to be a good time.

1. Get your open-water diving certification

You can SCUBA dive in pretty much every country in Central America and getting your certification will open up a whole new world of travel possibilities. The reef off Cozumel is pretty epic; as are the reefs off Belize. The cheapest place to get your actual certification is in Utila, Honduras.

Diving life is freaking dope! Not only do you get to make friends with the fish, but you also get to indulge in the diving lifestyle. Yeah, there’s a bit of drinking and partying involved let me tell you. 😉

2. Study Spanish

I did two stints of study on two different trips at the Mountain School outside of Xela. The experiences involved a few homestays and truly elevated my Spanish skills to the next level.

You can study Spanish almost anywhere in Central America. The more you sink into a community, the better your language skills get. The better your language skills get, the easier it is to get a richer experience in the country.

3. Stay in a treehouse in Costa Rica

One of the coolest places I have stayed EVER in 10 years of travel was atop a 35-meter treehouse in the middle of the jungle just south of Manzanillo (south Caribbean coast). Tell the owner I said hi if you stay there! The place is called the Nature Observatorio , check it out.

There are so many eco-lodges in Central America. Ok, they might not be quite as cool as a treehouse, but they are pretty damn beautiful – and doing just a little good for the planet.

• Ultimate Eco Lodges Costa Rica
• The Best Eco Lodges in Nicaragua

4. Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua

This activity speaks for itself: charge at top speed down the side of a volcano! Ok, so it’s little more than for novelty’s sake but you know what? Sometimes you’ve just got to do things and be a bit childish!

It’s a hell of a lot of fun and the scenery is really not too bad either.

5. Eat Lobster in Belize

One of the best (and cheapest) places to eat lobster anywhere in the world. No, but for reals, there is nothing better than fresh seafood.

It needs little other ingredients and is so damn good for you. As long as you check in with local regulations, you could even try your hand at spearfishing and get yourself some dinner!

Lemme suggest right now that fresh langouste goes very well seared in a lemon butter sauce. Simply, but delicious!

6. Take a Boat Down the Rio Dulce in Guatemala

It is actually possible to leave Guatemala by boat, bound for Honduras Bay Island through this jungly river system. I actually delivered sailboats from the Rio Dulce to Honduras a couple of times, but many backpackers can simply volunteer on a sailboat heading in that direction.

If you don’t end up on a sailboat, I’d definitely still recommend a boat ride up the Rio Dulce. Basically, you realise how puny your sailboat is as you come in surrounded by walls of the green jungle… Yeah it’s pretty freaking epic.

7. Visit the San Blas Islands in Panama

Whether you are a party animal or beach lover (or both) – a trip around the San Blas islands is one you’ll never forget (or will never remember, depending on rum consumption).

If you are sailing at your own pace, you’ll be able to get into the swing of island life and see some of the cultures there. Most people simply pass through – which is all well and good and you’ll definitely still have a dope party time! But to really understand how incredibly stunning – but also unique – San Blas is, then you’ll need to slow down and spend some time there.

8. Ride the waves!

Nicaragua and Costa Rica in particular are world-class surf destinations and great places to learn, but the entire Pacific Coast of Central America is full of epic surf spots. El Salvador is a surfing hotspot that is overlooked – and that’s a shame!

So all you surf bums need to pack your boards and get on down to Central America. A goddamn delightful trip awaits you! Plus, we all know the rules of surfing life. Dawn surf, beers for lunch, party all night.

9. Visit the Cenotes in Mexico

Cenotes are a little slice of magic. They’re these clear, blue swimming holes sunken into limestone earth. The best swimming holes on earth are found in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The Maya used to use them for water sources… or dropping dead people…

Today, there is almost something mystical to these locations. And even the popular ones are bloody awesome.

It’s really out of this world to be able to see up to 50 metres deep! Plus, the cold water is such a welcome relief when you’re sweltering through the Yucatan’s humidity.

10. Change your plans

Here’s a warning. Central America travel goes something like this: you arrive, you fall in love, you don’t want to leave. While it’s good to have a rough idea of which direction you want to go, the worst thing you could do is plan every part of your backpacking trip to a T. 

Get chatting with locals and other backpackers about their favourite places. Leave some wiggle room in your itinerary so you can extend your stay in those places that make you feel at home. 

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

Or, y’know… you can stick to just chucking it all in your backpack…

Central America has plenty of budget accommodation options for backpackers. When you are not passing the night from the comfort of your tent or Couchsurfing, you’ll need to book a hostel.

Whether you just need a place to lay your head or a spot to meet fellow travellers, hostels are clearly where it’s at… Once you come around to hostel life , you’ll forever look back on the fond memories you made there!

But you know what? Nothing beats a night camping under the stars or deep within in the jungle. I think one of my favourite nights in all my travels was camping at the Yaxha ruins in Guatemala. Of course, I had a good hiking tent , so my sleep was perfect.

The evening was spent chatting with the custodians of the park and playing cards. I fell asleep to the sounds of howler monkeys and woke to see the sunrise over the lake. So yes, staying in a hostel is an awesome way to connect with other travellers – but sometimes you’ve just got to go bush.

• Where to Stay Mexico
• Where to Stay Belize
• Where to Stay in Antigua Guatemala
• Where to Stay in Leon Nicaragua
• Where to Stay Costa Rica
• Where to Stay in Panama City

Each country in Central America will affect your budget in a different way. I found Nicaragua to be the cheapest country in Central America, followed closely by El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Honduras can be very cheap as well, though not super cheap in the Bay Islands. Costa Rica and Belize are far more expensive for certain things like transport and accommodation.

Travelling in Central America certainly does not need to be expensive! If you are worried about spending too much money, I recommend allotting more time for yourself to explore the cheaper countries. But honestly, if you stick to the tried and true methods of budget backpacking , your wallet will be quite alright.

A Daily Budget For Backpacking Central America

Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay on a daily basis whilst backpacking Central America…

Central America Budget Travel Hacks

• Camp: With plenty of gorgeous places to camp, Central America is a great place to pitch if you have a good-quality tent . Camping saves you money and can help you get off the beaten path.
• Pack a hammock: If you’re feeling really adventurous and want to save some cash, consider picking up a  backpacking hammock . Central America has plenty of palm trees and hammock-ready beaches. If you want to bring something with you on your trip that you will use all the time, this beauty is your best bet.
• Cook your own food:  Travel with a  portable backpacking stove  and cook your own food to save some serious cash whilst backpacking across Central America. If you plan to do some overnight hiking trips or to spend time at a surf camp, having a backpacking stove will be a great asset.
• Couchsurf:  Central American locals are awesome. Get to know some by learning to couchsurf ! Check out Couchsurfing to make some real friendships and see a country from the perspective of locals. When using Couchsurfing, be sure to send personalized messages to your potential host. A generic copy-and-paste message is much more likely to get turned down. Make yourself stand out.

Why Should You Travel to Central America with a Water Bottle?

Plastic washes up on even the most pristine beaches… so do your part and keep the Big Blue beautiful!

You aren’t going to save the world overnight, but you might as well be part of the solution and not the problem. When you travel to some of the world’s most remote places, you come to realise the full extent of the plastic problem. I hope you become more inspired to continue being a responsible traveller .

Plus, now you won’t be buying overpriced bottles of water from the supermarkets either! Travel with a filtered water bottle instead and never waste a cent nor a turtle’s life again.

Drink water from ANYWHERE. The Grayl Geopress is the worlds leading filtered water bottle protecting you from all manner of waterborne nasties.

Single-use plastic bottles are a MASSIVE threat to marine life. Be a part of the solution and travel with a filter water bottle. Save money and the environment!

We’ve tested the Geopress  rigorously  from the icy heights of Pakistan to the tropical jungles of Bali, and can confirm: it’s the best water bottle you’ll ever buy!

When to go to Central America varies with the weather as each country in Central America has its own unique climate. The dry season is generally December, January, February, and March : this is certainly the time when most people visit. You can have some great weather in November and April as well.

The rainy season can be a beautiful time to visit. The rain only complicates things if you want to do heaps of outdoor activities. During Christmas and the New Year, Costa Rican beaches are flat-out slammed with foreigners and locals alike.

Scuba diving is best in the winter or early spring months ( Nov-Feb ). The water has better visibility and the islands are generally more pleasant when it’s not pissing down rain. Basically, if you’re willing to put up with some rainy days and slightly less crowded beaches then do so: the jungle is certainly beautiful.

Also, the higher in altitude that you get, the more the weather changes. I can’t give a super accurate country breakdown because it truly depends where in the country you are as to what kind of weather you’ll get. Anything by the ocean is going to be more chill and have a less pronounced rainy season.

What to Pack for Central America

For such a variety of climates and range of activities to be done while backpacking Central America, you will need the  ultimate packing list .

There is no need to be that person who carts around 50 kilos of luggage. But you don’t want to be without the essentials either!

So what do you really need? Here are some essentials that accompany me on every single backpacking trip.

Snoring dorm-mates can ruin your nights rest and seriously damage the hostel experience. This is why I always travel with a pack of decent ear plugs.

Hanging Laundry Bag

Trust us, this is an absolute game changer. Super compact, a hanging mesh laundry bag stops your dirty clothes from stinking, you don’t know how much you need one of these… so just get it, thank us later.

Sea To Summit Micro Towel

Hostel towels are scummy and take forever to dry. Microfibre towels dry quickly, are compact, lightweight, and can be used as a blanket or yoga mat if need be.

Monopoly Deal

Forget about Poker! Monopoly Deal is the single best travel card game that we have ever played. Works with 2-5 players and guarantees happy days.

Grayl Geopress Water Bottle

Always travel with a water bottle! They save you money and reduce your plastic footprint on our planet. The Grayl Geopress acts as a purifier AND temperature regulator. Boom!

Well, when people realise I’ve spent six months living in Central America and more travelling, they immediately ask: Well is Central America safe ? Whilst it is true that Central America suffered through decades of brutal war, gang violence, and a horrific narcotics trade, modern-day Central America is a different story (though many of these problems still exist, big time).

Don’t get me wrong, Central America still has a huge problem with gang violence and the narco trade, but it is concentrated in specific areas tourists don’t usually wander into. 99% of the trouble I ever hear about from backpackers started with them trying to buy drugs/buying drugs.

So yes, the standard safe backpacking rules apply but no, you’ll rarely be running for your life here. However, I’d still think it was dishonest if I didn’t say that Central America has a higher crime rate than other parts of the world and foreigners are more likely to get caught up in something. Certain areas (mainly cities) in Central America have the highest rates of homicide anywhere in the world (not in a war zone).

That said, foreigners are very rarely involved or targeted by violence. And the one mugging I did accidentally witness was very quickly shut down by the neighbours because of how loud the girl screamed. In fact, the would-be robber was taken aside and dealt with by the community…

Basically, should you on the off chance find yourself being robbed, be loud but don’t be a hero. Aaaand, it’s probably not going to happen to you as long as you keep your wits about you.

• Is Mexico Safe to Visit?
• Is Guatemala Safe to Visit?
• Is Belize Safe to Visit?
• Is Nicaragua Safe to Visit?
• Is Costa Rica Safe to Visit?
• Is Honduras Safe to Visit?

Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll in Central America

What can I say? The first time I backpacked across Central America – I felt like the months I spent there were almost a continuous party. The backpacker circuit is well established and – in pretty much every hostel you stay at – there are other people game for putting a few beers back.

Drugs like cocaine and weed are VERY abundant along the backpacker trail. My advice: dabbling a few times is a normal part of the backpacker experience – but be careful – 1. the drug trade is one of the most destructive forces in Central America and 2. hard drugs like coke are very addictive and overdoses do happen.

Prostitution is rampant across every country in Central America. I found that in some parts of Costa Rica, I was approached by sex workers nearly every single night. Remember that sex trafficking is also a big problem in Central America and the people working in the trade may not be doing so by choice.

In general, party and have a good time when you feel like it – but remember to take it easy too. Climbing a volcano or doing a big trek is WAY more fun when you are not hungover – take it from me. 😉

Getting Insured BEFORE Travelling to Central America

No matter what you do, travelling always involves some level of risk. So I HIGHLY recommend getting good backpacker insurance sorted before you

Before you go travelling,  please consider a  good travel insurance provider .  Shit happens on the road (and open ocean) all the time, and when it does, it’s nice to know  somebody  has got your back. And what’s the one travel insurance provider The Broke Backpacker trusts for all its insurance needs…?

World Nomads!

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

I started my two Central America backpacking trips from Cancun and Guatemala City respectively. If you are coming from North America or Europe, you can score some pretty sweet deals on airlines flying into Cancun.

I personally hate Cancun, but its airport gets the job done. It’s much cheaper than Belize City, for example, which really isn’t too far away. To maximize your budget, it is all about finding cheap flights to Central America!

It is also possible to find cheap flights to the other Central American capital cities. Panama City is probably the cheapest, followed by Managua, and San Jose. Check out our post on how to score cheap flights to find a bargain on flights to Central America.

Depending on your time frame and schedule, you can make an informed decision about where to start your trip. If you’re keen on backpacking Central America in its entirety, I recommend starting in Mexico and working your way south. You might be lucky to find a cheap flight to Panama City, but really, that would be very lucky,

Conveniently, most Central American countries don’t require any sort of visa to enter either. Most Western nations, including the US, UK, EU, and Australia, can visit each country visa-free for a period of 90 days. Be aware though that some countries like to charge a small entry fee.

The easiest and cheapest option is to travel to Central America by bus. The region is famous for the chicken bus .

The Guatemalan chicken bus is a sight to behold. These old American school buses are often painted with psychedelic colours and filled to the brim with humans (and sometimes chickens).

A majority of the buses have been bought in the USA at auction and then driven down to Central America to live out a second (exhausting) life in public transportation. Instead of carrying American school children, they are flying down steep mountain roads with various local populations packed inside. I can almost smell the sweet aroma of burning breaks and delicious roadside snacks.

In Costa Rica and the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, the buses are of better quality, but much more expensive than elsewhere in the region. In major cities, public transit systems are complicated but relatively easy to get around. Some of the larger cities – like Mexico City – have easy-to-use metros.

To get to the various Caribbean islands, you can catch a ferry. The ferries are more expensive than I anticipated, so budget accordingly.

You will hear the words “taxi taxi taxi” just about everywhere you go. Taxis are always more expensive than taking the bus but can be useful in certain situations. But turn your haggle game and ALWAYS set the price with the driver before getting into the cab.

Hitchhiking in Central America

Learning to hitchhike is definitely an option, buttttt it’s definitely easier when you know how to speak Spanish. If you dress the part and look like every other Latina vagabond, drivers will typically know what you’re doing. However, I always think it’s a good idea to offer to shout lunch or explain the journey that you’ve been on.

Hitchhiking edict changes from person to person, as some people picking you up, might want talkative company, and some people prefer quiet. This is where it’s much easier to speak Spanish so you can gauge the situation. Depending on the country, you’ll have differing wait times/success while hitchhiking.

I hitchhiked in Mexico with the most luck. My chicken and I met van lifers, musicians, farmers, and other solo travellers in Central America . I feel like hitchhiking really does open up the world of travel in a much more raw way.

Onwards Travel from Central America

Looking to continue travelling south after backpacking Central America? You have a few options. You can always fly from Panama City, Mexico City, or Cancun (depending on which direction you travel the region) onto South America or Europe.

A far more rewarding alternative is to take a boat. Multiple boat companies now offer passage from Panama to Colombia via the San Blas Islands with trips ranging from three to five days. If you are keen to go on an island-hopping sailing adventure, this option is for you.

From here you can go on to backpack South America! Fuck yeah!

The third option, if you can call it that, is crossing the Darien Gap overland. Rumour has it that you can hire a guide (for quite a bit of money) and cross the Darien Gap on foot. In the past, this was impossible due to narco-terrorist/guerrilla activity and is still considered a very dangerous place to cross . May the backpacker gods be with you if you attempt the journey on your own without a guide.

Taking a boat from Panama to Colombia sounds like the most fun for sure. You’ll have a chance to sleep on totally isolated islands and swim in crystal clear waters whilst drinking some ice-cold beers on your boat… It’s an epic trip.

• Backpacking Colombia
• Backpacking Ecuador
• Backpacking Peru
• Backpacking Brazil

Central America has been an ex-pat destination for decades. The whole spectrum of humanity comes down here for various reasons: retirement, to escape the desk, for the digital nomad lifestyle , to surf endlessly, to party forever, or to simply enjoy a cheaper cost of living away from the rat race.

Central America is one of the leading candidates for backpackers and digital nomads looking for a place to settle long-term (according to recent digital nomad trends ). Certainly, some countries cost more to live in than others, but generally speaking, life just costs less in Central America and one can enjoy a very pleasant lifestyle with about half the cost of living in Europe or the USA.

A new country, a new contract, a new piece of plastic – booooring. Instead, buy an eSIM!

An eSIM works just like an app: you buy it, you download it, and BOOM! You’re connected the minute you land. It’s that easy.

Is your phone eSIM ready? Read about how e-Sims work or click below to see one of the top eSIM providers on the market and  ditch the plastic .

Volunteering in Central America

Volunteering abroad is an amazing way to experience a culture whilst giving something back. There are loads of different volunteer projects in Central America ranging from teaching to animal care to agriculture to pretty much everything! 

Programs run through reputable work exchange programs like Worldpackers and Workaway are generally well-managed and highly reputable. However, they aren’t without their flaws too. whenever you are volunteering, stay vigilant, especially when working with animals or children.

Central America is home to dozens of distinct ethnic groups – each with its own set of traditions, food styles, dress, and in some cases, language. The ethnically Mayan peoples of the Guatemalan highlands I found to have the richest and most distinct cultural practices and traditions that have largely survived the modernization (and bloody civil war) of Guatemala.

One really feels the vibe of ancient traditions when you spend a few nights in a Mayan village. Similarly, I found the Garifuna communities in Belize and Honduras to be full of life – especially when it came to music and food.

A major thread that connects all of the Central American countries is religion. This is a very Catholic region almost without exception with local saints and patrons to be found in every village it seemed.

In general, I found the people in every country I visited in Central America to be kind, generous, and welcoming – and just as often very keen on sharing a strong drink and a chat with you, time permitting.

What to Eat in Central America

The food in Central America can be as diverse as its human inhabitants…

Though, I’ll start by saying that I have been much more wowed by the food in Asia and the Middle East than by the backpacker staples of rice and beans in Central America. That said, you can find some really tasty stuff to try!

Must-Try Dishes in Central America

• Tamales (Everywhere) – A kinda of staple puree with a filling, cooked and served in a leaf. Every town and every person has their own style. They’re cheap and delicious – so always take at least one wherever you see them.
• Pupusas (El Salvador) – Originating in El Salvador, Pupusas are all over Guatemala. Thick corn tortillas stuffed with fillings – usually refried beans, cheese and/or pork – Nothing like that crunchy fried texture with the squishy inside.
• Ceviche (Everywhere) – Fresh fish doesn’t come any fresher than ceviche. Not cooked, but marinaned in lime. Feels weird, tastes incredible.
• Tacos (Mexico and Guatemala) – If you’re hungry, tacos. If you’re not, tacos. If you don’t eat meat, often no tacos: we have to go hungry in some places.
• Mole (Mexico) – This soul sauce is made up of the ingredients directly from the heart of the women who spend hours on end concocting it. It dates prehispanic and Puebla and Oaxaca have the best ones.
• Gallo Pinto (Costa Rica): The national dish of Costa Rica! Rice and beans (yes, again) stir-fried together to create a speckled appearance. It is usually served for breakfast along with eggs and sour cream or cheese. There is no avoiding it.
• Olla de Carne (Costa Rica): A hearty stew of beef, cassava (a starchy tuber used in  Tico cooking), and whatever else gets thrown into the pot.
• Johnny Cakes and Fry Jacks (Belize) :  Both the jacks and Johnny cakes are made from flour: the jacks are flattened and fried, the Johnny cakes are round fluffy savory biscuits. Like everything, it’s best with butter or cheese.
• Lobster (Belize):  Self-explanatory and f***** delicious.

While you’re out here travelling, vagabonding, and being a broke backpacker, I’d encourage you to have a little pot of funds to try some unique experiences. Because there are some truly special activities to try out when you’re in Central America.

Yes, you can go paragliding or bungee jumping. You can volcano board, or trek through jungles.

But there are two activities that Central America can really claim as its own: SCUBA diving and surfing . The fun in the sun never stops along this coastline!

Things go wrong on the road ALL THE TIME. Be prepared for what life throws at you.

Buy an AMK Travel Medical Kit before you head out on your next adventure – don’t be daft!

SCUBA Diving in Central America

You should know by now that Central America has some excellent scuba diving venues. It is possible to go diving in all of the countries as they all have access to the coast. Mexico, Belize, and Honduras are the clear winners.

Diving in Belize is more expensive than in Honduras, although undoubtedly still epic. The great blue hole is an awesome diving experience but so are the multitude of shallow reefs around the place too.

Mexico might have the most famous areas – like Cozumel and the cenotes – but I’d argue they more than live up to the hype. You can swim with manta rays, whale sharks, turtles, and innumerable tropical fish!

If you’re going a little further afield, backpacking Cuba can offer up some truly mind-blowing dive sites. Plus, although the Cayman Islands are technically British, they’re just south of Cuba and are basically one whole island full of dive sites.

However, The Bay Islands in Honduras are the go-to spot for getting your PADI certification. The backpacker scene on Utila makes up part of the draw as well.

During my time in Utila, I met many people in the Bay Islands who had moved there for the majority of the year to work in the diving industry. I must admit I was pretty envious of them. If you are looking to live somewhere beautiful long-term, becoming a diving instructor is one sweet way to make that happen.

Surfing in Central America

Surfing reigns supreme on much of Central America’s southern Pacific coast starting in El Salvador and winding down all the way to Costa Rica and Panama. Some of the best surf beaches in the Northern Hemisphere are found here.

New to surfing? There are plenty of surf schools to help you get the start you need in order to catch a few waves.

A stint at a Nicaragua or Costa Rica surf camp is a good way to fully immerse yourself in the world of surfing. Meeting people who have a higher level than you always helps one to improve.

A surf camp is basically a surfing hostel with (dorms) or without rooms (camping) where communities of surfers base themselves. Life at a surf camp is rough. Surfing, eating, making friends, and partying make up the main activities. Sound like fun? Time to get packing my friends.

Is Central America safe for backpackers?

Yes, most of Central America is perfectly safe to visit – including Honduras and El Salvador. But there are some parts of all the big cities in the region that you should avoid walking in at night, as well as always following your standard safety procedure.

How long do you need to backpack Central America?

I’d recommend a minimum of 6 weeks in Central America but even that will feel rushed. If you travel slowly and volunteer along the way, you could easily spend 3 – 6 months backpacking in Central America.

Where can I go backpacking in Central America?

All the countries in Central America offer something a little different, so it depends on what you’re after! You could go surfing, hiking, diving, or on a food tour. Guatemala might be your best bet for hiking, whereas El Salvador or Nicaragua would be better for surfing.

Is Central America safe for solo female travellers?

Generally, yes. I don’t think Central America is less safe for women than other travellers. You still need to keep your wits about you, listen to your gut, and then you will likely have a very safe experience.

Why did the chicken cross Central America?

Because Indigo needed a friend. No, it’s not a joke: that really is Indigo’s friend.

Our GREATEST Travel Secrets…

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Be good to Central America.

Central America is a region that has not had it easy over the years, and yet they’ve bounced back. It’s a beautiful region full of people that are genuinely excited to show off their home to you. So with that, my last bit of advice would just be to travel in a way that leaves the place better – not worse.

The surfing, the diving, the hiking, the partying… It’s all supremely good here.

You get the best of the backpacker world and the local’s world once you pick up a little Spanish and leave the gringo trail. You’ll meet friends for life and get swept up in adventures that sound unreal when you retell them back home.

But that’s just Latin America for you! It’s kind to the vagrants and the artisans with the next free camping spot just up the road. The markets are full of colour and the streets are full of delectable food.

So off you go, book that ticket, and get to exploring! I found a second home here and I’m almost certain that you will too! Hopefully, I’ll see you on the road sometime.

• Backpacking Southeast Asia
• How to Find Cheap Flights
• Best Party Cities in the World
• The Best Travel Cameras

Updated February 2023 by Laura Hall .

Joe Middlehurst

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26 Comments

We are hoping to do Central America from Mid April to Mid May… we thought we’d start in Panama or Costa Rica and head north to try and catch the best of the weather, but every suggested itinerary I’ve seen online suggests travelling in the opposite direction. Can anyone offer any guidance on what the best option is and why? Especially travelling at the end of the dry season/beginning of the rainy season? Any guidance much appreciated.

Very good guide, it helped me a lot during my trip through Central America. I look forward to a post-pandemic update.

Awesome to hear, Isla!

Amazing blog Keep posting such content

Hi Chris, My friends and I are really keen to #3 Backpacking Central America Itinerary 4 weeks: Guatemala to Costa Rica, but there’s not a lot of detail listed. How many days would you recommend at each stop? Best wishes,

travelling is love

I meant Chris, not Will. I’m so sorry!

Thank you so much for the amazing information, Will! I plan on backpacking Central America starting this December through every in Central America. I know some countries require a negative Covid test 72 hours prior to entering. How would this be achieved when crossing borders from country to country throughout my trip? Would I need to get a Covid test in each country? If so, how would I go about doing that? I am currently vaccinated for Covid, could I just show them my vaccination card? Thank you so much for your time, I just want to make sure I’ll be able to complete my journey!

Hi Jonathan, Its great you have been vaccinated. Make sure you have proof of your vaccination with you, make sure you have a digital back up copy too. Regarding the Covid tests for travel, you will need to follow the exact instructions given by each country prior to border crossing. I imagine most countries will have this listed on their website, including how, when and where to get the test done. Unfortunately, even if you have the vaccine you may still need to follow the testing protocol. Have a great time.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful article. It’s really helpful and valuable tips.It’s really good and thanks for sharing this good article.

Glad you enjoyed it! Safe travels.

Your blog is by far the best backpacking one out there. I spent 6 weeks travelling Central America this past summer using many suggestions from your site, and am planning my SE Asia trip in May again using your blog as a guide and starting point. Thank you!!

Thanks Brianna, have a great time in SEA!

Your photos are awesome! They really add a lot to your article. Do you use a high end camera or a smartphone to get such great shots?

My boyfriend and I are currently planning a trip to CA and this blog post SERIOUSLY had EVERYTHING we were looking for! Thank you!!

Hi! Did you need a proof of the onward journey (pr return ticket) when entering countries of CA?

Oh my god, it’s a gamble. As of 2 years ago, most times you’re not asked. When you are, you can usually get by if you tell them something really specific, like “I’m going to take a bus to Costa Rica next month for a jungle trek.” Make sure that whatever it is you say, it’s actually far enough out, because in some countries they’ll limit your visa only for as long as you need it. Hope this helps!

Honestly man. I never really leave any comments on blogs but this is one of the most helpful, detailed and honest blogs I have ever stumbled upon. Thank you for being realistic about safety concerns in central America, talk about realistic prices and your detailed itineraries are incredible. Keep it going!!

Thanks for the love Lars! We hope you make it to Central America and love it!

Hey, I totally get wanting to eliminate plastic waste but in Mexico & Central/South America, we are unable to drink water that comes out of taps or fountains. So where to refill the reusable bottles??? I hope I’m not missing an article about this, I clicked on your links and didn’t see any explanation….. GREAT GUIDES, MIL GRACIAS!

I carry a Grayl Geopress 🙂

when did you visit central America? is it safe for a male and female to take buses from cancun to Honduras and maybe further at this time? Even with all the travel warnings? I loved the blog post, I will certainly use it to plan more of my trip.

I wouldn’t take public transport in Honduras but private buses with decent bus lines should be OK

Amazing guide, thank you! I’m planning to solo-backpack through Central America this spring. Can you tell me, where will I meet other backpackers and make friends? Where is a good and safe place to start my backpacking-journey? Thank you! 🙂

I recommend starting in Guetamala – Antigua is chill 🙂 You’ll meet people in hostels – just choose some sociable ones 🙂

Thumbs up for the security belt with a hidden pocket you suggested. I make my husband wear it anytime we’re traveling 🙂

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Ultimate CENTRAL AMERICA Travel Guide

Central America  is a fascinating place to visit offering lush rainforests, diverse wildlife, hidden beaches, massive preserves and national parks, rich history and indigenous heritage. This Central America travel guide is designed to uncover some of our favorite places and things about this region and help you plan your own trip to this unique part of the world.

Defining Central America can be referred to as the region that resides between  North America  and  South America . It is made up of seven countries including Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama. Mexico, while not officially included in this region, is often included too.

These countries are bordered by Mexico to the North,  Colombia  to the South, the Atlantic Ocean to the West, and the Caribbean Sea to the East.

Destinations

Central america travel: quick tips, don’t visit central america without:.

UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER

GET A GUIDEBOOK

REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE

CENTRAL AMERICA BUCKET LIST

Bird watching in costa rica.

Boasting more than 850 bird species, twice as many species as the USA and Canada combined, Costa Rica, is a bird watcher and photography mecca. Keep your eye out for the Resplendent Quetzal, as well as toucans, parrots, trogons, hummingbirds, and macaws.

SNORKEL THE BLUE HOLE

Located off the coast of Belize, and part of the second-largest barrier reef in the world, the Great Mayan Reef is the famous Blue Hole. This giant marine sinkhole is 318 meters across, 124 meters deep, and lined with incredible coral reef systems to snorkel and dive. 

VISIT THE SAN BLAS ISLANDS

The San Blas Islands are a series of islands that belong to the Guna Yala people off the Caribbean coast of  Panama . They offer an idyllic island escape with white sand beaches and turquoise waters. It’s the perfect place to snorkel, kayak, and SUP.

MORE THINGS TO TRY IN CENTRAL AMERICA

There is no shortage of great  places to visit in Central America  during your visit and the biggest problem you’ll face is fitting them all into your itinerary.

Each country has its own offering and unique things to check out during a visit, so be sure to look at our country guides once you decide where you’re itinerary will take you.

ADVENTURE IN ROATAN:   Soaring above the lush jungles of Honduras is a definite highlight of any Honduras itinerary. The course in  Roatan  is built with several segments, meaning this adventure lasts much longer than any single zip line. You’ll get to be above the tree canopy with incredible views of the ocean.

SLOW DOWN IN CAYE CAULKER:  It’s all about island time when you visit  Caye Caulker, Belize . There are some yummy local restaurants, white sand beaches and some fantastic snorkeling to be had here. It is also a great place to access the Hol Chan Marine Park from.

HIKE THE RING OF FIRE IN GUATEMALA:  Embark on a trek that conquers the 7 major volcano summits in Guatemala dubbed the ring of Fire that make up the Western Backbone of the country. This is one of the world’s  Top 100 Travel Adventures , so it’s not for the light of heart.

RAFT THE PACUARE RIVER IN COSTA RICA:  Some of the best white water rafting in the world takes place on the Pacuare River in Costa Rica. The best part of the river is rafted on a minimum 2 day/1 night trip that puts you up in a rustic jungle lodge for the night. It is also possible to extend the stay in the jungle for any number of nights too. The river is best rafted when it is producing class III rapids.

SOAK UP THE SUN ON BALLENA BEACH:  One of Costa Rica’s hidden gems, Ballena Beach is a place that the locals love to go. The beautiful stretch of beach sits right up against the lush rainforest, offering hiking opportunities. In the water, you’ll enjoy snorkeling with a diverse array of marine life. If you just want to relax, bring your beach towel and sit under the swaying palm trees for an afternoon of Pura Vida.

WATCH DOLPHINS IN GOLFO DULCE:  You’ll have to put in some work and planning to reach Golfo Dulce, as it’s quite off the beaten path, but you won’t regret it. Not only is there spectacular bird watching here but you’ll also enjoy the company of dolphins when you’re on the water.

TRANSIT THE PANAMA CANAL:  One of the most iconic sites in the world is the Panama Canal, a dredged stretch of water that allows transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The construction of the canal is brilliant and booking a cruise that includes a transit of it will give you an up-close and personal look at how it works.

VISIT COIBA NATIONAL PARK:  Located in Panama, Coiba National Park offers so much beauty that even the Costa Ricans are jealous of it (true story!). This part is the definition of pristine, featuring both mainland and island preserves to enjoy. For a day of sun and snorkeling, you’ll want to head to Granito de Oro.

JOURNEY INTO THE DARIEN GAP:  Easily one of the most notorious stretches of land on the planet, the Darien Gap is not a place for the faint of heart. It serves as the most northern tip of the Amazon Rainforest and has played host to some of the most dangerous drug cartels in the world. That aside, its pristine primary rainforest that is begging to be explored. One of the highlights from our visit was meeting the Embera Tribe and learning about their culture.

TOUR THE FORTS IN PORTOBELO:  As with most of Central and South America, Panama has a strong Spanish colonial history. This means you can find ruins and remnants dotted throughout the country. Portobelo is no exception, offering one of the best preserved forts in Central America. You can expect to see walls and buildings constructed from coral and plenty of canons.

FOODIE BUCKET LIST

Central American food revolves around a few staple ingredients, but you’ll be surprised at how creative local chefs can get. During your travels, you’ll be eating lots of  rice, beans, and plantains , usually with  vegetables  and  grilled meat or fish .

Central Americans have lots of local dishes too. In El Salvador, the local specialty is  Pupusas  – maize tortillas stuffed with delicious fillings. In Costa Rica, you’ll be eating  Gallo Pinto , and in Guatemala, you’ll be gorging on spicy,  Mayan inspired stews .

CENTRAL AMERICA FESTIVALS

Central America is packed with exciting cultural and religious festivals throughout the year. The most important week of the year for most locals is  Semana Santa  – or Holy Week – which is the lead up to Easter.

Each town, village, and city has its own  Carnival , where you’ll get to party and dance the night away with locals (Panama City has a particularly famous carnival in February).

CONSIDERING A CENTRAL AMERICA CRUISE?

Central america travel budget.

Setting a budget for travel to Central America is highly dependent on your travel style. It is possible to visit just about anywhere on any budget and still have a great trip. That said, you can make your trip as basic or as luxurious as you desire.

To help you set your budget, we’ve included some base range price estimations for travel within Central America. Of course, keep in mind that prices can fluctuate based on seasons, availability and festivals.

ACCOMMODATION:  When you travel to Central America, accommodation can be found for as low as USD 10 per night in  hostels , while  private rooms  or  guest houses  shouldn’t cost more than USD 30 per night.  Luxury hotels  or  eco-lodges  can be found for upwards of USD 50 per night.

FOOD:  Food is inexpensive across Central America travel routes. You can often find good  restaurant meals  for between USD 5 and USD 10 per person (with a few beers thrown in, too). You can eat  street food  for less than this (a few dollars), or splurge and enjoy  high-end restaurants  in the cities and tourist spots.

TRANSPORT:  Local transport, such as the infamous  Chicken Bus , is incredibly cheap. You can cross the entirety of El Salvador for less than 5 USD, for instance.  Tourist shuttles  or overnight,  first-class buses  are much more expensive, however. A bus ride from San Salvador to Guatemala City will cost around 50 USD. The  ferry  from La Ceiba to Roatan costs around USD 30 each way.  Flights  in the region are more expensive, however, and can cost hundreds of dollars for international hops.

ACTIVITIES:  Activities are a fantastic value when you travel to Central America.  Scuba diving  can cost as little as USD 30 per dive (Roatan is one of the cheapest places in the world to dive),  hiking  day trips will cost 20-30 USD, and  guided tours  the same.

50 USD PER DAY

USD 30 to USD 50 per day will get backpackers dorm rooms, the odd private room, local transport on chicken buses, street food, and plenty of activities.

100 USD PER DAY

USD 50 to 100 will give midrange travelers private or tourist transport for much of the trip, restaurant food, and private rooms in nicer hotels.

150 USD + PER DAY

Luxury travelers spending above USD 150 per day will be able to enjoy some of the best hotels, as well as private tours, first-class transport, and restaurant meals.

HOW TO GET AROUND IN CENTRAL AMERICA

There are a few ways to get around Central America during a visit, including cruises, ferries and flights. Despite most of the countries being small, there is a surprising number of ways to get around. Plan ahead and be flexible.

CRUISES:  It is possible to visit many of the popular areas of Central America by cruise ship. This is primarily done on the Caribbean side and you cruise from Mexico to South America stopping off in multiple Central America ports along the way. It is also possible to visit the Pacific side of Costa Rica and Panama with smaller expedition ships too.

BUS:  Major cities are all connected by regular first-class bus services, which are safe to travel overnight on. You can travel by bus all the way from Guatemala City to Panama City if you desire. Some major tourist destinations are only connected by tourist shuttle services or local chicken buses. Lake Atitlan to El Salvador, for instance, requires three changes of the chicken bus. Or you just jump on the dedicated tourist shuttle (it’s less authentic, but it’s quicker). If you’re getting off the beaten track, then you’ll have to use local transport and have plenty of patience.

FLIGHTS:  The quickest way to get around during your Central America travel trip is to fly (at least from one country to the next); however, flights only often connect major cities and can be infrequent and expensive. If you’re short on time, however, and want to see more than one country this will be your best, and in many cases, only option.

FERRIES:  Major islands such as Roatan, the Corn Islands, or Bocas del Toro, all have regular ferry services in the dry season. To access more exclusive or off the beaten track places like Coiba National Park and the San Blas Islands, you’ll need to hire a private boat transfer or book a day tour.

CAR RENTAL:  It’s not unheard of to rent a car in Costa Rica or Belize to do some exploration on your own. Some travelers also do it in Panama. Outside of those three countries, it isn’t advised. Check out  Discover Rental Cars  for great deals.

TOP CENTRAL AMERICA TOURS

Best of panama.

8 Days from Panama City Visits: Panama City, Boca del Toro, Boquete & David

CLASSIC BELIZE & TIKAL

9 Days Belize City to Caye Caulker Visits: Belize City, San Ignacio, Tikal, Flores & Caye Caulker

EXPLORE COSTA RICA

14 Days from San Jose Visits: Manuel Antonio NP, Monteverde, Arenal & Tortuguero

GRAND MAYAN ADVENTURE

22 Days from Playa del Carmen Visits: Belize, Guatemala & Mexico – following the Mayan highway

WHEN TO VISIT CENTRAL AMERICA

Central America has a  diverse range of microclimates , and the weather on the Pacific Coast can often be very different from the weather on the Caribbean Coast. The highlands are cooler than the lowlands, but it’s going to be hot and humid in general. When you plan your Central America travel itinerary, you should factor in the  wet and dry season .

The  dry season  runs from November through to April, and the wet season from May to October. Strangely, in Costa Rica, this is often reversed: the country has many mini-wet and mini-dry spells throughout the year.

As with anywhere tropical, the dry season is the most popular time to travel to Central America. In many destinations, though, you’ll find it’s never that busy, especially if you avoid the Christmas, New Year, and Easter holidays.

The  wet season  can be ferocious at times, but generally, you’ll see lots of rainfall in a short period, in the morning or afternoon, leaving you lots of time to still explore. If you’re planning your Central America travel itinerary around scuba diving or snorkeling, you should aim to be in the region towards the end of the dry season when underwater visibility is best.

PACK LIKE A PRO ON YOUR NEXT CENTRAL AMERICA TRIP!

Safety in central america.

Central America has a notorious reputation when it comes to crime. Countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, often have the highest homicide rates in the world.

It’s rare for travelers to be involved in dangerous gang violence, especially if you stick to the tourist trails. Be safe, don’t wander around the cities at night, and try to arrive at a new destination in daylight.

Central America travel can be more dangerous than other regions, but be careful, and you’ll be fine. If you do get into trouble, hand over any belongings and don’t put up a fight. Ask locals and other travelers for advice, and if someone says you need a police escort to go hiking, then you probably do.

Don’t let these warnings scare you from this part of the world. Instead, be prepared and you’ll have a fantastic time. We have some tried and trusted advice to keep you safe, so be sure to read our  25 Essential Safety Tips for Travel .

CENTRAL AMERICA TRAVEL: BOOKING RESOURCES

Central america travel guide: related articles.

Looking for more info? Check out all the articles we’ve written on travel to Central America and start planning your dream trip.

17 Best Places to Visit in Central America

15 top things to do in panama (for adventure lovers), 13 reasons to take a central america cruise with uncruise, uncover paradise on this dreamy panama cruise, the only costa rica cruise you should ever take, caye caulker tours and travel adventure, roatan honduras travel guide : top 5 reasons to visit.

Central America

• 1 Countries
• 3.1 Itineraries
• 4 Understand
• 6.1 By plane
• 6.3 By boat
• 7.1 By plane
• 7.2 By boat
• 7.5 By train
• 13 Stay safe
• 14 Stay healthy

Central America is the thin section of land that links the North American continent with the South American continent. Geographically part of North America, it is made up of seven small, mostly tropical countries that have much more in common with South America and Mexico than the more affluent north. Mexico is sometimes incorrectly considered part of Central America due to the language and indigenous/Hispanic cultural heritage it shares with several of the countries in the region. The northern geographic border of Central America is often considered to be the isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico whereas the southern border is considered to be the Darien Gap between Colombia or Panama. Culturally, Central America is sometimes considered to consist only of the 5 countries that simultaneously gained independence on September 15, 1821, thus excluding Panama (then part of Colombia) and Belize (former British colony).

Countries [ edit ]

Cities [ edit ]

• 17.498611 -88.188611 1 Belize City — the former capital and still the most important city in Belize
• 14.609861 -90.52525 2 Guatemala City — Guatemala's capital with antique churches providing it with a very special historic and architectural touch
• 12.154372 -86.273767 3 Managua — the capital of Nicaragua can seem at times bland and unappealing, after a 1972 earthquake destroyed most of the historic center, but a vibrant nightlife and cosmopolitan culture might just convince you to stay
• 9 -79.5 4 Panama City — a very cosmopolitan city that boasts the only metro on the isthmus as well as visible wealth related to the canal
• 9.932511 -84.079581 5 San José — offers visitors history museums, parks, restaurants and just a few historical and colonial sights. However, the city has a vibrant cultural scene with farmers markets, cafés, restaurants and live music bars, also, most cultural festivals happen around the city and it is the transportation hub for the rest of the country
• 15.506186 -88.024897 6 San Pedro Sula — one of the most popular entry points to the region yet few visitors spend more time than necessary here
• 13.698964 -89.191428 7 San Salvador — next to the eponymous volcano, the capital of El Salvador has comparatively little to offer tourists, but is a traffic hub and a business destination
• 14.105714 -87.204008 8 Tegucigalpa — the sprawling Honduran capital with well-preserved Spanish colonial architecture

Other destinations [ edit ]

• 7.48 -81.79 4 Coiba National Marine Park — a marine paradise in Panama
• 14.838603 -89.156008 5 Copán Ruinas — Mayan ruins in Honduras
• 8.55 -83.583333 6 Corcovado National Park — a national park in Costa Rica
• 11.493333 -85.5615 7 Isla Ometepe — an island in Lake Cocibolca (aka Lake Nicaragua) made up of two volcanoes, one dormant the other not so much; offers breathtaking views and nature.
• 15.25 -84.73 8 Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

Itineraries [ edit ]

• Ruta del Tránsito this inter-oceanic voyage through southern Nicaragua once was part of the fastest way from the East Coast of the U.S. to California

Understand [ edit ]

Five countries (Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala) formed the United Provinces of Central-America in the first half of the 19th century, a first short-lived attempt at the elusive dream of a unified Central America. They still have a lot in common, and consider each other pueblos hermanos (brother peoples). The CA4-agreement in theory allows free movement for everyone, including tourists, between El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala in a similar vein to the European Schengen agreement.

Since about the 1850s Central America has been seen as the "backyard" of the United States. American influence in the region has ranged from corporate interests (United Fruit), private "filibuster" expeditions seizing government control, and interventions such as the toppling of the Guatemalan government in the 1950s, the Iran Contra Affair in the 1980s, and several interventions in Nicaragua in the 1930s. The most famous filibuster was William Walker, who, at the head of a 250-man private army, declared himself president of Nicaragua and launched an invasion of Costa Rica in the 1850s. He was shot by firing squad in Honduras on his third attempt to unite Central America under his rule. Panama's very existence is often ascribed to U.S. influence. Panama was part of Colombia, the government of which refused to grant the U.S. the rights to build a canal. The U.S. signed a treaty with the fledgling state of Panama, effectively supporting its independence. During the Cold War, overt and covert U.S. influence reached an infamous peak as a guerrilla war was fought in Nicaragua (left-wing government vs. CIA-backed rebels) and El Salvador (right-wing military government vs. Cuban/Soviet/Nicaraguan-backed rebels), and various administrations backed the less-than-democratic right-wing regimes in Guatemala. In Panama, the unelected strongman Manuel Noriega established a U.S.-backed regime that was heavily involved in the drug trade. He was removed from power in the late 1980s after falling out of U.S. favor in Operation "Just Cause" (the "just cause" being the removal of a regime involved in the drug trade). Notably different was the development in Costa Rica where, after a short civil war, its president abolished the army in 1948, and the country has enjoyed a relatively stable, peaceful democracy with free and fair elections ever since. Panama followed Costa Rica's example, and abolished its military after the ousting of Noriega. The country has enjoyed several peaceful transfers of power since. Belize, on the other hand, managed to stay out of trouble by continuing to be a British colony until 1980 (as British Honduras). After a peaceful transition, independent Belize was never important enough for Cold War proxy fighting.

This dark political and social situation changed with the end of the Cold War and after the signing of peace agreements at the beginning of the 1990s. However a constitutional crisis in Honduras in 2009 raised fears of unstable or delegitimized governments returning to the region when the president was unseated by the constitutional court and the military, and forced to leave the country. As of 2017 these fears have proven groundless, although in 2015 the Guatemalan government stepped down in the course of a corruption scandal, and the 2016 Nicaraguan general elections were partially boycotted by the opposition amidst allegations of fraud. While the political situation is well shy of perfect uncorrupted democracies, political developments are unlikely to in any way negatively affect travellers.

Now the region is living a process of change and reforms that will hopefully allow travelers to discover an interesting and relatively cheap travel destination. Generally, the people of Central America are kind and warm, and welcoming to foreigners. There is a diversity of culture from one end of Central America to the other, and indigenous culture plays an important role in the region, especially in Guatemala , Caribbean Nicaragua and Honduras .

The Caribbean side experienced more British than Spanish influence: parts of the east coast of Nicaragua and Honduras formed a de facto British protectorate and Belize was a colony. This is still notable in the culture, language and (sadly) lacking infrastructure in parts of the region.

The region has a number of indigenous groups. Countries in the northern part of Central America (especially Guatemala and Belize) have a large number of Maya communities with several of the largest, most important archaeological sites of the Mayan world. Countries in the southern part of Central America have indigenous groups who are part of Indigenous cultures of South America .

The region is also a very popular destination for retiring abroad , and several governments in the region offer special long-term visas specifically for retirees.

Talk [ edit ]

Due to the extensive Spanish colonial presence in the region, American dialects of Spanish are the primary language, especially of the government and in the cities. (English is the official language of Belize , a former UK colony, but you will still find yourself speaking a lot of Spanish in the country.) Native languages are still spoken in many rural areas. English is co-official in Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, along with indigenous languages. English-speaking people can be found on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. The English spoken at the Caribbean coast of these countries is heavily Creole (if you are unfamiliar think Jamaican Patois for a rough approximation of what to expect) and sometimes hard or even impossible to understand for those unaccustomed to it. The most widely spoken indigenous language is Miskito, a language spoken mostly on the Caribbean coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua. Several Maya languages are spoken in the North of Central America and the South of Mexico, sometimes even by people who work in the tourism sector (though they invariably speak Spanish and often other languages as well).

Get in [ edit ]

People from industrialized countries should have no problem in crossing borders and might expect a border fee from around US$2–20 depending on country. When crossing the border, no one will flag you down to get your stamp. You will need to find the immigration office on your own and get your stamp.

A visa ahead of time is usually not required.

Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala are parties to the CA4 (Central America 4) border agreement, that similarly to the European Schengen agreement allows visa-free travel between the countries. Once you have entered any of those four countries, visa- and fee-free travel to any of the other three should not be a problem (but there are reports of border officials collecting mysterious "fees", regardless).

By plane [ edit ]

By far the most popular entry points to the region are 9.067 -79.3873 1 Panama City Tocumen Airport ( PTY  IATA ) and 9.9986 -84.2042 2 San José Juan Santamaria Airport ( SJO  IATA ) (which is in Alajuela ). Both of these airports have a great number of flights from Europe, North America, South America and connections to other airports in the region. Even if there is a direct flight to another Central American airport available, connecting through SJO or PTY can often work out cheaper. To leave the airport in Panama you must have proof of yellow fever vaccination.

There are other airports with domestic connections and international connections only from other parts of Central America, USA or Mexico in:

• 17.53625 -88.30805 3 Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport ( BZE  IATA ) in Ladyville 16 km north/northwest of Belize City .
• 13.445 -89.057 4 Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport ( SAL  IATA ) serves as a hub for Avianca El Salvador and Volaris El Salvador, 42 km south of San Salvador in San Luis Talpa. There are onward connections to North America, South America and Central America from San Salvador with Avianca, Volaris and their affiliates.
• 14.5883 -90.5304 5 La Aurora International Airport ( GUA  IATA ) in Guatemala City
• 10.6007 -85.5364 6 Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport ( LIR  IATA ) in Liberia CR
• 12.14462 -86.17148 7 Augusto C Sandino Airport ( MGA  IATA ) in Managua
• 15.456 -87.9274 8 Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport ( SAP  IATA ) in San Pedro Sula
• 14.0603 -87.2194 9 Toncontín International Airport ( TGU  IATA ) in Tegucigalpa

The majority of international flights to Central America are from the United States and Mexico , but comparatively fewer from Europe and other continents. Therefore, travelers may find better airfare deals traveling through the United States than through Panama. The following are airports that serve as de facto hubs in the USA and Mexico for travel to Central America:

• Cancún International Airport ( CUN  IATA ) is the closest airport to the Central America with flight connections from Canada, Cuba, Europe and the USA. From here travelers can continue to the Belizean border by surface transport via Chetumal or transfer to a flight going to Central America with Volaris, Avianca, Tropic Air (Belize City) or Copa Airlines.
• Miami International Airport ( MIA  IATA ) and Fort Lauderdale International Airport ( FLL  IATA ) are the gateway cities to South & Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean from the USA, Canada, Israel, Qatar, Morocco and Europe. Just about every South & Central American airline flies to Miami and/or Ft Lauderdale airports from their respective countries. Miami serves as hub for American Airlines while Fort Lauderdale is a hub for Jetblue and Spirit Airlines with connections to Central America.
• Los Angeles International Airport ( LAX  IATA ) is the next closest airport to Central America and Mexico with additional connections from East Asia, Australia and Oceania with multiple airlines.
• Benito Juarez International Airport ( MEX  IATA ) is the major airport in Mexico and the second busiest after São Paulo in Latin America with international connections from East Asia (Japan & China); Europe, US, Canada and South America. Aeromexico Connect, Avianca, Copa Airlines, and Volaris offer onward connections to Central America from Mexico City

The caveat for transiting through the U.S. is that all travelers must be able to enter the U.S. on the visa waiver program or hold at least a C-1 transit or B-2 tourist visa to enter the U.S. even to transfer between international flights. See the Avoiding travel through the United States article.

By bus [ edit ]

The following bus company serves the eastern and southeastern regions of Mexico near Belize and Guatemala:

• Grupo ADO ( Autobuses Del Oriente ), ☏ +52 55 5133-5133 , toll-free: 01 800-009-9090 . They operate the ADO, ADO GL, AU (Autobus Unidos), OCC (Omnibus Cristobal Colon), Platino bus lines and the ClickBus booking site (formerly Boletotal & Ticketbus). They are a major bus company in the states of Chiapas, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, near the Belizean and Guatemalan borders from Terminal TAPO and Terminal Norte in Mexico City and from multiple cities in the eastern and southeastern part of the country. They operate a once daily or nightly bus from Merida and Cancun to Belize City on two separate routes. They also go to the Guatemalan border at Cd Cuauhtémoc/La Mesilla from San Cristobal de las Casas; and to Tapachula from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. They offer connections from the US border in Matamoros towards Guatemala through Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco and Chiapas states.  

The following are international first class (pullman) buses from Tapachula , Mexico to Central America via Guatemala. Passengers transfer in Guatemala City to continue to other parts of Guatemala and to Honduras and El Salvador. Addresses and phone numbers given are from Guatemala City:

• Linea Dorada , 16 Calle 10-03 Zona 1 Guatemala , ☏ +502 2415-8900 . Goes west to Tapachula, Huehuetenango and/or Quetzaltenango and north to Flores/Santa Elena from Guatemala City ( updated Jun 2018 )
• Ticabus ( Transportes Internacionales Centroamericanos ), 200 m Norte y 100 m Oeste de Torre Mercedes, San Jose ( Paseo Colon, en frente de Funeraria de Magistero Nacional ), ☏ +506 2266-9788 . International bus company going across the Central American isthmus between Panama City and Tapachula through San José , Managua, San Salvador and Guatemala City. They also have a branch route from Managua to Tegucigalpa and another from San Salvador to Tegucigalpa.  
• Trans Galgos Inter. , 7a Avenida 19-44 Zona 1 Guatemala , ☏ +503 2232-3661 , +503 2220-6018 , +503 2230-5058 . departs 13:00 . International services to Tapachula from Guatemala City via Retalhuleau and Coatepeque on one route and twice daily to San Salvador on another. They also operate a third domestic route to Quetzaltenango from Guatemala City. They also book onward travel all the way to the U.S. border through Mexico. Passengers can transfer to Hedman Alas (another unaffiliated company) to continue to Honduras from Guatemala. US$17 .  

There are additional shuttles connecting San Cristobal de las Casas to Antigua Guatemala , Quetzalatenango (Xela) and/or Panajachel through Comitan and Ciudad Cuauhtémoc/La Mesilla along the Panamerican Highway. Tickets for these shuttles can be purchased through local travel agents at either end of the route. There are also Belizean buses leaving from Chetumal to Belize City via Corozal and Orange Walk.

By boat [ edit ]

Many major cruise lines go to Panama, typically transiting through the Panama Canal.

There are no roads leading to Panama from Colombia. See By boat under Get in in the Panama article on ways to cross from Colombia into Panama by sea (surface travel).

There are a few boat services from Mexico to Belize. See the Chetumal article.

Get around [ edit ]

If you have money to burn or you're in a real hurry, both Avianca and Copa Airlines offer point to point connections throughout Central America but are relatively expensive due to the lack of competition.

Mexican airline Volaris offers direct flights between the major airports in the region with additional hubs in San Jose and San Salvador.

There are a number of airlines almost exclusively focused on domestic flights within their prospective countries with one or two international routes to adjacent countries, namely:

These airlines do not necessarily show up in aggregator search engines and they fly to places that are otherwise hard to reach because they're off the coast or in the middle of the jungle with only a dirt road going there. They mostly fly small piston, turboprop or regional jet aircraft.

A regular boat service exists between Corinto (Nicaragua) and La Union (El Salvador). You can also cross the Nicaraguan/Costa Rican border by boat from San Carlos (Nicaragua) to Los Chiles (Costa Rica). The boat goes through a scenic jungle, but both sides of the crossing are a bit off the beaten path and departures have been reduced due to the opening of the bridge. A boat also connects Eastern Honduras and Belize.

By car [ edit ]

International travel routes are mostly on the Pacific (west) side of Central America. The Panamerican highway (which is the main road in much of the region) basically starts on its journey north in Panama City , crosses on the Pacific side into Costa Rica , passes by San José , crosses again at the Pacific coast into Nicaragua . It's possible to cross the Costa Rican-Panaman border at the Caribbean coast but it takes longer and the border is just open during the day.

Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua there are two official border crossings. The more frequented one is "Peñas Blancas" at the Pacific side and the other one is between Los Chiles and San Carlos as the bridge is now open to regular traffic.

Between Nicaragua and Honduras three border-crossings exist. Honduras and El Salvador share various border-crossings as do Honduras and Guatemala and El Salvador.

Driving rental vehicles across borders is not allowed by most central American car-rental companies and even driving your own car across the border requires some advance planning. The used car markets are tightly controlled in most countries of the area, and you have to prove that you haven't sold your car when you leave and that you don't intend to when you enter. However every year many people do just that, so it is anything but impossible.

Bus travel is the most common way to travel across Central America without a car. The following are international (first class/pullman) buses serving Central America with reserved comfortable seating and with A/C at full blast which makes them uncomfortably cold inside. They typically serve only the major capital cities of Central America and a few scheduled stops en route. They do not stop at random places to pick up and drop off people. Except for Platinum Centroamerica and Tica Bus, most bus companies do not travel the entire Central American isthmus but only to adjacent countries from home-base and most do not connect Belize with the other countries. They operate on limited schedules (early mornings) from their own terminals or designated stop in the cities they serve. The addresses in below are listed for their home office. Please see a particular city article for their local address and phone number:

• Central Line , 600 Metros Norte de la Iglesia La Merced, Avenida 7 y 9, calle, San Jose , ☏ +506 2221-9115 . San José – Managua ( updated Sep 2020 )
• Comfort Lines , Boulevard del Hipódromo Pasaje No. 1, 415; (Centro) 19 Ave. Norte y 3ra. Calle Poniente Esquina (ex Shell gas station), Col San Benito San Salvador , ☏ +503 2241-8713 , +503 2241-8714 , +503 2281-1996 . Only between Guatemala City, San Salvador, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa and Managua. US$25 one way, or $50 return .  
• Hedman Alas , Terminal La Gran Metropolatina, San Pedro Sula , ☏ +504 2516-2273 . Connects passengers from Guatemala City to San Pedro Sula via Santa Rosa de Copan and to Tegucigalpa. ( updated Sep 2020 )
• Linea Dorada , 16 Calle 10-03 Zona 1 Guatemala , ☏ +502 2415-8900 . Goes west to Tapachula, Huehuetenango and/or Quetzaltenango and north to Flores/Santa Elena from Guatemala City. ( updated Jun 2018 )
• NicaBus , Antiguo Cine Cabrera, 3 cuadras a este, Calle 27 de Mayo, Managua , ☏ +505 2222-2276 , +505 7833-8670 . Once-daily departures between Managua and San Jose. US$26 o.w. or $50 rt. Check website link . ( updated Sep 2020 )
• Pullmantur , Sheraton Presidente San Salvador @ Ave De La Revolucion, Col. San Benito San Salvador , ☏ +503 2526-9900 . They traverse to San Salvador from Guatemala City & Tegucigalpa.  
• Platinum Centroamerica ( King Quality ), (Centro) 19 Avenida Norte y 3era. Calle Poniente; (San Benito) Boulevard del Hipódromo, Pasaje 1, Local 415, San Salvador , ☏ +503 2281-1996 , +503 2241-8704 , +503 2241-8787 . They serve San Salvador, Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Managua and San Jose.  
• Ticabus ( Transportes Internacionales Centroamericanos ), 200 m Norte y 100 m Oeste de Torre Mercedes, San Jose ( Paseo Colon, en frente de Funeraria de Magistero Nacional ), ☏ +506 2266-9788 . International bus company going across the Central American isthmus between Panama City and Tapachula through San José , Managua, San Salvador and Guatemala City. They have an additional route between Managua and Tegucigalpa, and another route from San Salvador to Tegucigalpa.  
• Trans Galgos Inter , 7a Avenida 19-44 Zona 1, Guatemala City , ☏ +502 2331-4279 , +502 2361-1773 . Once daily departures to Tapachula via Retaluleau and Coatepeque (up to US$43 one way) on one route and to Guatemala City ($13 one way) on another. Passengers transfer in Guatemala City to get to Quetzaltenango/Xela.  
• Trans Nica , Calle 22, avenida 3 y 4, contiguo a la Conferencia Episcopal de Costa Rica, San Jose , ☏ +506 8408-0000 , +506 4404-0500 . A Costa Rican company providing bus services to Tegucigalpa via Managua from San Jose. Passenger transfer buses in Managua to continue to Tegucigalpa (and vice versa). ( updated Sep 2020 )
• Transportes del Sol , Calle Circunvalación casa #149, San Benito, San Salvador ( 500 m from the Mexican embassy ), ☏ +503 2133-7800 . Goes to Guatemala (twice daily) and Nicaragua (3x daily) from San Salvador. The 02:00 bus goes to Costa Rica via Nicaragua. Check schedules.  

Other options not listed in the above are shuttles or mini-buses for travelers/tourists. They operate in the Toyota 'HiAce', Dodge/Mercedes Sprinter, or other kinds of vans or in the larger Toyota Coaster mini-bus. The tickets for these are sold through local travel agencies in tourists towns (Antigua, Panajachel, Flores, etc.), or major cities where they pick up and drop off in. Some may have a central pick-up and drop-off location, while others offer door to door pick-up and drop-off at the airport, hotel, hostel or another address on request. Some offer transport across borders, while others terminate at the border where their partner company picks up for the onward journey from the other side.

The most common and popular options are the second-class chicken buses ( chicken bus, camionetas, autobuses de parrillas, polleros, mini-bus, microbus ) in decommissioned U.S. school buses painted in all sorts of funky colors and patterns. Other second-class buses operate in the Toyota Coaster mini-bus, a smaller Toyota "HiAce" van (referred to as " microbus ", " minibus "), a pick-up truck with only standing room on the bed ( picop ), or some similar type of vehicle that functions the same way as the " chicken bus ". Second-class bus routes are more frequent and reach more places for a cheaper fare than first class pullman but they also take considerably longer to travel over longer distances with multiple stops to pick up and drop off people. Chicken buses don't cross international borders but they go to the border crossing station or border town on their side of the border. Travelers would then walk across the border and then continue on another bus from the other side.

By train [ edit ]

The region has long neglected its train lines and no trains cross any international borders. For the most part trains are at best entertainment, but not really faster or cheaper than the bus. The main exceptions to this are found in Panama, where the Panama Canal Railway links Atlantic and Pacific and in Costa Rica where a commitment to expanded train service exists and several lines radiate out of San José with more to come in the future, including a link to the airport just outside Alajuela. Panama City also boasts a metro, which is also undergoing expansion.

See [ edit ]

• The Cloud Forest of Cusuco National Park in Honduras . A biodiversity hot spot visited by Operation Wallacea scientific expeditions.
• The Cloud Forests of Panama in Boquete . Many hotels are actually within the cloud forest; or you can take a tour high into the mountains, through the clouds.
• Lake Atitlan in Guatemala . One of the most beautiful spots on the planet. A volcanic lake with three volcanoes around it.
• Colonial towns, such as Antigua Guatemala , Quetzaltenango , (Guatemala); Juayua , Suchitoto in El Salvador , Gracias and Comayagua (Honduras), León and Granada in Nicaragua (the oldest colonial city in the Western Hemisphere) or Panama City , San Blas Islands -Casco Viejo- ( Panama , where the Panama Canal can be visited as well).
• Ancient Mayan temples in Belize , Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador . The locals will be offended if you call them Mayan ruins.
• Amazing beaches in Tela, Trujillo, la Ceiba and the Bay Islands (Honduras) the Guanacaste, Puntarenas, and Limón (Costa Rica); Montelimar, San Juan del Sur, Bahia Majagual, La Flor and Pochomil (Nicaragua); Bocas del Toro and El Farallón (Panama).
• Surfing , especially in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica , and El Salvador.
• National Natural Parks, especially in El Salvador, Costa Rica , Panama and Nicaragua which has the 2nd largest rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, after Brazil.
• Volcanoes in Guatemala such as those framing the southern shores of Lake Atitlán are considered by some to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Spectacular volcanoes are found along the entire Pacific side of Central America and some are popular tourist attractions in Costa Rica and Nicaragua .
• Semuc Champey and the Lanquin caves in the Alta Verapaz District of Guatemala are unmissable.

All these make this region a great yet undiscovered and affordable treasure which is worth visiting.

Do [ edit ]

Someone once quipped you can do anything but skiing in this part of the world, but thanks to volcano boarding this is not entirely true any more!

Buy [ edit ]

Just about every country in Central America accepts the U.S. dollar. Other currencies are difficult to exchange. You can exchange Mexican pesos at the Belizean or Guatemalan border but that is about it. The U.S. dollar is the official currency of El Salvador and Panama. You can buy pretty much anything or any service in U.S. dollars, but it is often cheaper to use local currency. Currencies like the Nicaraguan córdoba or the Honduran lempira are usually subject to high inflation, so only get what you need (the Cordoba for example loses about 5% of its value every year compared to the U.S. dollar). Nearly all banks change money from U.S. dollar to the local currency and a passport is usually required to do this. Beyond border towns, currencies from other countries are always useless, so change money with official money changers at borders or change local currency to U.S. dollars.

If bringing U.S. cash to Central America, make sure that the bills are new, clean and not torn or it may not be exchanged. Many stores that generally accept U.S. dollars do not accept $100 bills for fear of counterfeiting, banks however will accept them. $2 bills are considered lucky so bring some for tips. Banks in Belize do not exchange the Guatemalan quetzal; they must be changed at the border or at some travel agents and tour operators.

Euros are becoming more and more accepted, but the exchange rate you get for them is always worse than for U.S. dollars. The same goes for other currencies if they are accepted at all. It is better to buy U.S. dollars in your home country and then exchange them for Central American currency on arrival to Central America. Central American currencies are not exchangeable outside of the region.

ATMs can be found in banks and in major towns but in the countryside it is often hard to find working ATMs. Most ATMs dispense the local currency and U.S. dollars.

In Central America, you can often find cheap buys from gifts to personal necessities. Almost everything can be bargained for except for upscale department stores. Tourists will usually pay a higher price so this is where your haggling skills will be useful. More often than not speaking the local language (usually Spanish) may get you a small reduction in price or at least more sympathy when haggling.

Eat [ edit ]

Central American cuisine has influences from local indigenous cultures, as well as the Mexican cuisine , South America, and the Caribbean.

Guatemala is the country of tamales, there are regular tamales made out of corn "masa" with either meat, chicken, turkey or pork filling and tomato, and sometimes "chile". "Black tamales" are similar to the former ones but are sweet, "paches" are tamales made out of potatoes, "tamales de cambray" are small sweet "masa" balls", tamales de "chipilin", and many others; rellenitos (sweet fried bean-stuffed banana bonbons) are a tasty dessert sold on street-corners. Black beans are the main staple after corn of course. There is a variety of soups ("caldos"). Guatemalan cuisine is a mixture of Mayan and Spanish dishes.

Gallo pinto is a mixture of rice and beans with a little cilantro or onion thrown in, it is the national dish of Nicaragua and Costa Rica? This mixture is called Casamiento ("marriage") in El Salvador and Guatemala. And on the Caribbean side of Nicaragua and Honduras it is made with coconut milk. While one might presume that rice and beans are the same anywhere there are subtle differences that locals will tell you about and a traveler spending some time in the region will notice Costa Rica uses another type of beans than Nicaragua, for example.

On the Caribbean side of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras coconut milk is the not-so-secret ingredient in almost everything. Try coconut bread, Gallo Pinto with coconut or fish in coconut sauce. Seafood is also worth a try and often remarkably cheap for international standards (US$8 lobster, anybody?).

Pupusas and "chicharron con yuca" (pork skin & yucca) are very popular dishes originated in El Salvador.

Nacatamales, which are big tamales containing pork, potato, rice, chile, tomato, and masa is steamed in platano leaves, they originate from Nicaragua and can be bought in the colonial city of Granada.

Oven tamales, wrapped with platano leaves, are very good in Costa Rica.

Grilled octopus is a very tasty dish in Panama.

The fresh fruit is delicious but avoid fruit that you don't peel before you eat because if you are not used to Central America's food standards you may become ill. Generally follow the peel it, wash it, cook it or reject it rule when it comes to food to greatly reduce the risk of travellers' diarrhea .

Drink [ edit ]

Horchata is a drink made out of rice and it is of Spanish origin. It is drunk in most Latin American countries. A popular drink in most Central American countries is "Rosa/Flor de Jamaica" ( Hibiscus sabdariffa ). "Tamarindo" also makes a very popular drink

Piña Colada, a drink made from pineapple juice, coconut cream, crushed ice and rum, is drunk all around the Atlantic islands.

There are two major rum producers in Guatemala, distilling some of the best rums of the region, Ron Zacapa Centenario (aged to 12 and 23 years) and Ron Botran añejo (25 years). In Nicaragua there is Flor de Caña, rated one of the best rums in Latin America and also commonly exported to countries such as Costa Rica. It is made in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. Trips can also be made to visit the Flor de Caña factory.

Costa Rica's domestic guaro the widely available Cacique is not bad, but notably not as good as the rum offered by its northern neighbors. This is however offset somewhat by various international liquors (including Flor de Caña) being widely available in supermarkets and bars, though at a notably higher price than domestic fare.

None of these countries is a traditional beer nation as the low temperatures needed for proper beer-production were unobtainable in the region prior to the invention of artificial refrigeration in the late 19th century. Notable brands include Imperial (Costa Rica) Brahva, Victoria and Toña (both Nicaragua; produced by the company behind Flor de Caña rum).

Stay safe [ edit ]

This area is home to some scarily high murder rates, particularly in the northern part. In 2017, Honduras had 41.7 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, El Salvador had 61.8 and Belize had 37.9. Things are better in the southern part of the region with Costa Rica at 12.3, Nicaragua at 7.4 (2016) and Panama at 9.7 (2017). This is higher than the U.S. murder rate of 5.3 per 100,000 (2017) and dramatically higher than the UK (1.2) and Europe, where murder rates below 1 per 100,000 are common.

However, those scary figures do not tell the whole story. Yes, the region has an endemic problem with gang violence and domestic violence, but the vast majority of all violent crime happens in areas few tourists would ever wander and both victim and perpetrator are usually locals and either personally known to one another or involved in drug enterprises. It is never smart to offer any resistance when being mugged and you should exercise caution in the big cities, especially at night. Taxi crimes are a problem, so only take licensed taxis and if possible text the license plate number to a trusted friend when getting in. As the murder rate is seen as a national embarrassment and a deterrent to tourism (Nicaragua even has a placard at Managua airport informing how safe it is compared to other countries in the region), a "super hard hand" policy is sometimes enforced. This mostly shows in heavily armed police/military even at tourism sites. Don't worry, police are there to help, not harm tourists and any area patrolled by tourism police is safe enough.

Various underdeveloped rural areas (e.g. the Nicaraguan east) are a major area of operation for various drug-related enterprises (mostly cocaine-trafficking) influencing the security situation, especially if you choose to consume or buy/sell (not advisable at all, not least because of the harsh prison sentences that face even first time offenders). It's best to avoid the issue and the topic altogether while in the region.

Crossing into South America overland might seem like a good idea when you look at a world map, however, it's not. The border to Colombia in Panama's Darien province is surrounded by a dangerous wilderness and the only break in the Pan-American Highway . Known as the Darien Gap , this is the playground of ruthless drug smugglers and militias who will be happy to kidnap or kill you. Unless you're a movie Predator, stay away.

Driving can be another scary experience, especially if you watch TV news that have a weird fascination with the latest accidents in the capital and you're advised to avoid driving at night, in big cities or on dirt roads. Some roads are cut into dramatic scenery with very little to protect you from the abyss to one or either side. Renting a car with a driver is usually not that much more expensive than renting a car by itself and it helps navigate the confusing layout of cities like Managua that have undergone wild and unregulated growth leaving them with neither a logical street grid nor even street names and navigation by landmarks (some of which don't exist anymore), gut feeling and what appears to be earth's magnetic field.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

• Toilets are not always as readily available as what you may be used to in your own country, so take advantage of places where they are such as museums and restaurants. In many cases toilet paper will not be provided so it is best not to be caught short and carry your own. Water to wash hands is not always available so carrying antiseptic hand gel is a good idea. Trash cans are provided in all toilets for the disposal of toilet paper because the sewage systems in Central America cannot cope with it.
• Mosquitoes are quite common even in the dry season and bug spray is often hard to come by. Bring a spray high in DEET. To be extra safe, bring a bug net to sleep under.
• Malaria pills are a good idea but often expensive. That being said, the Malaria strains in this part of the world are notably less dangerous than those in Africa or many parts of Asia, as they have less resistances. For 90% of travellers taking standby medication is not advisable, but if you are insecure ask a tropical-medicine specialist before you head out. Remember to mention your travel to the region to your doctor if you have fever or other symptoms, as Malaria parasites can remain dormant for up to a year and cause people to fall ill months after infection.
• Dengue is another concern. It is transmitted by mostly day-active mosquitoes and causes a high fever for about ten days the first time you get it. There is no known treatment or vaccination besides anti-fever medication, but a first time infection is usually not problematic as long as you stay hydrated and the fever is kept under control. However if you have already been infected by one strain, being reinfected by another strain of Dengue-fever may cause it to become a hemorrhagic fever with significantly worse prognosis that is known to be occasionally fatal.
• Dogs are plentiful and not entirely rabies-free, so it is a good idea to get vaccinated, as rabies is one of the deadliest diseases and an anti-rabies shot after being bitten is usually effective when administered in time, but that is not always possible. Don't take chances when bitten by a dog go to the next hospital and get an emergency rabies vaccination and antibodies.
• Water is another concern as tap water is often full of microbes your body is not accustomed to. If you want to avoid "Montezuma's revenge" stay away from tap water and ice cubes (almost certainly made from tap water). "Agua purificada" means purified water and it's usually advertised when the drinks and/or ice cubes are made with it, but it never hurts to ask. "Sin hielo" means "without ice" and it pays to say it more than once, as many vendors of open beverages seem to put ice in by default.

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Central America Travel Guide

Looking for an in-depth Central America travel guide ?

Then you’re in the right place!

Central America may be a small region, but it is home to seven of the most beautiful countries in the world.

From tropical rainforests to golden sand beaches to active volcanos, the region’s biodiversity makes it a top spot for ecotourism and outdoor adventures. The area also has a rich history and culture that you can see first-hand today in well-preserved Indigenous villages and colonial cities.

There’s so much to explore in Central America that it’s often hard to know where to start!

Many travelers visit Central America to experience the country’s natural beauty. The region’s coastline is home to some of the most stunning — and in some cases least-trafficked — beaches in the world.

Central America is also home to many scuba diving hot spots thanks to its colorful marine life and underwater sights. The Bay Islands in Honduras (including the main islands of Roatan , Utila, and Guanaja) are particularly popular among divers with tons of diving sights to explore.

Each country also has its own system of national parks that preserve the local flora and fauna.

For instance, Manuel Antonio National Park on Costa Rica ‘s Pacific Coast is one not to miss if you’re an animal lover. The park is home to 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds, including white-faced monkeys, sloths, and more.

Central America’s cities are teeming with life and definitely worth a few spots on your itinerary.

In Panama , you can visit Panama City to explore a modern metropolis full of shimmering skyscrapers alongside old colonial buildings and cobblestone streets in the Casco Viejo neighborhood.

Leon, the artistic and intellectual hub of Nicaragua , is full of historic sights and public murals that you’ll definitely want to capture for Instagram.

And you’ll definitely want to make a stop in Antigua, Guatemala to experience one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial cities in Latin America.

Keep reading to dive into resources that will help you with planning a trip to Central America.

Note: This ultimate guide to Central America travel contains affiliate links to trusted partners!

Central America Map

Use this Central America travel map to begin planning your trip to this incredible region!

Click here for an interactive Google Map version of the above graphic.

Costa Rica Travel Guide

No Central America trip itinerary would be complete without a few active travel adventures in Costa Rica, like…

La Fortuna Tours: Rafting & Visiting An Organic Farm In Costa Rica

Costa Rica Adventure: Coffee & Cloud Forests In Magnificent Monteverde

From Solo To Sidekicks: Notes On My Central America Group Travel Adventure

Guatemala Travel Guide

These Guatemala experiences showcase some of the best things to do in Central America !

Hiking Indian’s Nose At Sunrise In Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Food, Culture & Traveling Beyond The Guidebook In Guatemala

The Truth About Hiking Guatemala’s Pacaya Volcano

San Pedro La Laguna: Where Time Stands Still & The Party Never Stops In Guatemala

Earth Lodge: A Soul-Finding Farmstay In The Mountains Of Guatemala

6 Essential Guatemala Travel Tips

Why Guatemala Should Be Your Next Trip

Honduras Travel Guide

Looking for the best places to go in Central America ? Here is why Honduras should be on your list!

Exploring The Caribbean Side Of Honduras On Roatan Island

Copan, Honduras: An Amazing Day Exploring Mayan Ruins In The World’s Most Dangerous Country

Nicaragua Travel Guide

Looking for the best vacation spots in Central America ? Check out these Nicaragua experiences:

Nicaragua Adventures: Hiking The Active La Concepcion Volcano On Ometepe Island

Volcanic Adventures Outside Of Granada, Nicaragua

How To Volunteer While Learning Spanish In Nicaragua

Panama Travel Guide

If you’re wondering where to go in Central America , here is why Panama should be on your list:

Hiking In Panama: The Best Trails In Boquete

How To Plan An Unforgettable Panama Itinerary (Experiences Included!)

Here Is What It’s Like To Live With An Indigenous Tribe In Panama

Best Places To Stay In Bocas del Toro For Sustainable Travelers

Top Central America Tours

Explore Central American tourism & culture with a local through these recommended excursions:

• Monkey Island tour from Panama City (Panama)
• San Blas Island-Hopping and Snorkel Tour Visit 3 Islands (Panama)
• Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Guatemala City (Guatemala)
• Sunrise Hike to the Indian Nose from San Pedro La Laguna (Guatemala)
• Cave Tubing and Zipline Adventure from Belize City (Belize)
• Saint Herman’s Cave Hiking and Blue Hole Tour from Belize City (Belize)
• Day Trip to the Mayan Ruins of Copan from San Pedro Sula (Honduras)
• Bay Islands Exploration: Roatan Caribbean Coast Jungle & Beach ATV Adventure from West Bay (Honduras)
• Arenal Volcano and Tabacón Hot Springs Day Trip from San Jose (Costa Rica)
• Cerro Negro and Volcano Sand Boarding from León (Nicaragua)
• Santa Ana Volcano Hiking Tour + Coatepeque Lake Sightseeing (El Salvador)

Click here for a full list of Central America travel tours !

Renting A Car In Central America

Need a rental car for your Central America trip?

Use Discover Cars to quickly compare your car rental options.

Central America Hotels

Click here to browse hotels in Central America!

Prefer self-contained stays? 

Click here to check out unique local rentals!

You can also use this map to search for local stays. The map is set to San Jose, but you can easily change it to your specific destination:

Central America Travel Insurance

It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling solo or with a group on a Central America tour. When visiting Central America — or any other country in the world — make sure to get travel insurance to protect your health and safety.

In my opinion, the best travel medical insurance for travelers is SafetyWing as they’ve got a large network and offer both short-term and long-term coverage — including coverage if you’re traveling for months as well as limited coverage in your home country).

Additionally, SafetyWing is budget-friendly and offers $250,000 worth of coverage with just one low overall deductible of $250.

With coverage, you’ll have peace of mind as you embark on your Central America itinerary.

Click my referral link here to price out travel insurance for your trip in just a few clicks .

Central America Travel Guide FAQ

Below, find answers to frequently asked questions about traveling Central America .

Q: Which countries make up Central America?

Here is a full list of Central American countries:

• El Salvador

Q: Where is Central America located?

Central America is located between Mexico and South America and is the southernmost region of North America.

Q: Is Central America safe for travel?

In general, Central America is pretty safe for travelers. Some countries and areas have higher rates of crime and violence than others and, as with any other destination, there are certain safety tips you should follow wherever you go.

The Northern Triangle — consisting of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — sees more crime than other countries in the region, particularly in big cities, so you’ll want to stay particularly vigilant if any of those countries are on your itinerary.

While traveling in Central America, you’ll want to stay aware of your surroundings, avoid wearing anything flashy or displaying any obvious signs of wealth, avoid going out alone at night, and be particularly careful on public transportation.

For specific safety tips for each country in Central America, check out our individual destination pages linked above.

You can also check our our guide to avoiding pickpockets .

Q: How long do you need to travel Central America?

The length of your trip to Central America certainly depends on which countries you want to explore and your preferred style of travel. If you’re looking to do a full tour of the region, making your way down from Southern Mexico to Panama (or vice versa), you’ll need at least a month or two to see everything.

Though the region is comparatively small, it can take several hours to travel between destinations by car or bus thanks to winding roads and inconsistent infrastructure.

Flights within the region are available but can be expensive and limited in certain areas.

You’ll also want to spend a few days in each destination to take in everything it has to offer.

If you don’t have a month or more to commit to a full Central American tour, you can easily travel between one or two countries in the region over a week or two. Group tours also offer multi-country itineraries over shorter periods of time that take some of the guess work out of traveling through the region.

Q: Is Central America expensive to travel?

It’s generally quite inexpensive to travel in Central America. Again, this depends on your itinerary and destinations of choice; things in Costa Rica and Panama tend to be a bit more expensive than in other Central American countries.

The average traveler to Central America should budget about $60 to $70 per day for things like accommodation, food, transportation, activities, and other daily expenses.

Q: What is the safest Central American country to visit?

Costa Rica and Panama are considered the safest countries to visit in Central America. Costa Rica is ranked as the 33rd most peaceful country in the world according to the Global Peace Index and experiences lower rates of crime and violence than other countries in the region.

While there are several areas of Panama that do experience more violence (specifically the Mosquito Coast and Darien region along the Colombian border), the country is quite safe overall.

Regardless of your itinerary, though, you should keep the general safety tips mentioned above in mind.

Q: What is the best time to visit Central America?

The best time to visit Central America is during the dry season between December and April.

Temperatures throughout the region are generally warm and comfortable, although this will vary depending on elevation.

Rain is less frequent in these months and you are less likely to have your trip washed out by a hurricane.

Q: What are some top things to do in Central America?

Central America is one of the best places on Earth for outdoor exploration. With a gorgeous environment that includes rainforests, beaches, volcanos, mountains, and more you’ll want to spend plenty of time outside during your Central American adventure.

Divers should visit countries like Honduras, Panama, and Belize for their clear waters and abundance of tropical fish. Belize is also home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world, with tons of colorful coral and marine life to explore.

Almost every country in Central America has its own national parks full of flora and fauna you won’t want to pass up. You can also hike (and even surf!) active volcanos in countries like Costa Rica and Nicaragua, where you can hike Volcan Concepcion .

Each country in Central America also has a rich history and culture of its own that is absolutely worth exploring.

Antigua in Guatemala is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in Latin America; the city truly looks like its frozen in time with its colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. Here you’ll find churches that date back to the 1500s, shops full of artisan goods, and a whole museum dedicated to chocolate.

Central America also has many Mayan ruins where you can pay your respects to the area’s Indigenous history. Copan is home to one of the best-known sites in Honduras while the Tikal Temple in Guatemala is an absolutely incredible sight.

Q: What is some important Central America travel advice to keep in mind?

Aside from the safety tips listed above, there are a few pieces of travel advice to keep in mind when it comes to Central America.

Wherever you go in the region, you’ll want to pack high-test bug spray, ideally formulated with DEET. Aside from being annoying, mosquitoes in Central America have been known to carry dangerous diseases like malaria and the Zika virus and in a tropical environment, they’re pretty hard to avoid. A good quality insect repellent is your best defense against disease, even if you don’t think you’ll need it.

Sunscreen is also absolutely key, particularly if you’re planning on spending time at the beach. Remember, you’re probably closer to the equator than usual.

Even if you’re incredibly careful about what you’re eating and drinking in Central America, stomach issues happen to the best of us. Be sure to pack any medications you might need along the way like Pepto Bismol and Immodium. Don’t rely on local stores having what you need in stock, particularly if you’re traveling to a more remote location.

While most countries in Central America do not require any vaccinations to enter the country, you may want to get certain vaccinations or preventative medicines depending on your itinerary. If you’re unsure, talk to your doctor or local travel medicine professional before your trip.

Q: What tips would you give someone backpacking Central America?

There are a few tips to keep in mind when backpacking Central America.

While restaurants are generally pretty inexpensive throughout the region, you’ll save a lot of money by shopping at local markets and preparing your own food at your hostel or on the road. This will help you stretch your food budget over a longer trip. Street food is also quite cheap and a great option for snacks and meals during the day.

Buses are also the most cost-effective way to travel between destinations, though it may take you longer to get from Point A to Point B.

You’ll absolutely want to pack a lock and a small medical kit with bandages, hand sanitizer, antibacterial creams, and any necessary medications in your pack.

A travel water purifier or purifying water bottle is also necessary for areas where the water is unsafe to drink. This is crucial for times when you may not be able to find bottled or otherwise purified water.

Laundromats and laundry services can also be hard to come by throughout the region so you may want to pack some small packets of detergent in case you need to wash some garments in the sink of your hostel or AirBnB.

On a similar note, pack more underwear than you think you’ll need. You don’t want to be caught without a fresh pair!

What would you add to this Central America travel guide?

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The Ultimate 2-Month Central America Road Trip Itinerary

Ah, the classic multi-month backpacking trip across Central America. A bucket list for many, we decided to try it out during a worldwide pandemic. And as you can expect, it was very challenging at times – but all the more rewarding.

But the fact that it was possible – even during the heart of the pandemic – means it is now totally feasible to visit every country in Central America. In fact, I highly implore anyone on the fence to go ahead and do it. It could be the trip of a lifetime.

Our travels took us through Mexico, Guatemala , Belize , El Salvador , Honduras , Nicaragua , and finally Costa Rica – with a few hiccups – including being detained in Nicaragua. But we made it.

So if you’re wondering if it’s possible to make it through every country in Central America in the post-pandemic environment, the answer is an unequivocal yes . If even we can do it, you definitely can do it.

Complications traveling through Central America During Covid Restrictions

Though Covid-19 upended travel throughout the world, Central America remained strong and resilient. Some countries, like Mexico , remained open during the pandemic. Many others closed themselves off completely.

We overcame this by traveling here and there by plane, some by shared shuttle, some by private taxi, a bit by TukTuk, a bit walking, and much by bus. It definitely was more complicated than even we expected after traveling to over 20 countries in the last year.

We definitely spent quite a few brain cells figuring out how to visit every country in the moat efficient but comprehensive manner. But it worked in the end!

The best way to travel across Central America: Chicken Bus, Cross-Country Bus, or Flying?

A huge part of our travel difficulties came from deciding how to get from country to country. Though flights are by far most convenient, we couldn’t convince ourselves to spend $400+ for some of the flights. But we also couldn’t get in contact with most of the bus companies that normally run the inter-country routes.

The only cheap Central America flights we found (but ultimately did not use) were:

• Guatemala City to San José, Costa Rica: $86 (Volaris)
• Guatemala City to San Salvador: $90 (Volaris)
• San Salvador to San José: $100 (Volaris)

Though these are great prices, they only align with itineraries skipping Honduras – which ended up being our favorite country . Guatemala City to San Salvador isn’t worth flying (in my opinion, even as a pilot ) over taking a 6-hour bus ride.

With Tica Bus, you can actually select your final destination along the route instead of continuing all the way to the next capital. This can be super convenient; for example in El Salvador, you can choose Ahuachapan as your destination to save time and money.

The upside and unfortunate reality of Central America after Covid-19

Despite the complications, the reward for traveling through Central America after Covid-19 was sublime. We saw so many incredible sights, like Tikal in Guatemala, without the hoards of tourists that normally placate them.

The positive side was being embraced warmly by locals. They were super friendly and welcoming to the first tourists they had seen in a year.

And accommodation that was normally out of our price range was now affordable , meaning we could travel without feeling the weight of our budget as much.

But unfortunately, we also witnessed firsthand the dramatic toll that a year without tourism revenue had on these beautiful developing Latin countries. So many businesses were devastated by this terrible year. Some are gone forever. Others had to make huge cuts. Many people were forced into working in agriculture, mining, or their family business. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see.

Let’s get the economy back on track

That being said, I sincerely hope this article will inspire travelers, backpackers, luxury seekers, digital nomads, and the rest of the world to visit this magnificent area of the world. Central America IS ready for travel ers, and its people are more than ready to see the return of tourism.

Our Detailed Google Maps 2-Month Central America Ultimate Itinerary

For those of you who appreciate convenience and ease-of-use, here’s a fully functional map of our itinerary and all the spots in Central America we visited.

First country in our 2-Month Central America itinerary: Belize (5 Days)

Belize was probably our favorite country on this trip. From some of the world’s best diving to some of the world’s best Mayan sites, you just can’t miss in Belize.

Belize Travel Restrictions

The first thing you should probably know about traveling to Belize is that the land borders to Mexico and Guatemala have re-opened. This means that you can easily cross from Belize to Guatemala after visiting the Mayan sites of Belize.

The second thing you should know is that you don’t actually need a Covid test to enter Belize. This is good news for those who don’t have easy access to testing at home.

Getting to Belize, then to the Cayes (Islands)

We started our trip by flying from Atlanta (ATL) to Belize (BZE) on Delta Air Lines , the airline leading the recovery from the pandemic. Our flight landed in the early afternoon, allowing us to travel to the beautiful Cayos (small islands) of Belize on the same day .

Though we had the option to take a taxi to Belize City then take a water ferry , we decided to hop on a $75 flight with Maya Air directly to San Pedro – a much more convenient option.

Where to Stay in the Cayes of Belize

In San Pedro, we recommend  Ramon’s Village Resort  for epic villa huts (like the ones you’ve seen in Bora Bora) right on the water. It’s a pretty cool experience.

In Caye Caulkner, our favorite place to stay is the  Colinda Cabanas . The value is purely unmatched on the island, especially when you consider it’s rated #1 on TripAdvisor!

For those looking to save some money on their booking, here’s a Hotels.com coupon code:

Diving the Blue Hole after Covid-19

The first thing to comes to mind when I think about Belize is The Great Blue Hole . A must-see for everyone, the Great Blue Hole sits in the Belizean portion of the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

Our recommended dive shop is the Scuba School and Family Dive Center Belize , where you can get dive lessons or participate in a plethora of dive tours, including the Great Blue Hole.

We opted for a Great Blue Hole dive (down to 130 feet) combined with 3 other dives in the area, and it was mind-blowing.

Seeing the Blue Hole from above – flight tours in Belize: affordable?

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After seeing the Great Blue Hole underwater, we knew that we hadn’t gotten enough of it. We had to see it by air.

At first, we were set on a helicopter tour… until we noticed the price. At more than $1000 per person, these tours were quite simply unaffordable.

Luckily we found airplane tours of the Blue Hole with Maya Air ! At $215, we felt the price was much more reasonable. And it was worth every penny.

After our wonderful flight, we took a water taxi to Belize City where we could catch a Chicken bus (local public transportation) to San Ignacio instead of paying ~$90 for a shuttle.

The best Maya site in the world is in Belize

Next up was the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life: exploring deep into a cave filled with ancient Mayan artifacts.

Called the Actun Tunichil Muknal or ATM Cave , it does not print out money… but it does print out amazing memories. Exploring the cave is a full-day activity and is probably my best memory from not only Belize but all of Central America.

Crossing the border from Belize to Guatemala or Mexico

We spent the next morning exploring some Maya sites such as Xunantunich before attempting to cross the land border into Guatemala.

At the time, the border was closed, so we scrambled to arrange a private shuttle to Belize Airport (BZE) and a flight on TAG Airlines to Guatemala City… for just shy of $300.

Now that the border has re-opened, you can easily take a taxi from San Ignacio to the border, then pick up a shared taxi or chicken bus to Flores in Guatemala. There’s also a shuttle available.

Second country in our 2-Month Central America Itinerary: 10 Days in Guatemala

Guatemala had been on our list for so long, with its incredibly preserved Maya sites, crystal clear lagoons, and epic volcano hikes – plus gorgeous cities.

RELATED: What It’s Like Traveling to Guatemala Right Now

How to get to Guatemala Right Now

You can get to Guatemala via San Ignacio, Belize or from the southern border of Mexico, such as Tapachula. There’s also a shuttle that runs from the border directly to TIkal.

We flew from Belize City (BZE) to Guatemala City (GUA) on TAG Airlines .

Fight or flight? How to get around Guatemala

If you arrived directly to Tikal from Belize, you can skip this section.

Guatemala is big. Very big.

We really wanted to see Tikal , one of the largest Mayan cities ever discovered. But there was only one problem: Tikal is on the opposite side of the country from Antigua. The drive is about 8 hours each way, and there are tourist shuttles running constantly.

We decided to take our trusty friends, TAG Airlines , from Guatemala City (GUA) to Flores airport. The round-trip was about $200 per person, so definitely on the expensive side of our trip. And honestly, it was pretty disorganized. Our bags arrived a couple hours after we did, which kind of defeats the purpose of flying over taking a bus.

Related: 16 Ultimate Tips for Your Next Rental Car in Guatemala

What you need to know before visiting Tikal

In Flores, we rented a car with Guatemala Rent a Car and drove about an hour to stay in Jungle Lodge right next to Tikal .

We woke up early as hell to try and grab some insta-worthy shots in Tikal under beautiful golden light but our plans were undermined by nonsensical rules.

As I wrote in a previous article, you can only grab tickets at the park entrance, and only during office hours . With the delay of our bags, we entered the park too late. And thus our 36km trip to buy Tikal tickets and come back began.

*Make sure to buy your Tikal tickets at the park entrance before driving to rest of the way to the hotel*

It was worth it though. But we wish we hadn’t wasted the time and money renting a car ($200 for 3 days) and staying at the jungle lodge (shared bathrooms for a private-bathroom kind of price).

In the afternoon, we drove down to El Greengo hostel near Semuc Champey . It’s a no-frills kind of hostel, but it suited our needs for one night.

Pro tip: the drive takes 6 hours and one of the the roads (AV-9 via Chabilcoch) is horrendous, but fun and adventurous. If you’re planning do the drive that way, rent a 4×4. And leave early. Otherwise, drive through Coban.

You can take a chicken bus from Flores to Coban, then another to Lanquin, or arrange a tourist shuttle directly from Flores to Semuc Champey. It’s best to contact your hotel/hostel and ask for more details, as times vary daily.

More Details: 10 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Tikal

Semuc Champey: am I in Croatia? Caution: there have been changes since re-opening.

Semuc Champey was undoubtedly one of the coolest things I saw in Guatemala, literally and figuratively. It reminded me of the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia , where you can swim in crystal-clear ponds surrounded by waterfalls.

Just like in Croatia, you can hike up the mountains for absolutely epic views on this unforgettably beautiful part of the country. It’s almost unfathomable how nature comes up with such incredible beauty, but there it is.

The only thing to note is that your time in the park is limited. You can only stay a couple hours, and when we were there, guards did check our time stamp.

We spent the afternoon driving 6 hours back up to Isla de Flores. In retrospect, we would have flown one-way to Flores and taken shuttles down to Semuc Champey and thereon to Guatemala City .

We did really enjoy Flores though – it’s a surprisingly relaxing, chill, and enjoyable place to spend a couple nights.

The best town to stay and relax in Guatemala: Antigua

After taking a quick (~1 hour / $7) shuttle to Antigua, an extremely cute colonial town surrounded by volcanos, we arrived at the Porta hotel .

For those looking to save some money on their booking, here’s we recommend signing up with hotels.com for insider discounts.

We found it a perfect fit; cute, quaint, and a great blend of nature and city. Our room overlooked the garden and we overall found the price:quality ratio to be excellent.

Antigua, Guatemala is a must-see. It’s basically on every shuttle/bus route used by tourists and is hard to miss. It’s also a great ‘base camp’ for day trips to the surrounding volcanos, lakes, and astounding nature that Guatemala offers.

There are shuttles from Semuc Champey to Guatemala City, and onwards to Antigua Guatemala. It’s also possible by chicken bus via Coban and Guatemala City.

Guatemala is on fire! Volcano tours have re-started this year in Guatemala

Quite literally, parts of Guatemala are on fire.

Guatemala harbors a seemingly endless number of volcanos. Many are active, some very active. At the time we were there, Pacaya was erupting, spewing enough lava to cause evacuations of entire towns.

We decided to join a 2-day hike on the Acatenango Volcano with a highly-reputed tour company called Wicho and Charlie’s .

The tour starts around 10AM, includes transportation, fantastic tour guides, and gear for a very nominal price. The hike is a pretty intense 4-6 hours up to the top of the volcano. But when you get there, be prepared to have your mind blown.

Wicho and Charlie’s provide protected aluminum tents with views right on the Volcan de Fuego, a volcano spewing chunks of rocks and bright red lava every 5-10 minutes or so. It makes for the most spectacular fireworks of your life. Combined with some hot chocolate, I’m not sure there’s anything better in life.

Our favorite hotels in Antigua, Guatemala

After the hike, we were completely exhausted. We thought we were decently fit people, but the volcano taught us otherwise. Luckily, we found a hotel with great reviews called the Good Hotel and decided to try it out.

The name of the hotel did make us a bit nervous, but we were surprised to find that it really lived up to it. The rooms felt northern European; high-quality, quiet, super comfortable, and just what you need. The food was so good that we ate at their restaurant three times in two days.

But the best part is that they’re non-profit. They donate their profits to local schoolchildren and take care of the surrounding community. We were truly touched by their compassion and care.

Though we didn’t muster the energy to do it, we recommend planning a day trip to the Pacaya Volcano to see the lava up-and-close. Just don’t get too close.

Atitlán: A beautiful lake surrounded by volcanos and cute towns in Guatemala? Here’s where to stay right now.

Since Italy is closed and we can’t visit the beautiful Lago di Como, we decided to go with plan B: visiting Lake Atitlán . Surrounding the lake are a couple cute towns to explore including Panjachel and Santiago , which both have quite awesome markets for some great shopping.

We stayed at La Fortuna , a secluded resort right on the lake. It’s so secluded that you can actually only get there by boat. And it’s a truly great way to fully enjoy the spectacular feeling of being on an inverted volcano lake surrounded by a bunch of normal, non-inverted volcanos.

Our last day

We stayed the night at the Westin Las Americas in preparation for our early morning start towards El Salvador the next day.

It was fantastic to enjoy the amenities of a four star hotel in a very nice part of the city.

Third country on our 2-month itinerary: One week in El Salvador

From the outside, it’s easy to simply discard El Salvador as a country filled with street violence, MS-13, drugs, and crime. But that’s simply not true .

Our experience in El Salvador was seeing that most locals lead lives strikingly similar to ours back home. We were there during the Semana Santa, or holy week (Easter), which is taken very seriously in Central America.

As a result, we were able to participate in some pretty incredible parades, celebrations, and festivities. It was a very lively time filled with markets, music, and friendly, inviting people.

Our time in El Salvador also included some disappointments. Thought El Salvador did not feel unsafe , we don’t think it’s a country you need to go out of your way to visit.

It’s nice but it ended up our least favorite country in Central America.

Read for full details: Your Ultimate El Salvador Travel Guide

Our route into El Salvador from Guatemala City and the mistake we made

Once again Tica Bus came to the rescue. We decided to ride it from Guatemala City to Santa Ana , the last stop before San Salvador.

Though Santa Ana is a cute town, it’s not really special. We don’t necessarily recommend stopping there.

If you plan to take the Ticas Bus, you should choose Ahuachapan as your destination. It’s a lovely town in the Ruta de las Flores, an incredibly cute array of 6 pueblos up in the mountains surrounding volcano Santa Ana.

Alternately, you can ride the bus all the way to San Salvador from which you can rent a car. That’s probably the best option; as you’ll read below, getting around El Salvador is tough .

The Tica Bus cost us $25 each, and was overall decent. The ride always takes longer than predicted, especially with how slow the border crossings are.

Crossing the border from Guatemala to El Salvador Post Covid (very easy!)

Out of all the border crossings we did in Central America, this one was actually the easiest . We disembarked in Guatemala to collect our exit stamps but  did not actually have to step off  the bus in El Salvador. Instead, a border agent came on the bus, collect everyone’s covid test results and passports, and returned with stamps.

Easy peasy.

Getting Around El Salvador (VERY tough)

This was the part we screwed up. Unfortunately, pretty much  none of the shuttle services are running  at the moment. We had no trouble finding them in Guatemala, yet in El Salvador we had to resort to taxis, private transport, or public buses.

We were hoping to rent a car in Santa Ana, but none of the rental car agencies shown on google (even those with working websites) were responding. So if you want to rent a car, make sure to go all the way to San Salvador (or perhaps El Tunco, where there are some rental car companies running).

The roads in El Salvador are excellent all around, even the dirt ones. Driving is relatively easy and painless.

Where to stay in Santa Ana, El Salvador

We had an amazing time at the  Casa Verde hostel  in Santa Ana. Carlos, the owner, is a super cool and helpful guy with all the contacts for tours, transport, and maximizing your time in El Salvador.

Santa Ana itself is not very tourist. It has lots of local (and very cheap) markets, a cute central square, but is otherwise not exceptional town. The street food is pretty good but there isn’t much selection of restaurants. And if you’re vegetarian, forget it.

Visiting the Ruta de las Flores in El Salvador

After failing to arrange a rental car, we got ourselves an uber to our first stop on the Ruta de las Flores: Apaneca. Though it was an hour away, Uber only charged us $30.

An off-duty police officer picked us up, so we got to ask about  violence and crime  first-hand. He told us that El Salvador’s tourism initiative involved the government bulking up security forces including national police and even the military. There are some rough spots, but there is security basically anywhere that tourists would want to go.

It all seemed to have good effect. We never felt uncomfortable walking or driving around, even at night.

Our favorite town on the Ruta de las Flores was  Ataco . It’s one of the bigger towns and simply has more to offer in terms of food and nightlife.

Speaking of nightlife,  Nahuizalco ‘s night markets are not to miss. They’re lively, exciting, and sprawling.

Chasing waterfalls in El Salvador

Central America has so many waterfalls that by the end, you should be tired of them… but you’re not.

We heard a local tip about some waterfalls close to the border with Honduras called the  Salto de Malacatiupan . These are actually hot spring waterfalls and truly a must-see if you’re in the area.

Afterwards, we finished our tour of the Ruta de las Flores, exploring these incredibly cute towns during the Semana Santa. The streets were filled with locals flocking from all over the country, coming together to celebrate Easter with parades, parties, festivities, live music, great food, and awesome dancing. It was truly a spectacle.

Our full day tour of the Ruta de las Flores ended costing us $90 (total).

What you must see while in Juayua, El Salvador

We finished the night in  Juayua , a tiny pueblo (town) with another must-see: the  Feria Gastronomica , a weekend market filled with street food vendors. You’ll find everything from bao to barbeque to vegetarian food.

5 minutes from Juayua are the  Chorros de la Calera , an amazing natural pool surrounded by cascades. At the moment, the cascades (main attraction) are closed, but you can still do a 2-3 hour hike to 7 waterfalls nearby.

There’s also a pretty cool maze nearby which features zip lining, biking on suspended lines, and other family-friendly activities.

The coolest place to chill out in El Salvador: Lake Coatepeque

Lake Coatepque is a ginormous crater lake situated between some gorgeous volcanos basically smack in the middle of El Salvador.

In my mind, Lake Coatepeque is the Lake Atitlan of El Salvador. It’s that nice.

Here, you can spend the day relaxing on a hammock enjoying volcanic views, take a jetski out, or go for a swim.

Getting to Lake Coatepeque

Remember how I said getting around El Salvador is tough? As we couldn’t find a shared shuttle, we hired a private driver to get us from the Ruta de las Flores to the lake. Cost: $65. And we  definitely  searched around.

This is where having a  rental car  would be an enormous help.

We stayed at the only place that had rooms left during the busy Semana Santa: the Captain Morgan hostel. We quickly realized why there weren’t rooms left. It’s extremely noisy until late at night, the shared bathrooms are horrid, and the service is absolutely lackluster.

Instead, we recommend staying at the Cardedeu hotel (or residences if you fancy) to full take in the tranquility of this incredible lake.

RELATED:  16 Ultimate Tips for Your Next Rental Car in Guatemala

Surf City: El Salvador is the surf capital of Central America

Next, we took yet again another $65 private transfer to El Zonte, the “surf city” of El Salvador.

Surfers flock here from around the world to catch world-class swells and enjoy some of the cheapest beach living you can find on this side of the planet.

We stayed at  Palo Verde “Sustainable” hotel , which was great but in no way “sustainable”. It’s right on the beach and has a lovely pool and great restaurant. You can also take  surf lessons  – unless red flag conditions, like we had, are present.

Food in El Salvador: great for meat-lovers, terrible for vegetarians

El Salvador was probably the toughest place to find good vegetarian food. Instead, you’ll probably eat side dishes most of the time – if they even let you. Most restaurant workers are simply confused by a request. When you say “no meat”, their reply is typically “ok so chicken?”

But in El Zonte, we caught or lucky break (surf pun?). The only place that was still open at 9PM, the last place we found, ended up being the best food we had in El Salvador outside of the capital.

The lovely restaurant,  Beach Break , doubles as a boutique hotel close to the beach (obviously), and the owners are super friendly. You can eat with your feet in the sand while enjoying views on the river.

Best for last: Suchitoto and Cinquera, ex-civil war hotbeds

Another expensive private transfer later and we found ourselves flabbergasted by the beauty of the next area. Nestled in the highlands of El Salvador is a colorful, lively town with a background of civil war hardships, guerrilla warriors, and absolute devastation.

Seeing how far El Salvador has come since then is nothing short of mind-boggling. The town of  Suchitoto  was the closest thing we saw to Antigua, Guatemala except that the surrounding scenery was, in our opinions, even more beautiful.

We had dinner at a wonderful restaurant called  1800 Casa . WOW. Views. When you’re overlooking the massive Lake Salcoatitlan and its surrounding tallest mountains in El Salvador, you won’t want to leave. Trust me.

The next day, we took a tiny TukTuk to the ex-guerrilla headquarters of  Cinquera , a town fraught with death, destruction, and violence. We took a tour into the forested highlands where guerrillas hid, lived, and fought to the death.

Our guide was the niece of an ex-guerrilla and much of her family had been directly affected by the tragedy and violence of the war.

As a result, hearing her firsthand stories felt like re-living the experience, the peril, the devastation. It was certainly more real than any movie or book I’ve ever seen or read.

It was truly touching and quite a meaningful end to our week in El Salvador.

How to get a Covid test in El Salvador (super easily)

Super easy. You can find a list of testing enters  here . We ended up getting an antigen test with Analiza in San Salvador. It was easy, super quick, and relatively cheap.

We didn’t have to make an appointment or anything, so we arranged for a stop on our private transfer from El Zonte to Suchitoto.

The test itself wasn’t bad at all, nor was it expensive. And we had our results in hours, making the whole experience the least awful possible.

Country #4 in our 2-Month Central America Itinerary: Honduras (8 Days)

Honduras was the country that surprised us the most. From the outside, it sounds like a country filled with violence and danger. But once we were there, we realized it was just like any other Central American country – except maybe more beautiful.

Crossing from El Salvador to Honduras & Travel Requirements

We took a 10-hour Tica bus from San Salvador to Tegucigalpa , and it was pretty tiring. The border crossing into Honduras was overall kind of sloppy and very slow on both ends (exiting El Salvador and entering Honduras).

RELATED: 10 Surprising Reasons Honduras Was Our Favorite Country in Central America – with info on “Is Honduras Safe to visit?”

How We Got Around Honduras (Highly Recommended)

Though it is possible to get around Honduras by public transportation, we heard bad things. Petty theft is common, buses run very full, and they break down often.

As private shuttles are abhorrently expensive, we decided to rent a car – which also wasn’t cheap. But it wasn’t bad, around $350 for a week with a diesel truck. We rented with Xplore Rent a Car , and had a mixed experience. Customer service was all over the place, from excellent to extremely poor depending on the employee. But overall, the operation is great.

Day 1: the Valle de Angeles is shockingly beautiful

I sent a picture of a town we stopped in to my family in Europe and asked where they thought it was. The answer I got back? Portugal!

This part of Honduras is astoundingly beautiful, and almost seems out of place in Central America. It’s green, full of pine trees, gorgeous Spanish-colonial towns, and cobblestone streets. It does not feel ‘developing’ in any way.

We recommend these two stops in the Valle de Angeles, Honduras:

• Santa Lucia: a gorgeous town looking down into the Tegucigalpa valley
• Cantarranas/San Juan de Flores: an up-and-coming tourist hotspot filled with street art

We stayed the night at Liquidambar , which was one of our favorite hotels in Central America. For those looking to save some money on their booking, here’s a Hotels.com coupon code:

Save $5 when you spend $50+ with code 5OFF50US . Book by 12/31/21. Travel by 3/31/22.

Day 2: Deep in the Jungle of Honduras

Our next stop took us deep into the Cerro Azul National Park, right off the beautiful Lago Yojoa (Lake Yojoa). This is a vastly underrated jungle forest filled with waterfalls, hummingbirds, and all sorts of wildlife.

We stayed at the Panacam Lodge , which is as close to nature as you can get. Breakfast and phenomenal views are included in the reasonable price (~$60 per night).

There were 5 waterfalls and lots of hiking trails to explore, but the best treat was the birdwatching . Cerro Azul is a safe haven for species from all over the world and even some endemic ones.

Day 3: Exploring the Lake and heading to the Caribbean coast!

Our destination: Tela, on the Caribbean coast. But there’s a lot to see in the Yojoa area before finishing the 3 hour journey.

On our way out, we couldn’t help but stop at AGUALPA -Domos & Cabañas , where you can actually visit a retired Fokker prop airplane! Ok, maybe that’s just the pilot in me wanting to see that. There’s also a decent restaurant there.

Lake Yojoa features plenty of spots to rent kayaks and enjoy this wonderful hidden gem surrounded by lush green mountains, and lots of road stands selling pineapples! Good to know right?

The Pulhapanzak Waterfalls are right on the way to the Caribbean coast. There you can ride zip-lines for less than $40USD per person… right over some of the most incredible waterfalls I’ve ever seen.

We finished the night at Vista Maya hotel in Tela – which was fine. The best part was the great views overlooking the beautiful coastline, the food was average, and the rooms had air conditioning – much needed at sea level.

Day 4-5: Day Trips from Tela

We spent the next couple days admiring the beauty of the Honduran coastline – a nice change from the mountains we had lived in for the last couple weeks.

Here are the best day trips from Tela:

• Pico Bonito: white water rafting and jungle trekking
• Punta Sal: isolated beaches with great views about an hour boat ride away (~$40pp)
• Jeanette Kawas: mangroves accessible only by boat, where you may see crocodiles
• Tela Beach area itself is filled with beach huts, restuarants, and white sand!

Day 6: our best day in Honduras!

We never saw it coming. Our favorite hotel was one we booked minutes before arriving, just looking for something halfway back to Tegucigalpa.

This hotel had suspiciously great reviews on google. We were reluctant at first, thinking they could be made up.

They weren’t.

It wasn’t as much a hotel as a private nature reserve with a couple lovely rooms, but it was the best we could have asked for . It’s called Luna del Puente Reserva Natural Privada and it was possibly our most relaxing stay of our entire 2-month trip.

The owners have lived there for 30 years, gracefully taking care of the enormous reserve they live on, truly embracing being one with nature. At night, we were invited to meet the red-eyed frogs that live all over the property – and their eggs and toads. It was… eye-opening. We LOVED it.

All you’ll hear is the sound of nature. Insects, frogs, birds chirping, and the occasional refreshing thunderstorm. The food here is homemade and absolutely delicious – plus there’s endless fresh hot cocoa and local coffee to enjoy.

Seriously we could spend a week here without leaving the property. It’s truly wonderful.

Day 7: taking care of the fun stuff

We spent as much time as we could enjoying Luna del Puente as we could before taking care of an important new element of traveling: Covid tests.

Let me tell you one thing – they’re not cheap in Honduras, especially considering (at the timed) you needed a PCR test (not rapid) to enter Nicaragua, our next country – if not vaccinated.

This document has all of the Covid test centers available in Honduras. We decided to stop in Comayagua, where we spent $200 – but got our results back the same day.

Where to stay in Tegucigalpa

Our stop for the night was the Holiday Inn Express Tegucigalpa – which ended up being a really great stay.

It’s located in the nicest part of Tegucigalpa, with plenty of shopping and dining options. The rooms are great, breakfast is included, and so is the shuttle to the airport if you need.

In our case, we took an Uber for $7 to the TicaBus station for our next country – Nicaragua!

For those looking to save some money on their booking, book with Hotels.com .

Our Fifth Country During Our 2 Months in Central America: Nicaragua (7 days) – a VERY interesting experience…

Nicaragua: the country where I got bitten by a dog, we had not one but two flat tires, we were asked (and declined) to bribe police at a traffic stop, and we had to spend $25 each just to cross the borders.

Yet, we loved it.

Nicaragua is such a unique country in Central America.

Yes, it’s communist.

Who cares? The people make it great. The food is great, the towns are amazing, and the nature is even better than all that. Plus, it’s CHEAP.

Despite all that happened to us, we would do it all over again. Dog bite included.

How we got detained entering Nicaragua

So, the only reason I’m telling you how important it is to fill out the Precheck/prechequeo a week before entering Nicaragua… is because we didn’t. We assumed, clearly incorrectly, that it was like the other countries where you fill out the form within 48 hours of entering. Wrong .

Customs & immigrations reviews each application individually and it can take up to a week to approve. If you don’t have one filled out a week prior , prepare to be detained on arrival pending an ‘interview’.

They just asked us what the prechequeo asks for: where you’re going/staying, how you’re getting there, health info, etc.

How to get to Nicaragua

Flights into Nicaragua are unfortunately still extremely limited. If you want to fly, you’ll have to take Avianca. And unfortunately, their flight prices are very expensive ($400-500 each way).

We took a TicaBus from Tegucigalpa (operates twice a week). TicaBus also runs buses from San Salvador to Managua if you’re looking at a different itinerary.

Leon was our first destination of choice, but you can’t go wrong with anything outside Managua – the only city you don’t need to see in Nicaragua.

Word of advice if driving in Nicaragua: police bribes

We had been forewarned about bad cops in Nicaragua, but we’d heard the same thing a hundred times for every other country we visited as well – police here are bad and will try to force you to bribe them. Well, we had been lucky thus far in Central America…

But then it happened. We were pulled over for literally NO reason.

The exchange basically went like this:

Cop (Spanish) – “You took that turn a little fast. License and papers please.”

Side note: NEVER give your passport over . Repeat after me: never give your passport to the cops! This is their leverage for a bribe. Say you left it in the hotel.

It’s also better to pretend you don’t speak Spanish and say you will call your rental car agency to let them talk.

Us: “No we didn’t. We’re just trying to head to the volcano, please let us go.”

Cop: “It will be a fine and you will have to pay at the bank. Or you can just pay me here right now and I let you go.”

Us: “Ok fine, we’ll go to the bank with you” (knowing the cop didn’t actually want to do that)

Cop: starts arguing trying to tell us to pay him now. We told him what we was doing was unjust , he knows that, and there’s no way we’re going to pay.

In the end, we refused and were let free. As a last ditch effort, he asked us if we wanted to give a donation for the police force. HELL NO!

First Stop: Leon

Leon was such an amazing introduction to Nicaragua. Ever since Guatemala we had been missing truly colonial towns.

We got what we wanted – and more. Leon has some of the best food we had in Central America, and did I mention it was cheap?

Make sure to check out the Leon Cathedral right in the center of town. You can actually climb up to the rooftop (until about 5:30PM – they kick you out at 6).

Black Sandboarding: FYI

If you’re looking to participate in the black-sand volcano sand boarding (at Cerro Negro – literally means black mountain), Quetzaltrekkers (the main tour company in Leon) has reopened, and also offers affordable shuttles around the country.

Look into the bowels of an active volcano

There are only 10 places in the world you can peer straight into the crater of an active volcano and as you can probably guess by now, Nicaragua is one.

You can actually drive right up to this volcano 🌋, unlike most of the others in the world. All lazy people (like me), rejoice!

The entrance fee was around $10 per person and totally worth it. There is a restaurant in the park but it was closed when we entered last month.

Swim and meditate in an inverted volcano

Just to one-up how amazing Nicaragua is, have you ever swum in an inverted volcano?

At Lake Apoyo, you can! The water is pretty nice and clear, and warm. That’s nice.

We highly recommend staying at the Apoyo Lodge . It’s traditionally a yoga and meditation retreat, and I couldn’t think of a better location for it. You’re right up on the lake with boogie boards and tubes included.

In normal times, the Apoyo Lodge includes vegan food, but they haven’t been able to keep the staffing going because of Covid-19 induced drops in tourism. Nonetheless, it’s an amazing stay. One of our favorites.

Granada: another must-see

I hope you’re not tired of cute colonial towns. We personally couldn’t get enough, and Granada was our favorite in Nicaragua.

The food here was the best we had in Central America, the streets were the cutest we had seen since Antigua, and the people were just as friendly.

We couldn’t help ourselves but to eat at the Garden Cafe – which admittedly is pretty expensive. The smoothies and dishes they serve are fresh and delicious.

Our hotel of choice here is the Patio de Malinche . You won’t find a better price:quality ratio.

You HAVE to visit this magical volcano island in the middle of a lake

This was possibly our favorite thing in ALL of Central America. Here’s why .

Let’s go to the beach!

San Juan del Sur is a backpacker’s paradise. Good surfing, good food, and better views. It’s Costa Rica quality for Nicaragua prices.

We actually ran into a ton of expats here, the first we had seen since Belize and Guatemala.

If that’s not your thing, there are plenty of other beaches that are a bit more local!

Exiting Nicaragua: you have to pay (ca$h) to leave!

Before leaving Nicaragua, we made sure to exhaust our Cordobas thinking we were being smart. We weren’t.

Yep, they won’t let you leave via land unless you pay. It’s just $6 each but it caught us off guard.

Tired of the bus? Try one-way rentals

We were able to select Peñas Blancas (the border crossing into Costa Rica) as our drop-off location for our rental car. It was an extra $50, but totally worth it to not take another uncomfortable bus ride.

We dropped off our car and walked through. On the other side we found our next rental car waiting for us! I definitely enjoyed this SO much more than riding a bus for 8+ hours.

Do NOT use Sixt. They have horrendous customer service. Alamo on the other hand was one of my best experiences renting cars ever.

Last Stop on our 2-Month Central America Road Trip Adventure: Costa Rica! (7 days)

You can’t visit Central America without a stop in Costa Rica.

Is it touristy? Super.

Is it expensive? Very much so.

But it’s SO worth it. Costa Rica’s government started initiatives to preserve and promote nature in the 70s and 80s, and the results are fabulous .

I don’t think any other country in Central America can rival Costa Rica’s incredibly diverse wildlife and nature. Though Costa Rica’s landmass is less than 1% of the world, it holds 5% of the diversity of wildlife. That’s mind-blowing.

We really don’t like touristy places but we totally fell in love with Costa Rica.

Renting a car and driving in Costa Rica

The roads in Costa Rica are the worst we saw in Central America, period. Some are paved but you really wish they weren’t. The amount of potholes is absolutely staggering.

There are roads where you’ll have to cross rivers and your rental car insurance becomes void. Make sure to research or ask about these at your rental location.

You are required to get third-party liability insurance (often called SLI) but nothing else. I was able to only select this insurance by contacting Alamo directly by e-mail to get a direct quote.

I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve card as the primary rental car insurance with no issues.

Best wildlife in Central America

Even though Costa Rica only takes up less than 1% of the total landmass of the earth, it contains 5% of its biodiversity. This is a direct result of the government’s actions 30+ years ago to protect the environment.

So even though we hated paying Costa Rica prices, we were delighted by what we saw and experienced.

Wild parrots, hummingbirds, armadillos, squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, blue-tail magpies, sloths (and their babies) in our garden, and so much more.

Best Costa Rica 7-Day Itinerary

There’s so much to see and do in Costa Rica. The possibilities are almost literally endless.

Last year, I spent 3 days here in Guanacaste and I knew I had to come back and see more.

This time, we spent 10 days here and still only scratched the surface. That being said, an ideal itinerary from Penas Blancas might be:

• Rincon de la Vieja, staying at Hacienda Guachipelin where you have access to 7 waterfalls and hot springs
• Northern Guanacaste, staying at the JW Marriott Guanacaste and enjoying the beach, spa, and pool
• Southern Guanacaste, staying at the Barcelo Tambor and its secluded, magnificent beaches
• Rio Celeste/Tenorio Volcano area, visiting the spectacular waterfall and staying near Lake Arenal
• La Fortuna area where you have nearly endless activities (white water rafting, rappelling, sloth watching, night wildlife tours, and great dining). Stay the the Paradise Hot Springs for luxury and insanely gorgeous hot springs!
• The Monteverde Cloud Forest. This is a MUST-SEE in Costa Rica. Best wildlife, most incredible nature, and lovely town. For the best birdwatching, head to the Curi-Cancha Reserve.
• Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio with its awesome wildlife (tons of monkeys, crabs, and sloths), amazing beaches, and surfing. Make sure to plan a day at the Nauyaca Waterfall Nature Park as well!
• Limon for a taste of the Caribbean life, and more crabs and sloths! Great seafood and white sand beaches here.
• Parque Nacional Tortuguero, one of the greatest single places in Costa Rica. You can watch the Green and Leatherback turtles building their nests or leaving towards Florida depending on the season.
• And if your trip finishes in San José, pay a visit to La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park – unless you’ve had enough of waterfalls.

If you’re headed to Panama next, the Corcovado National park for some amaaaaaazing views! In that case, you may want to save Manuel Antonio as the last step on your journey before Corcovado.

…Our Central America road trip to be continued…?

Though we had initially planned to continue into Panama, our plans changed about midway through. And we had already spent three weeks in Mexico last year – which, by the way, is open too !

Thanks for reading! As always, feel free to contact me.

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How did you guys manage to book Tica Bus? Whenever i look for a route, it says no route available.

Hi there. This is likely because the route you are searching for is not available that day. Many of the route schedules have been reduced because of Covid-19. Some are only once per week.

I really enjoy the layout of your blog and the way you write out your information. Right to the point! Thanks for the super helpful Central America itinerary (:

Hi Britney, thank you so much! I’m very happy to help. 😊

[…] (Isalo), Jurassic ages (Tsingy) and more. Places that resemble everything from The Grand Canyon to Costa Rica to Western Europe to beaches like the Seychelles. There are even whales. It’s truly […]

Hi! Really liked your blog! I was wondering how much did this 2-month trip cost you approximately in total (with food, activities, hotels, etc. and without the flights for arrival and departure)?

Great question! I’m not totally sure, but I would estimate it was around $500-700/week per person. Some parts cost more; hiring a driver everywhere in El Salvador, renting a car one way in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, so you can definitely do it all for half of what we paid.

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Efficient Central America Itinerary (8 Countries, 1-3 Months)

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We compiled a comprehensive backpacking Central America route – 8 countries, 1-3 months, 28 stops, no flying (just public transport).

In 2022, we spent 6 months backpacking in Central America. Here is our ultimate Central America backpacking itinerary.

Backpacking Route Central America

Itinerary for central america, 12 days backpacking in mexico, 11 days backpacking in belize, 15 days backpacking in guatemala, 7 days backpacking in el salvador, 8 days backpacking in honduras, 13 days backpacking in nicaragua, 12 days backpacking in costa rica, 12 days backpacking in panama, number of countries.

We visit 8 countries in our itinerary:

• El Salvador

Best Time for Backpacking in Central America

The dry season is from December to April. We travelled from January to June and must say that the months of the wet season are quite humid and rainy and definitely not our favourite weather-wise.

How Much Does it Cost to Backpack Central America?

We paid 40$ to 70$ per person and day.

Travelling Around Central America

You don’t have to take a single flight. You can easily travel around by bus, tuk-tuk, or minivan. Tourist transfers are mostly a convenient option. Islands are connected by boats.

How Long do you Need in Central America?

If you want to see everything (or at least most of it), we recommend at least 3 Months or 90 days. This means around 28 stops and 3 days per stop on average.

We have also created a 1 and 2 months itinerary in case you have a shorter time limit.

Best Places to Slow the Itinerary Down

• Tulum (Mexico)
• Hopkins (Belize)
• Lake Atitlan (Guatemala)
• El Tunco (El Salvador)
• Utila (Honduras)
• Ometepe (Nicaragua)
• Bocas del Toro (Panama)

Central America Itineraries (1,2, and 3 months)

Our suggested Central America travel route for 1, 2, or 3 months.

For time reasons, we concentrate on the Yucatan peninsular of Mexico. If you have more time, you can (and should) start in Mexico City and also visit Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, and Palenque.

Mexico Overview

Mexico public transport.

We love public transport in Mexico. The offer ranges from super comfortable ADO buses which you can book online and are safe and comfortable enough to take overnight to super cheap and local colectivos (shared taxis).

You can go literally everywhere in Mexico by public transport – be it from one town to another or from your hotel to your next sight. All of the destinations on our suggested Mexico itinerary are connected by ADO bus. You can easily reach sights like Chichen Itza or the cenotes by colectivo.

Mexico Average Coast

We paid 40$ per person per day on average.

Mexico Highlights

The highlights of your time in Mexico will be:

• Chichen Itza Mayan ruins.
• Beautiful Caribbean beaches.
• Cenotes, water-filled caves you can swim in.

Mexico itinerary

More Mexico resources:

Come for Caye Caulker, stay for the rest.

Belize Overview

Belize public transport.

Travelling Belize by public bus is easy and reliable. Normally, you can just jump on the bus and buy your ticket. It should cost you around 4 and 6 BZD. There are well-established north-south and east-west routes connecting the country which are connected in the capital Belmopan. If you don’t want to get off at the major bus stations, you can just tell the conductor where to stop.

Belize Average Coast

We paid 55$ per person per day on average.

Belize Highlights

The highlights of your time in Belize will be:

• Caribbean island vibes.
• Off-the-beaten-track Mayan ruins.

Mexico - Belize Border

The easiest way is to take an ADO bus across the border.

Belize Itinerary

More Belize resources:

Belize Backpacking – Belize 2 Week Itinerary (2023)

Our itinerary for Belize features Orange Walk Town, Caye Caulker, Hopkins, Dangriga, Tobacco Caye, and San Ignacio. This Backpacking in Belize guide includes the highlights and hidden gems: from the beaches of the atolls in Belize to the waterfalls and caves of the mainland.

Backpacking Guatemala and Belize – 14 Day Itinerary with Map (2023)

2 countries, 1 trip. Spend 10 days backpacking Guatemala and 4 days backpacking Belize on this roundtrip. See the highlights of both countries like the Acatenango volcano, Tikal, and Lake Atitlan in Guatemala as well as the ATM Cave and the Caribbean beaches of Belize.

Travel Guides

Where to Stay in Belize on a Budget PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS ONLY!

Best places to stay in Belize on a budget in Hopkins, San Ignacio, Caye Caulker, Orange Walk Town, and Dangriga. All the cheap Belize places we personally stayed at!

Guatemala Overview

Guatemala public transport.

To be honest, we did not hear good things about public transport in Guatemala. Other travellers told us they got robbed. Others mentioned that they had to change buses a lot – and without any English information.

That’s why we opted for tourist shuttles all the time. It raised our costs quite a bit but they were always punctual, safe, and reliable. You can buy tickets from every travel agency – and you will find plenty of them in tourist destinations.

Guatemala Average Coast

We paid 50$ per person per day on average.

Guatemala Highlights

The highlights of your time in Guatemala will be:

• Hiking Acatenango Volcano.
• Tikal Mayan ruins.
• Semuc Champey waterfall.
• Lake Atitlan.

Belize - Guatemala Border

You can take a quick and easy taxi to the Guatemala border. After you crossed, take a shared direct minivan to Santa Elena. Here, you change into a tuk-tuk to Flores.

Guatemala Itinerary

Don’t skip El Salvador! It’s super easy to incorporate into your itinerary!

El Salvador Overview

El salvador public transport.

To be honest, we were shocked at first when we realised that we could not book any tourist shuttles in El Salvador. Here’s the reason why:

The public transport in El Salvador is amazing. In fact, it was our favourite public transport in the whole of Central America. Buses come super often and you can just flag them down on the side of the road – no bus stop needed. The prices are super low – we never paid more than 1$ – and they are signposted in the driver's cabin to prevent scams. You can do the entire Ruta de las Flores with public transport – no tour needed.

El Salvador Average Coast

We paid 40$ per person per day on average. Mostly because of the cheap public transport.

El Salvador Highlights

The highlights of your time in El Salvador will be:

• Surfing in El Tunco.
• Santa Ana Volcano.
• Salto Malacatiupan hot waterfall.

Guatemala - El Salvador Border

Shuttle buses from Antigua to various destinations in El Salvador leave regularly.

El Salvador Itinerary

More El Salvador resources:

EASY 1 week El Salvador itinerary - Why you should not skip it!

There are a lot of beautiful places in El Salvador so you should definitely include it in your Central America itinerary. Backpacking El Salvador rewards you with lovely people and good infrastructure. From the beaches of El Tunco to the volcano in Santa Ana and the mountain villages of the Ruta de las Flores - we show you the best places to visit in El Salvador.

Although Honduras was our least favourite country in Central America, we have still compiled three must-see places for you.

Honduras Overview

Honduras public transport.

Honestly, both public transport and tourist shuttles are horrible in this country. If you want to go to Utila and want to avoid spending a night in La Ceiba (which is not really recommended), you cannot avoid taking a shuttle.

Because of a rather mediocre experience, we opted for public transport afterwards which was also less than optimal. Buses do not run very frequently, it’s hard to find information (either online or from locals), and they are pretty pricey compared to what you get. On the plus side, they always brought us where we needed to go and we never felt unsafe. Except maybe for when we changed buses in Tegucigalpa and everybody told us that we should not be walking because it’s not safe.

Honduras Average Coast

We paid 65$ per person per day on average. Involving some overpaying for accommodation (when you go scuba diving, your basic accommodation will be included in the dive prize) and being scammed. In general, not the best value for money so don’t plan to stay too long.

Honduras Highlights

The highlights of your time in Honduras will be:

• Scuba diving in the Bay Islands
• Copan Mayan Ruins.
• Lago de Yojoa.

El Salvador - Honduras Border

We took a shuttle from Santa Ana to Copan which drove through Guatemala for a while. Currently, the shuttles don’t leave every day so plan in advance.

Honduras Itinerary

More Honduras resources:

Honduras Backpacking Guide and Itinerary with Map

Wondering if you should go backpacking in Honduras? We say yes, don’t skip it! We have got you covered for your backpacking trip to Honduras: This blog post will inform you how to get around Honduras, what to do in Honduras, and showcase the best Honduras backpacking routes.

Most people stick to the Pacific side of Nicaragua which is amazing. If you have more time, check out the Caribbean side as well!

Nicaragua Overview

Nicaragua public transport.

Public transport in Nicaragua was frequent and cheap enough that we never opted for a tourist shuttle although they exist. All of our suggested destinations are well connected by buses and vans. A ferry connects Ometepe to the mainland.

Nicaragua Average Coast

Nicaragua highlights.

• Cerro Negro volcano boarding.
• Ometepe island.
• Somoto Canyon.

Honduras - Nicaragua Border

In case you stick to our advice and start your Nicaragua itinerary in Somoto, you can take a bus from Tegucigalpa to Choluteca where you change into a bus to San Marcos de Colon. From here, a shared van will take you to the El Espino border. Make sure not to arrive too late because buses and taxis stop running on the Nicaraguan side.

More Nicaragua resources:

How to Travel the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua on a Budget (2023)

If you’re backpacking Nicaragua, the Caribbean coast belongs to the best places in Nicaragua you can visit. Our complete travel guide to the Nicaragua Caribbean coast gives you travel tips for the best beaches, the best places, and the best Caribbean islands in Nicaragua - all on a budget and mostly with public transport.

The wildlife here is out of this world!

Costa Rica Overview

Costa rica public transport.

We took buses around Costa Rica because the shuttles were crazy expensive compared to other Central American countries. We have met travellers who experienced theft on the buses so always keep an eye on your belongings.

Costa Rica Average Coast

We paid 50$ per person per day on average. Although everybody always says that Costa Rica is expensive, it was by no means our most expensive country on this trip.

Costa Rica Highlights

The highlights of your time in Costa Rica will be:

• The wildlife (sloths, dolphins, tapirs, toucans,…)!

Nicaragua - Costa Rica Border

Bus companies like Trans Nice or Nica Bus conveniently cross the border.

Costa Rica Itinerary

More Costa Rica resources:

Travel Planing

11 Best Hostels in Costa Rica (real travellers recommend)

Backpacking Costa Rica and looking for a hostel? Real travellers share the best hostel Costa Rica has to offer in their opinion.

Travel Ideas

Costa Rica, Drake Bay – Travel the Osa Peninsula Without a 4x4 Car (2023)

Drake Bay in Costa Rica is a great addition to your Costa Rica road trip. Its situation on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica makes it the perfect starting point to visit the Corcovado National Park and Cano Island - two natural paradises above and below water. And the best? As of 2022, you can reach it with a regular car!

Nightlife and beaches? Yes, please!

Panama Overview

Panama public transport.

We took a combination of public transport and tourist shuttles depending on the length of the trip. They both worked fine. San Blas is easiest visited on a guided tour.

Panama Average Coast

We paid 70$ per person per day on average. Our highest daily cost in Central America.

Panama Highlights

The highlights of your time in Panama will be:

• San Blas islands.
• Boas del Toro.
• Panama City.

Costa Rica - Panama Border

We booked a transfer from Limon to Bocas del Toro which was super convenient and did not even cost more than public transport.

Panama Itinerary

More Panama resources:

San Blas vs Bocas del Toro – Which Panama Islands Should You Visit?

Should you visit the Bocas del Toro or San Blas Islands in Panama? Including a complete travel guide for Bocas del Toro and San Blas.

Complete Panama itinerary - 14 - 21 days, 5 - 8 stops

Most Panama itineraries that you find online will only include the Panama highlights like Bocas del Toro, San Blas, Panama City, or Boquete. In our Panama itinerary, we feature some off-the-beaten path destinations like Boca Chica, Santa Catalina or Valle de Anton to include in your Panama backpacking trip.

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• El Salvador
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What Countries Are Covered by the Upcoming ETIAS Visa Waiver Program in Europe?

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Casco Viejo is Panama City, Panama’s most historic district. We take you on a quick tour of the lesser-known parts of this colonial jewel.

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Irish Bars in Central America (Or Where to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this Weekend)

• Drinking , Travel

If you’re in Central America searching for a place to wet your whistle this coming St. Patrick’s Day, look no further. Here are five Irish bars in Central America to celebrate in 2024 (plus honorary Irish places for the day in Belize and Nicaragua).

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Why the small colonial town of Juayua should be on your radar when visiting El Salvador.

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Surfers pay tribute to Australian brothers killed in Mexico

Friends and loved ones came together to honour the brothers lives in a touching beachside tribute.

‘Disgusting’: Couple perform sex act on plane

Warning to Aussies as solar storm hits

Chinese zoo forced to defend strange sight

Loved ones of two Australian brothers killed in Mexico have paid tribute to them two weeks after their deaths.

Perth brothers Jake Robinson, 30 and Callum Robinson, 33, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 33, were on allegedly murdered while camping on a surf trip near Ensenada in the Baja California region in late April.

Their bodies were found at the bottom of a four metre cliffside well a short distance from the campsite.

Their parents Debra and Martin Robinson flew over to Mexico to identify their bodies and over the weekend they made the journey north to San Diego, USA where Callum had been living.

The 33-year-old’s friends organised a paddle-out into the surf at one of his favourite beach spots on Sunday, with dozens of locals gathering in the surf to honour the boy’s lives.

The boy’s father was among those who paddled out to pay tribute to his two sons.

One of the surfers said he felt like Callum’s spirit was there with them in the water during the tribute.

“In the middle of our ceremony a large wave rolled in and it felt like Callum was there with us and everyone said that’s Callum,” he told Nine.

Two men and a woman have been detained on suspicion of direct or indirect involvement in the attack. One man with a previous criminal record has been charged with “forced disappearance”.

On Friday, the men’s bodies were moved to a funeral home in San Diego, and are expected to be transferred back to Perth.

Jesus Gerardo Garica Cota, also known as “El Kekas”, along with his brother Cristian Alejandro and girlfriend Ari Gisel have since been arrested by Mexican authorities.

Gerardo fonted an Ensenada court, where prosecutors revealed Ms Gisel had become a key witness in the case.

Last week, the infamous Sinaloa Cartel claimed it “handed” over the alleged killers to police.

Passengers were left horrified after a woman appeared to perform a sex act on a man during a flight from London to Dublin.

The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades, which can cause power outages and disrupt other tech, has struck Earth.

A zoo in China was accused of attempting to deceive visitors, forcing it to defend a strange “panda” exhibit.

• Nimiipuu – Walk in Their Shoes

Scenic Drives

• Whitewater Rafting
• Hells Canyon, North America’s Deepest River Gorge
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• Communities

Explore Moscow & the Palouse

September 25, 2023.

Moscow is cradled among the beautiful rolling hills of the Palouse , known as the "Tuscany of America." We invite you to visit and experience this undiscovered paradise. 

The community of personifies the image of "small-town" friendliness. In addition to Moscow’s small-town charm, this college town also provides a rich assortment of cultural and recreational activities. With a mild climate, clean air, highly rated schools, and a low crime rate, Moscow attracts a diverse group of residents and visitors.

The Moscow Farmers Market is ranked in the Top 2 Farmers Markets in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest, and 12th in the United States. The local produce is mouthwatering, arts and crafts are phenomenal, food vendors offer a huge variety of ethnic delights, and the live entertainment is, well, always entertaining.

The University of Idaho Arboretum is a lovely place to stroll and view a variety of plants and trees any time of year. The arboretum is divided into four geographical areas: Asia, Europe, Eastern North America, and Western North America and is open daily, dawn to dusk.

Moscow is for Foodies

The Moscow has attracted many exceptional chefs and restaurateurs offering a variety of cuisines and farm-to-table menus. Several local restaurants have attracted national accolades.

This region is known for producing high quality wine. Tasting rooms dot the region offering a variety of styles and varietals.

Moscow is home to many craft breweries offering hand-crafted ales, lagers, belgians, and more. Many are created with local ingredients. No matter which brewery you visit, you'll always find the perfect pint in the perfect setting.

Spring, Summer & Fall Activities

Hiking, biking, running & walking.

Over 38 miles of paved pathways are in and near Moscow. The Latah Trail connects with the Paradise Path and runs parallel to State Highway 8 (Troy Highway) between Moscow and Troy. The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail consists of seven miles of smooth pathway between Pullman and Moscow along Highway 270, and is open dawn to dusk year-round. The Chipman Trail connects with Moscow’s Paradise Path, a 1.47 mile non-motorized trail between the UI campus and downtown Moscow. The Pullman Parks and Recreation Trail System and Downtown River Walk connect with the Chipman Trail.

Moscow Mountain has 60+ miles of trails for hiking, biking, and walking. Filled with cedars, pines, wildlife and colorful flowers, you can get a bird's-eye view of the Palouse. Mostly located on private land, and maintained by a volunteer group ( MAMBA ).

Reaching an elevation of 3,641 feet, Kamiak Butte offers breathtaking, panoramic views of the Palouse and over five miles of hiking trails through beautiful forests. Steptoe Butte is famous for its dramatic beauty and the panoramic view it provides of surrounding farmlands, mountains, ranges and peaks.

The Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area has old growth trees that were just seedlings in 1492. It is now one of the oldest cedar groves in the world. 

The rolling hills of the Palouse also make for beautiful rolling green golf courses that are challenging and scenic. Palouse Ridge Golf Club has been voted “Best Course You Can Play” by GolfWeek Magazine every year since its opening in 2009. The University of Idaho golf course is adjacent to the scenic arboretum and offers 18 challenging holes and stunning scenery.

Spring Valley Reservoir is a favorite fishing hole. It's regularly stocked with trout and bass.

The rolling hills of the Palouse are a photographer's dream destination. The Palouse Scenic Byway winds through the colorful patchwork of green and gold. The small farming towns are each a unique destination. Stop in for a bite to eat at the popular Palouse Caboose (Palouse, WA) or Pie Safe Bakery & Brush Creek Creamery (Deary, ID). View local artisans at work and shop at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown.

Winter Activities

Ice fishing.

Ice anglers will love Spring Valley Reservoir, just north of Troy. It is heavily stocked with trout in the fall.

Winter Biking

The Moscow Area Mountain Bike Association (MAMBA) maintains a network of trails on, and around, Moscow Mountain. Nearly all of the 60+ miles of trails are located on private land so trail respect is paramount. Trail reports are regularly updated on their website . Bikers and nordic skiiers utilize the trails in the winter.

Cross-Country Skiing & Snowshoeing

Palouse Divide offers trails for skate skiers, traditional cross-country skiers, and backcountry skiers, as well as a snowshoeing area. Located just northeast of Moscow, most of the 18 miles of trails are groomed periodically.

53 miles east of Moscow, skiers and snowshoers will find the Elk River Nordic Ski Trails.  The trails are rated intermediate to difficult, and include one primary loop trail and a spur from Elk River to the groomed loop.

Snowmobiling

The Elk River Snowmobiling Trail System, just minutes from the mountain town of Elk River, Idaho, has over 50 miles of groomed snowmobile trail providing for plenty of family fun.

February - Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival

February - June - Moscow 3rd Thursday Artwalk

May - October - Moscow Farmers Market

May - Renaissance Fair

June - Camp Moscowanna

October - Downtown Trick-or-Treat | Moscowberfest

September - Latah County Fair

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Getting around Central America is easy by bus, plane and boat

Mar 19, 2022 • 8 min read

So-called "chicken buses" form the backbone of bus travel in Central America © Mint Images RF / Getty Images

Spanning seven countries and countless beaches, jungles, volcanoes and lost cities, Central America is surprisingly compact. The Pan-American Highway runs for nearly 2000km (1240 miles) along this chain of Spanish-speaking countries, but the isthmus is no wider than 560km (35o miles) across at its widest point.

With enough time and patience, all seven countries can be traversed by bus, daisy-chaining from Guatemala and Belize through Honduras and El Salvador to Nicaragua , Costa Rica and Panama . With less time to spare, it's easy to pair up countries – perhaps Mayan pyramid-hopping in Guatemala combined with scuba-diving in Belize, or toucan-spotting in Costa Rica paired with cruises along Panama’s famous canal.

Here's what you need to know about getting around Central America.

The easiest and cheapest way to explore Central America is by bus

Central America has a bus for every budget and every kind of traveler. The backbone of bus travel in the region is the 'chicken bus' – these repurposed and gaudily painted North American school buses race along highways, belching black smoke and stopping in every city, town and hamlet. Buses cover fixed routes with the destination displayed on the front windscreen, and are as much a cultural experience as a way to get from A to B.

Vast numbers of minivans follow similar routes to the chicken buses, leaving when full for a slightly higher fare. Then there are tourist-orientated shuttle buses linking major hubs, such as the ones provided by Interbus in Costa Rica. In line with its famous green credentials, Costa Rica is trialing electric buses in San José , with the aim of moving the whole country to all-electric buses by 2030. Pura vida! 

For long-haul trips between major cities, there are long-distance bus lines such as Ticabus , which serves destinations across the region’s seven countries using comfortable buses equipped with toilets, air conditioning, WiFi, reclining seats, and on-board security for less stable parts of the isthmus.

Other useful lines include Trasnica , which operates in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and Transporte del Sol in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

Taxis are plentiful in all the major cities

Taxis are cheap and plentiful across Central America. However, tourists are often charged elevated rates, so try to use a radio taxi or official taxi, rather than flagging a cab down on the street. If the taxi has a meter, insist it’s turned on, or take a different cab. For longer journeys, you'll normally have to negotiate a price – and confirm the currency! – before you set off. Carry small bills to pay for taxi rides and grab all your baggage before you hand over any money.

To the annoyance of local taxi drivers, Uber is now available in Panama City (including Uber Assist for people with accessibility issues), Guatemala City and Antigua , San Salvador , and Costa Rica’s Central Valley , and drivers will often take you around the country from these urban hubs. Local ride-hailing app, inDriver , is available in all of the above countries, plus Honduras and Nicaragua.

Three-wheeled mototaxis – the Central American take on tuk-tuks – are becoming increasingly popular in many parts of the isthmus, with fares negotiated as for taxis.

Hiring a car is expensive, but great for exploring

Hiring a car doesn’t come cheap in Central America, but it’s a great way to get off the tourist trail and explore the isthmus at your own pace. Driving in Central America isn’t for the fainthearted – you'll face challenges ranging from bumper-to-bumper traffic in cities to rural roads crowded with cows and wildlife, and erratic drivers ignoring traffic signs everywhere.

All the major rental car companies have outlets at international airports, in capital cities, and in popular tourist destinations. Most countries allow you to drive with your home driving license, but there's no harm in carrying an International Driving Permit just in case. You'll pay a lot more to pick up a car in one place and drop it off at another location, and even higher premiums to cross international borders (if the company allows it at all).

A decent 4WD vehicle is a must if you’re going off-the-beaten-track and planning to tackle any dirt roads. Always make sure the vehicle comes with all the necessary safety equipment, including a functional spare tire, and always read the rental agreement’s small print and take out as much insurance as possible to reduce what you might have to pay in the event of an accident.

On the road, keep emergency services numbers to hand in case of breakdowns, and drive cautiously and defensively. Never leave valuables unattended in your car, and avoid driving at night. Also keep your passport, driving license and rental papers to hand in case you have any dealings with the police.

A boat journey in Central America will take you places you wouldn’t otherwise reach

Central America has two beach-sprinkled coastlines facing the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and dozens of stunning lakes and jungle-fringed rivers. A boat can be the best – and sometimes the only – way to get from A to B.

In Nicaragua, there are regular sailings from San Jorge to the bucolic island of Ometepe on Lake Nicaragua . Boats also run from Bluefields on the Caribbean Coast to the icing sugar-soft beaches of the Corn Islands , and you can ferry-hop from La Ceiba to the underwater paradise of the Bay Islands in Honduras.

On Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Tortuguero can only be reached by boat or plane, with small boats chugging along the wildlife-rich canals of its namesake national park. On the Pacific Coast, a regular ferry service connects Puntarenas with Playa Naranjo and Paquera, providing easy access to the year-round surf breaks on the Nicoya Peninsula . And daily ferries operate from Golfito to Puerto Jiménez on the wild and wonderful Osa Peninsula .

In Guatemala, you can explore the myriad Mayan villages that dot the shore of Lake Atitlan by lancha (public boat); Panajachel is the main hub for ferry services. And don’t miss a trip along one of the planet’s greatest man-made marvels, the Panama Canal , squeezing along those famous locks and admiring the engineering genius of the Culebra Cut. A partial transit of the isthmus by cruise boat takes around six hours.

Let the plane take the strain

If you’re cash-rich and time-poor, flying can knock hours off many road trips, though there's an environmental impact to consider in those calculations. For example, the flight from Guatemala City to Flores – gateway to the towering temples of Tikal – takes just one hour, compared to an eight-hour journey by bus.

Panama-based Copa Airlines and Colombian flag carrier Avianca operate the majority of services on the isthmus, and both are part of Star Alliance , making for easy international transfers. Discount Mexican carrier Volaris has some very reasonable low-cost fares to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador.

You can also take a "puddle-jumper" – a small propeller-driven aircraft used for short local and mainland-to-island hops. You'll share the tiny open cabin space with the pilot, and you’ll often be weighed along with your baggage at check-in, so pack light.

These diminutive planes are a popular alternative to long road trips and bumpy boat rides to Central America’s fringing islands. Useful routes include Tropic Air 's service from Belize City to Caye Caulker , and La Costeña 's shuttle from Bluefields and Managua to Nicaragua’s Corn Islands.

Urban transport is easy in major cities

Trains may be scarce in Central America, but Panama City has the region’s first and only metro , linking the northern and southern reaches of the metropolitan area to the city center, with more lines under development. You’ll need to buy a rechargeable Metro, MetroBus, or RapiPass card to use the service, and these tickets also work on the city’s buses.

In Costa Rica, the Interurbano Line is a commuter train connecting the provinces of San José, Alajuela, Heredia, and Cartago in the lush Central Valley. In other major cities, downtown transport is provided by fleets of local buses, mototaxis and conventional taxis.

My favorite way to travel in Central America is by 'chicken bus'

Traveling on a chicken bus is an experience like no other. On journeys across the isthmus, I’ve shared a seat with a strident caged cockerel and been swept off the bus by the voluminous skirts of Guatemalan ladies eager to get to market.

It’s always easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow passengers – if you can hear them above the tinny music played at ear-splitting volume on the bus stereo – and a little Spanish goes a long way when it comes to breaking the ice. The buses can be cramped, hot, dusty, and sometimes downright dangerous when careering around blind corners at breakneck speed, but the experience is never dull.

Accessible travel in Central America

Central America still has a way to go before it becomes a truly accessible destination, but it’s not all bad news. Strict accessibility laws saw Costa Rica named the world's best accessible travel destination in 2021, and awareness of accessibility issues is growing around the region.

Throughout Central America, obstacles include buildings with steps, poor (or absent) sidewalks, hotels without elevators, a general absence of safe road crossings and few accessible buses or boats. In general, hiring a vehicle or using taxis is often the easiest option for those with mobility issues. For more information, see Lonely Planet's Accessible Travel Resources page .

You may also like: The 14 best beaches in Central America 15 things you absolutely must do in Central America 8 of the best places to surf in Central America for beginners to pros

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Solar Storm Intensifies, Filling Skies With Northern Lights

Officials warned of potential blackouts or interference with navigation and communication systems this weekend, as well as auroras as far south as Southern California or Texas.

By Katrina Miller and Judson Jones

Katrina Miller reports on space and astronomy and Judson Jones is a meteorologist.

A dramatic blast from the sun set off the highest-level geomagnetic storm in Earth’s atmosphere on Friday that is expected to make the northern lights visible as far south as Florida and Southern California and could interfere with power grids, communications and navigations system.

It is the strongest such storm to reach Earth since Halloween of 2003. That one was strong enough to create power outages in Sweden and damage transformers in South Africa.

The effects could continue through the weekend as a steady stream of emissions from the sun continues to bombard the planet’s magnetic field.

The solar activity is so powerful that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, issued an unusual storm watch for the first time in 19 years, which was then upgraded to a warning. The agency began observing outbursts on the sun’s surface on Wednesday, with at least five heading in the direction of Earth.

“What we’re expecting over the next couple of days should be more significant than what we’ve seen certainly so far,” Mike Bettwy, the operations chief at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said at a news conference on Friday morning.

For people in many places, the most visible part of the storm will be the northern lights, known also as auroras. But authorities and companies will also be on the lookout for the event’s effects on infrastructure, like global positioning systems, radio communications and even electrical power.

While the northern lights are most often seen in higher latitudes closer to the North Pole, people in many more parts of the world are already getting a show this weekend that could last through the early part of next week.

As Friday turned to Saturday in Europe, people across the continent described skies hued in a mottling of colors.

Alfredo Carpineti , an astrophysicist, journalist and author in North London, saw them with his husband from the rooftop of their apartment building.

“It is incredible to be able to see the aurora directly from one’s own backyard,” he said. “I was hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of green on the horizon, but it was all across the sky in both green and purple.”

Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s solar event.

How will the storm affect people on Earth?

A geomagnetic storm watch or warning indicates that space weather may affect critical infrastructure on or orbiting near Earth. It may introduce additional current into systems, which could damage pipelines, railroad tracks and power lines.

According to Joe Llama, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory, communications that rely on high frequency radio waves, such as ham radio and commercial aviation , are most likely to suffer. That means it is unlikely that your cellphone or car radio, which depend on much higher frequency radio waves, will conk out.

Still, it is possible for blackouts to occur. As with any power outage, you can prepare by keeping your devices charged and having access to backup batteries, generators and radio.

The most notable solar storm recorded in history occurred in 1859. Known as the Carrington Event, it lasted for nearly a week, creating aurora that stretched down to Hawaii and Central America and impacting hundreds of thousands of miles of telegraph lines.

But that was technology of the 19th century, used before scientists fully understood how solar activity disrupted Earth’s atmosphere and communication systems.

“That was an extreme level event,” said Shawn Dahl, a forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. “We are not anticipating that.”

Unlike tornado watches and warnings, the target audience for NOAA’s announcements is not the public.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The goal of the announcements is to give agencies and companies that operate this infrastructure time to put protection measures in place to mitigate any effects.

“If everything is working like it should, the grid will be stable and they’ll be able to go about their daily lives,” Mr. Steenburgh said.

Will I be able to see the northern lights?

It is possible that the northern lights may grace the skies this week over places that don’t usually see them. The best visibility is outside the bright lights of cities.

Clouds or stormy weather could pose a problem in some places. But if the skies are clear, even well south of where the aurora is forecast to take place, snap a picture or record a video with your cellphone. The sensor on the camera is more sensitive to the wavelengths produced by the aurora and may produce an image you can’t see with the naked eye.

Another opportunity could be viewing sunspots during the daytime, if your skies are clear. As always, do not look directly at the sun without protection. But if you still have your eclipse glasses lying around from the April 8 event, you may try to use them to try to spot the cluster of sunspots causing the activity.

How strong is the current geomagnetic storm?

Giant explosions on the surface of the sun, known as coronal mass ejections, send streams of energetic particles into space. But the sun is large, and such outbursts may not cross our planet as it travels around the star. But when these particles create a disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field, it is known as a geomagnetic storm.

NOAA classifies these storms on a “G” scale of 1 to 5, with G1 being minor and G5 being extreme. The most extreme storms can cause widespread blackouts and damage to infrastructure on Earth. Satellites may also have trouble orienting themselves or sending or receiving information during these events.

The current storm is classified as G5, or “extreme.” It is caused by a cluster of sunspots — dark, cool regions on the solar surface — that is about 16 times the diameter of Earth. The cluster is flaring and ejecting material every six to 12 hours.

“We anticipate that we’re going to get one shock after another through the weekend,” said Brent Gordon, chief of the space weather services branch at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Why is this happening now?

The sun’s activity ebbs and flows on an 11-year cycle, and right now, it is approaching a solar maximum. Three other severe geomagnetic storms have been observed so far in the current activity cycle, which began in December 2019, but none were predicted to cause effects strong enough on Earth to warrant a watch or warning announcement.

The cluster of sunspots generating the current storm is the largest seen in this solar cycle, NOAA officials said. They added that the activity in this cycle has outperformed initial predictions .

More flares and expulsions from this cluster are expected, but because of the sun’s rotation the cluster will be oriented in a position less likely to affect Earth. In the coming weeks, the sunspots may appear again on the left side of the sun, but it is difficult for scientists to predict whether this will cause another bout of activity.

“Usually, these don’t come around packing as much of a punch as they did originally,” Mr. Dahl said. “But time will tell on that.”

Jonathan O’Callaghan contributed reporting from London.

An earlier version of this article misstated the radio frequencies used by cellphones and car radios. They are higher frequencies, not low.

How we handle corrections

Katrina Miller is a science reporting fellow for The Times. She recently earned her Ph.D. in particle physics from the University of Chicago. More about Katrina Miller

Judson Jones is a meteorologist and reporter for The Times who forecasts and covers extreme weather. More about Judson Jones

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Dante Lauretta, the planetary scientist who led the OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve a handful of space dust , discusses his next final frontier.

Is Pluto a planet? And what is a planet, anyway? Test your knowledge here .

How to Visit Russia as an American

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While U.S. citizens are welcomed with visas on arrival to 184 countries around the world, Russia isn’t one of them. American citizens need to obtain a Russian tourist visa before they’re allowed to depart for the country. 

There is one loophole, at least for now: cruise passengers are allowed to visit Russia without a tourist visa for up to 72 hours, presuming they follow a rigid set of rules. 

If you’re an American looking to plan a trip to Russia, here are your travel options.

How to Get a Russian Tourist Visa

Americans looking to visit Russia on tourist visas have two options, a single-entry visa for $113 or a multiple entry visa for $273 dollars. It’s recommended to apply for Russia travel visas 30 to 90 days before departure, but procrastinators can typically pay extra to have visa applications expedited.

The first step in getting a visa to visit Russia is securing a formal invitation. This is easier than it sounds. The Petr Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia , for example, offers guests visa invitation letters instantly online for a $16 fee. Many hotels, tour operators and travel agents provide similar services.

Once you’ve got your invitation letter, you’ll need to fill out an online Russia tourist visa application , but prepare yourself. The application asks for a detailed log of your past decade of travel abroad as well as for information about your schooling, parents, occupation, and involvement with professional or other organizations. If you’re an avid traveler it might take you awhile.

After completing your application, you'll need to submit it through a visa processing company and pay the required fees. Travisa , CIBT Visas , and Allied Passport & Visa are among the companies you can use. For Travisa, processing fees start at $164, but that’s in addition to the visa fee itself. 

You will need to send in your physical passport and two passport size photos as part of the process. If approved, your passport will be returned to you with a full-page Russian tourist visa. 

Getting a visa to visit Russia can be a good way to avoid the crowds that often accompany large cruise ships and to have more time and freedom to explore on your terms. Lines at the Hermitage Museum and other sites are noticeably shorter once the cruise ships have pulled out of town, leaving a more authentic feeling in St. Petersburg. If you’re looking to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg , you’ll want more than 72 hours and will be best served by having a Russian tourist visa.

Take a Visa-Free Cruise to Russia

Passengers visiting Russia on cruise ships or via ferry services are allowed to stay in the country for up to 72 hours without a visa. This option limits both your time and independence in Russia.

If you’re on a major cruise line that’s making a stop in St. Petersburg, you’ll need to buy a shore excursion from the operator or book a city tour with a local company. You will need to remain with your tour group the entire time you’re on land, so kiss that casual wandering goodbye.

If you opt for the St. Peter Line ferry from Helsinki, you’ll have a little more freedom but not much. You’ll have to either sleep on the ferry or at one of a number of pre-approved hotels. You’ll also need to take the company’s sightseeing bus tour, something that’ll eat into the precious little time you’ll actually have on land.

And while you won’t need a tourist visa, you’ll still have to go through Russian customs, which can be an experience.

It’s worth keeping in mind the St. Peter Line ferry is no luxury cruise ship. Rooms are small and basic, with the most budget-friendly options coming in at around $230, not including extras like the required shore tour, an extra $30 per person. There are restaurants, bars, and a dance club on board, but ships sailing this route look like they’re straight out of the 1990s.

This option will save you visa fees and the hassle of applying for a Russia travel visa, but there is a cost. Ferry schedules typically have passengers arriving in St. Petersburg around 9 a.m. after an overnight journey from Helsinki and departing two days later around 7 p.m., giving visitors a scant 58 hours to explore a sprawling metropolitan area that was Russia's imperial capital for two centuries and remains its cultural capital.

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Inside costa rica’s ‘cave of death’ which kills all that enters.

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Take a deep breath before trekking here.

Deep in the volcanic mountains of Costa Rica hides a deadly, yet small opening of the Earth that engulfs and kills just about all that enters.

Locals in the Alajuela Province call this six-foot-deep and ten-foot-long hell hole — accompanied by warning signs of skulls and crossbones — the Cueva De La Muerte, or the cave of death in English.

How can such a cramped space be a ruthless killer?

Not from any beast or poisonous plants, snakes, or spiders, but instead by toxic air — something researchers in 2022 warned of in caves across the world.

“This is a very small cave, but it’s unusual in that there’s a substantial seep of carbon dioxide gas coming,” explorer Guy van Rentergem said in a YouTube video at the site , measuring 30 kilograms of that CO2 being emitted per hour.

Not even the blob wouldn’t stand a chance under those conditions. One traveler photographed a bird that died in the small space.

“The CO2 layer is essentially unreadable by small animals, or even humans for that matter. So small animals enter the cave and asphyxiate, usually within a few moments.”

Located near the Poas Volcano and on the campus of the Recreo Verde Hotel and Spa, guides will carefully approach the cave’s lethal abilities and do demonstrations with fire torches .

@tonygidillini Checking out the Cave of Death at #recreoverde #foryoupage #foryourpage #nature #costarica #vacation #mothernature #zipline #fire #caveofdeath #oxygen #carbonmonoxide #cave #fastantic #wow ♬ original sound – Casa Fritaliano

The lack of oxygen extinguishes the blaze in a split second.

Adding to the terror, it is especially deceiving because oxygen is present at the small enclave’s top layer — but close to the ground is where no creature can properly breathe and would perish.

The dense amounts of carbon dioxide surface due to an unusual alignment from the San Miguel geological fault, according to the hotel .

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‘A Gentleman in Moscow' production designer Victor Molero on creating the show's labyrinthine set [Exclusive Video Interview]

In Amor Towles 's novel "A Gentleman in Moscow," the story's central location, the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, is described as having "rooms behind rooms and doors behind doors." So when it came time to create the elaborate set required for the novel's television adaptation, production designer Victor Molero was given no easy task – especially because finding an appropriate location in northern England, where the show was produced, proved impossible.

"We needed to recreate this location and the timing was tight. So I did the research in 10 days and used another 10 days to design the hotel set," Molero tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview. "So it was really stressful. But we did it. I always say that the real Metropol Hotel in Moscow was built in five years. We built the sets for ‘A Gentleman in Moscow' in five months."

Based on Towles's best-selling book, "A Gentleman in Moscow" is about a Russian count (played by Ewan McGregor ) who is sentenced to life under house arrest following the Russian Revolution. That puts the count inside the Metropol Hotel for years and makes the location one of the limited series' main attractions.

"It's really a stereotype to say that the hotel is like another character, but in this case, it is completely like another character," Molero says. "It was really a challenge in a way because the hotel was crucial in telling the story of the count."

Molero built detailed sets for "A Gentleman in Moscow," including the count's bedroom and other areas within the residence. But he says he's perhaps most proud of his work in the hotel's lobby, the bustling open space with one piece of furniture tied directly to the character: a bench

"When I was thinking how to create the lobby in a hotel, it's like a station. People go in and out all the time. And the count is there, he's waiting for something," Molero explains. "So it came to me, that image of the count waiting on that bench for what will happen with his life. And that is an element that I added. You try to play with this element in the space to give a layer to the story and the character."

Molero has received acclaim for his work on the show, but there is one review that stood out to the longtime production designer: a stamp of approval from Towles himself, who came to the set during the first week of production.

"When he arrived and he looked around, to see his face was the most special moment in my career," Molero says. "He was our father in a way, the one that created the whole thing. So it was a really special moment to see his reaction."

"A Gentleman in Moscow" is streaming on Paramount+ With Showtime.

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