Central America overland tours
| country: | Belize, Guatemala, Mexico |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | Departs most Sundays throughout the year |
| price: | £610 (22 days) excluding flights. Local payment of US $400 to be paid to the tour leader on the first day of the tour |
| offers: | 20% discount off the tour price for 29th August departure. Tours must be booked and deposit or full payment paid by 27 August. Discount applies to tour price only. Does not include Local Payment / Local Fund. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Following in the footsteps of the ancient Mayans, this extensive tour offers an exciting look at Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. On this adventure you’ll visit the best and most colourful markets in the region, meet the friendly locals and travel through spectacular scenery. There are opportunities for scuba diving on coral reefs, climbing active volcanoes and exploring ancient Mayan ruins.
The trip includes an early morning drive to Chichicastenango to visit one of the most colourful markets in Latin America, a great place to bargain for souvenirs. This is a photographers dream and there are all types of items on sale from fresh fruit to live chickens to colourful wall hangings.
We vist Antigua, a beautiful colonial town overlooked by three volcanoes. Wander the wide cobbled streets filled with ornate churches and fine buildings; this is one of the most attractive towns in the Americas. Finally there is time to relax on the beautiful beach or to take an optional afternoon trip to the beachside Mayan ruins of Tulum.
Highlights include: Chichen Itza, Palenque and Tikal ruins. Caye Caulker, Chichicastenango market.
The trip includes an early morning drive to Chichicastenango to visit one of the most colourful markets in Latin America, a great place to bargain for souvenirs. This is a photographers dream and there are all types of items on sale from fresh fruit to live chickens to colourful wall hangings.
We vist Antigua, a beautiful colonial town overlooked by three volcanoes. Wander the wide cobbled streets filled with ornate churches and fine buildings; this is one of the most attractive towns in the Americas. Finally there is time to relax on the beautiful beach or to take an optional afternoon trip to the beachside Mayan ruins of Tulum.
Highlights include: Chichen Itza, Palenque and Tikal ruins. Caye Caulker, Chichicastenango market.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-3: | Arrive Cancún - Chichén Itzá - Mérida. The resort of Cancún has miles of inviting beaches and beautiful offshore islands to explore. We then visit Chichén Itzá Maya ruins, Mexico’s biggests and best with their enormous pyramids and ball courts. By bus to Mérida, a grand colonial city with great markets and a picturesque plaza filled with a variety of tempting restaurants. There is also the option to visit Uxmal Mayan ruins nearby. |
| Day 4-9: | Palenque - San Cristóbal - Quetzaltenango. On to Palenque where the nearby Mayan ruins at the jungle’s edge are very impressive and from the top of the main temple there are splendid views across the plains. There is the option to visit nearby Agua Azul falls, a great chance to swim and cool off. We travel by bus through the Lacandón Cloud Forest to the highland town of San Cristóbal. This city has distinct colonial charm and great plazas, museums and markets to explore. An optional visit to surrounding market villages is worthwhile and also a boat trip along the breathtaking Sumidero Canyon. Into Guatemala by local bus to Quetzaltenango at 2,335 metres altitude giving it a cool pleasant climate. |
| Day 10-17: | Panajachel - Chichicastenango - Antigua - Rio Dulce - Flores - Tikal - San IgnacioRio Dulce - Flores - Tikal - San Ignacio. There are stunning views across Lake Atitlán on the way to the lakeside town of Panajachel. To Lake Peten Itzá and the quaint island town of Flores. It’s from here we visit the most imposing of the Mayan cities, Tikal, set among a series of jungle trails with awe-inspiring plazas, temples and pyramids with the sound of howler monkeys screeching in the background. To the small English-speaking country of Belize and the jungle town of San Ignacio. Options here include river canoeing, caving and tubing. |
| Day 18-22: | Caye Caulker - Playa del Carmen - Cancún. From Belize City, we take a speed boat to Caye Caulker (island), no need for shoes here as all the streets are sand! The offshore coral reefs provide great opportunities for diving and snorkelling and there’s time to go in search of manatees (optional) or simply to relax. By bus to Mexico and north along the coast to the resort of Playa del Carmen. There is time to relax on the beautiful beach or to take an optional afternoon trip to the beachside Mayan ruins of Tulum. Next we travel to Cancún, a bustling tourist resort with long sweeping beaches and there are several small quaint islands which can be easily visited |
| Day 22: | Depart Cancun |
how this holiday makes a difference
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We support Tourism Concern, an organisation dedicated to minimising the negative impact of worldwide tourism. Tourism Concern works to raise awareness and implement change by involving both tourism organisations and host communities. We encourage passengers to learn some basic Spanish before they arrive so they can interact with the local people on a basic level and also as a sign of respect as visitors.
We use local operators and specialist guides on our tours throughout Central America. This includes local transport, locally owned hotels, restaurants, agencies and guides for excursions. Our commitment to these local operators means we are constantly putting back into the community and ensuring these businesses continue to prosper. This also empowers local business operators leading to increased confidence and development of their products and services. Because we take public transport on this tour, rather than using internal flights, our carbon emissions and overall environmental impact is lower. In the Caribbean, we support the Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League. Since 2004 we have adopted a total of 7 Green Sea Turtles in conjunction with the Sea Turtle Survival League. Our support has provided additional funding for the league to establish sanctuaries and maintain habitat protection, continue scientific research and promote and educate others of the threat of extinction to Green Sea Turtles. We have an extensive list of pre-departure documentation which includes maps, regional advice, responsible travel practices and detailed itineraries, and we send this out to our passengers well before their departure to ensure that when they travel they are socially conscious and respectful of their surrounding environments - both during our tours and before/after. Office policy: We recognise that it is not only on-location staff who have environmental responsibilities but also our administration staff in our offices around the world. All our offices endeavour to be environmentally sound through practising energy conservation, implementing recycling plans and being responsible for the surrounding physical environment. We believe in leading through example and operate in this manner to encourage other businesses and individuals to be considerate of the environment and conserve the natural beauty we currently share. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |