Amazing Central America
Overview
Highlights
- Hike, cycle or zip-line through the steamy cloud forests of Monteverde – there’s so many ways to experience the lush canopies and see unique Central American wildlife.
- Try out your Nicaragua sign language skills when you order breakfast at an atmospheric cafe housed in a historic building that is managed and staffed by members of the local deaf community.
- Put your chef hat on and help prepare a traditional Caribbean dinner with a local family in their home in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
- Clear sea perfect for swimming, shacks serving cold cerveza and sandy shores covered in starfish are waiting in the Bocas del Toro, where you spend three nights on Isla Colon.
- Spend a morning with the Ngabe-Bugle indigenous community on Isla Popa, learning about local lifestyles as you get to experience a slice of village life.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Max Group Size
Trip includes
- Copan - Guided visit to Archaeological site
- Suchitoto - Salvadoran Pupusa cooking demonstration
- Suchitoto - Leader led orientation walk
- Suchitoto - Indigo Dyeing Demonstration
- Leon - Leader led orientation walk
- Masaya - Town & Market Visit
- Granada - La Laguna de Apoyo Viewpoint
- Granada - Breakfast at El Cafe de las Sonrisas
- Monteverde - Leader-led orientation walk
- Monteverde - Cloud Forest Reserve with a local guide
- Monteverde - Hands-on breakfast in a local home
- La Fortuna - Leader led orientation walk
- San Jose - Leader-led orientation walk
- La Fortuna - Cooking Class
- Sarapiqui – Jungle Walk
- Puerto Viejo de Talamanca - Leader-led orientation walk
- Puerto Viejo - Hands-on dinner in local home
- Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Community Visit
- Boquete - Leader-led orientation walk
- Chitre - Traditional mask workshop
- Panama City - Miraflores Locks (Panama Canal)
- Panama City - Leader-led walk in Casco Viejo
Itinerary
Bienvenidos! Welcome to Guatemala. With crumbling churches, vibrant markets and bohemian cafes set against a monumental volcano, Antigua is the perfect place to begin your adventure. Speaking of adventure, yours officially kicks off with a welcome meeting at 6 pm toni...
Rise and shine early this morning to beat the rush-hour traffic around Antigua. Departing at around 7 am, you’ll drive towards Copan. Along the way, watch the passing scenery and learn about local life in Guatemala as you head towards the border. Cross into Honduras, ...
This morning, meet up with a local guide and explore the World Heritage-listed ruins of Copan – the southernmost of the great Maya sites. It's unique because of the numerous elaborate stelae (carved columns) still intact among temples, excavated vaults and walls inscr...
You’ll wave goodbye to Copan this morning and head across the border to El Salvador. It’s a long travel day, so make sure you’ve got a good book or your favourite road trip games handy. When you arrive in Suchitoto, you’ll head out on a leader-led orientation walk of ...
Today is a free day in Suchitoto. The town overlooks the Embalse Cerron Grande – also known as Lago Suchitlan, this freshwater lake is a haven for migrating birds, particularly falcons and hawks. Maybe grab a historically-minded quartet for a guided walk through Cinqu...
This morning, head to a local designer’s home for an indigo-dying demonstration – Suchitoto is one of the best places in the world to produce indigo (used to dye clothing or other items blue). You’ll visit a local designer transforming colonial tradition into modern d...
Today, you're free as a bird to explore the beautiful Pacific Coast at your own pace. Alternatively, simply sit back and relax in a hammock on the beach and soak up the sunshine with a drink – life’s good.
Rise nice and early for a full day of travel by private vehicle. Cross the border at El Amatillo and then head into Honduras, where you’ll stop for lunch. After, there’s another border crossing at Guasaule before you reach Leon – the second-largest city in Nicaragua. ...
Today is a free day to make the most of Leon. Maybe visit the street food area behind the Lady of Grace Cathedral and try a Nica taco (made with maize, the taco is rolled, deep fried and then served with shredded cabbage smothered in cream). You could also take on a t...
This morning, you’ll drive to the oldest city in the 'New World' – Granada. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to stretch your legs and admire the view at Laguna Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake formed around 23,000 years ago. Then, stop in at the lakeside town of Mas...
This morning you’ll have breakfast with your group at Cafe de las Sonrisas – a café run entirely by deaf people. The owner is aiming to bridge the gap and inspire other business owners to employ local people living with disabilities. After, the rest of the day is your...
Today is another early start as you get ready for a full day of travel. Journey to Monteverde, where you can begin exploring this afternoon on an orientation walk with your leader. Monteverde was founded as an agricultural community in 1951 by a group of North America...
Begin the day with a special morning brew, as you're welcomed into a local’s home for breakfast and the chance to sample some local Costa Rican coffees. Then, head out to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where you’ll join a local guide to walk the reserve’s trails...
This morning, take a shared minibus transfer to the shores of Lake Arenal, where you’ll take a boat across the lake to the little town of La Fortuna. On a clear day, you'll have fantastic views of the surrounding area. Watching the massive Arenal Volcano loom larger a...
Why not start today with a smoothie and plan how you want to explore? Perhaps take a guided nature hike through the lush forest surrounding Arenal Volcano, keeping an eye out for rare plants and animals, or see the forest from a series of hanging bridges that offer a ...
Spend you final morning in La Fortuna learning the art of Costa Rican cuisine. A local family will guide you through a cooking class, and you’ll enjoy the results of your efforts for lunch. Then, watch the volcano fade into the distance on your private transfer to Cos...
Enjoy a free day to explore San Jose until another group meeting at 6 pm tonight. The city is home to a lively cultural atmosphere with heaps to do. Maybe explore the markets – you might even be lucky enough to see a spontaneous art fair! Perhaps visit Arte Contemporaneo if you’re an art lover or get a taste of the rich coffee that Costa Rica is known for in a nearby coffee shop.
This morning, hop on a public bus and make your way to Sarapiqui – a town known for its rich biodiversity and lush rainforest. When you arrive, enjoy some free time here to go birdwatching, spot some local wildlife or hike to one of the nearby waterfalls. Then, meet u...
Today, take a private transfer to Puerto Viejo. When you arrive, get to know this laid-back jungle town during an orientation walk with your local leader, then enjoy the rest of the day to explore at your leisure. A small and coastal city, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca ha...
Today is free, so you can ease into the vibes of the Caribbean coast. You might like to take your time exploring Cahuita National Park, which is easily accessible from Puerto Viejo and home to sloths, monkeys, raccoons, snakes and a great variety of birds. If the wave...
Today, take a local bus to the border, then walk across an old railway bridge into Panama. Continue by taxi or collective minivan to Almirante, where you'll take a short boat ride to Isla Colon in the Bocas del Toro archipelago – rapidly becoming a Caribbean favourite...
Today is the first of two free days to explore this tropical archipelago. Several beaches are within reach of town, between 8 and 14 km from your hotel. With azure waters, pristine coral reefs and a rollicking nightlife, it’s easy to see why these islands are a favour...
This morning, hop on a boat to the nearby Isla Popa, where you’ll get to spend time meeting the Ngabe-Bugle indigenous community. The local women here run a community tourism project, and you’ll have the chance to learn about their lifestyle during an orientation walk...
Travel by boat and local bus to Boquete – this is a bit of a lengthy journey, so be sure to have a book, podcast or daydream to keep you occupied. Boquete is a picturesque town located in the highlands of Panama, surrounded by mountains, crystal-clear creeks and river...
There are plenty of ways to experience Boquete today, so be sure to chat to your leader and the hotel front desk to get the best insider tips. You could discover the secret waterfalls only locals know about on a walking tour in the jungle. Or maybe you’d prefer to soa...
Say goodbye to Boquete and head to the southern city of Chitre. Arrive around lunchtime, then head out for an orientation walk with your leader (who will also be able to point you in the right direction for a good lunch spot). After a bite to eat, rejoin your fellow t...
Depart Chitre this morning, heading for Panama City. Stop at the Miraflores Visitor Centre, which overlooks one of the locks that control the flow of ships through the Panama Canal. Learn about the canal’s history and engineering, then head back on the road to Panama ...
With no planned activities today, you can depart at any time. If you would like to spend some more time in Panama City, just speak to your booking agent.
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