Central America is often overlooked and it shouldn’t be. While most people have Costa Rica on their bucket list, this swatch of land that connected North America with South America deserves more than a one-country glance.
Panama is famous for its coffee, the Panama Canal and glitzy Panama City (often likened to Miami) but did you know it has volcanoes, rainforests, rare wildlife and beaches butting up against the Caribbean sea?
And what about Guatemala with historic Antigua, the Maya ruins of Tikal, Antiguan coffee, famous Semuc Champey, handicraft markets bursting with Guatemalan life and, of course, the active volcanoes bursting with photo opportunities?
Nicaragua, too, has volcanoes to climb, cities to explore and a culture of gentle people who will crack open a beer and let you rest in their garden while you wait for a bus (I know, because it happened).
Belize is famous for its islands where Latin America blends with Caribbean culture and the beach life gives you the best of both.
Honduras and Caye Caulker are both famous for scuba diving with Utila and Blue Hole offering some of the best diving in the world.
And looping back round to Costa Rica – where else can you zip-line on the longest zip-line in Latin America. Truly one of the highlights of all my travels.
El Salvador is on my travel wish list for a future trip.
The question isn’t when are you going to go to Central America, it’s ‘when can are you going back’?
Due to the fact that I am apparently more addicted to travelling than writing, there’s a chance I’ve visited but haven’t yet put some of my Central America blog posts online. In that case, contact me. Otherwise, sign up to my newsletter here.
This post is about visiting Semuc Champey (or, rather, how NOT to visit Semuc Champey) and is part of my Around The World Series. Don’t decide to visit Semuch Champey without knowing what it is Semuc Champey was the word on everyone’s lips in Guatemala. I mean EVERYONE! Never mind Antigua or even Tikal, visit Semuc … Read more
This post about Earth Lodge Antigua, an avocado farm in Guatemala is part of my First Time Around The World Series… I was toying with a festive theme for this post given the proximity of Christmas but I suspect everyone is nearly up to their ears with the one day event that is celebrated for four months … Read more
This post about Isla de Ometepe is part of my First Time Around The World series… Isla de Ometepe is very simply an island comprised of two conical volcanos looming out of Lake Nicaragua. What else was there to do on the island but to climb them (or at least one of them)? It was … Read more
This post about getting to San Juan del Sur from Costa Rica is part of my First Time Around The World Series… The longest journey ever lay ahead: Getting rom San Juan del Sur to Costa Rica I hit Central America without much of a plan, so comfortable I had become with my wandering ways. Nicaragua was … Read more
This post about Santa Teresa Beach Life is part of my First Time Around The World series… Getting to Santa Teresa Beach from San Jose The day didn’t start well. In addition to the 4am wake-up, I ended up at the wrong bus station. I knew that I had to get there early to join the rabble-come-queue … Read more
This post about the time I was sick at Rockin J’s, a party and hammock hostel in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica is part of my First Time Around The World Series… It was a day of travel pain. I was hungover and I was sick. My rucksack felt like it had been packed with sand and my … Read more
All I wanted was a beach that wasn’t littered with a million other British sun worshippers elbowing each other for a sun towel sized patch of sand. And I found it in Bocas Del Toro. An archipelago of islands of the north east coast of Panama, the islands truly feel like paradise lost. Palm trees … Read more
I’ve been writing this Panama Blog for so long, I’m over it! It has become a mental block, a bad excuse for not blogging. So, I’m taking decisive action, and all the better for your computer weary eyes… Panama in a nutshell Inspiration for visiting? It wasn’t the Canal, the sky scraping buildings or even … Read more