Overland tours in Central America
| country: | Belize, Guatemala, Mexico |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 6 Sep, 1 Nov, 29 Nov, 27 Dec 2009: 24 Jan, 21 Feb, 21 Mar, 18 Apr, 16 May, 13 Jun, 11 Jul, 8 Aug, 5 Sep, 3 Oct, 31 Oct, 28 Nov |
| price: | From £1049 (28 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $330. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This four week tour allows you to see the best that Belize, Guatemala and Mexico have to offer; watch the sunset over ancient ruins, see flocks of flamingos & superb wildlife and hike up a volcano!
During our travels we'll encounter colourful markets and old colonial buildings, amazing Mayan ruins amidst stunning rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage town filled with brightly painted houses, and an idyllic island fringed with palm trees.
We have the opportunity to try horse-riding, snorkelling, canoeing, jungle trekking and caving.
Our maximum group size is 18 people and our trips are fully escorted by a tour leader and local guides. Price includes transport (by public bus, boat and on foot), transfer from the airport, meals on jungle trek and accommodation - usually twin share but occasionally multi share, 18 nights simple hotels, 2 nights cabins, 3 nights camping/hammocks, 1 night homestay, 1 night simple multi-share cabin and 2 nights overnight bus. Entrance fees & other meals are not included.
During our travels we'll encounter colourful markets and old colonial buildings, amazing Mayan ruins amidst stunning rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage town filled with brightly painted houses, and an idyllic island fringed with palm trees.
We have the opportunity to try horse-riding, snorkelling, canoeing, jungle trekking and caving.
Our maximum group size is 18 people and our trips are fully escorted by a tour leader and local guides. Price includes transport (by public bus, boat and on foot), transfer from the airport, meals on jungle trek and accommodation - usually twin share but occasionally multi share, 18 nights simple hotels, 2 nights cabins, 3 nights camping/hammocks, 1 night homestay, 1 night simple multi-share cabin and 2 nights overnight bus. Entrance fees & other meals are not included.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Playa del Carmen. Arrival day. |
| Day 2: | Playa del Carmen. Free day to relax on the beach or visit the ruins of Tulum. This Mayan temple complex overlooks the Atlantic Ocean in a dramatic setting. In the evening we board the overnight bus to the Belizean border. |
| Day 3: | Caye Caulker. We head on to the tiny country of Belize, stopping in colourful Belize City before taking a boat ride to Caye Caulker, an idyllic island fringed with palm trees, where we spend two nights. |
| Day 4: | Caye Caulker. Free day to relax on Caye Caulker. From here you can arrange a variety of excursions, including snorkelling and boat trips out to the endangered manatee. |
| Day 5: | Caye Caulker-San Ignacio. Today we travel back to the mainland and head inland to San Ignacio, a small town situated within the Belize jungle, where we stay in simple wooden cabins. |
| Day 6: | San Ignacio. A free day in San Ignacio. The town is a great base for exploring the surrounding area and there are plenty of options to choose from, including horse-riding, jungle trekking, caving, canoeing and visiting some of the excellent Mayan sites in the area, such as Caracol. |
| Day 7: | San Ignacio-Flores. We take the bus to Flores, a pleasant island town on Lake Peten Itza in Guatemala, where we spend the night. |
| Day 8-10: | Jungle trek. We embark on our trek into the thick jungle of the Peten region, spending our nights camping near little-visited Mayan ruins. On day 10 we arrive at Tikal and we spend the night in the National Park, watching the sunset over the jungle from the top of one of the pyramids. (Day 8 - LD, Days 9 - BLD, Day 10 - BL) |
| Day 11: | Tikal. We visit Tikal, perhaps the most impressive of all the Mayan sites, set amidst thick jungle. We spend the morning exploring the ruins before returning to Flores. |
| Day 12: | Livingston. We leave the jungle behind and drive to the Rio Dulce, boarding a boat to Livingston, home to Guatemala’s Garifuna population. |
| Day 13: | Livingston-Antigua. Drive to Antigua, one of the most beautiful of Central America’s cities. Surrounded by volcanoes and full of picturesque colonial architecture, Antigua is a delight to explore. |
| Day 14-15: | Antigua. Two full free days in Antigua. The energetic can take a hike up one of the nearby volcanoes for fantastic views over the city. |
| Day 16: | Antigua-Panajachel. Drive to Panajachel, a relaxed village on the shores of the impressive Lake Atitlan. On the way we stop to visit Chichicastenango, home to Guatemala's most colourful market. |
| Day 17: | Panajachel. A free day in Panajachel. There's the chance to take an optional boat ride to visit some of the fascinating nearby villages, and find Maximon, the mysterious Mayan God that lives in one of the houses. |
| Day 18: | Panajachel-Totonicapan. Today we travel to the village of Totonicapan, a wonderful place to find artisan workshops for all different kinds of crafts. This evening we enjoy the privilege of staying with a local family. (LD) |
| Day 19: | Totonicapan-San Cristobal. We bid farewell to our host family before moving on. We cross the border into Mexico and head to the town of San Cristobal, home to a large proportion of Mexico's indigenous population and with a character all of its own. (B) |
| Day 20: | San Cristobal. A free day in San Cristobal. You can visit the nearby Sumidero Canyon, a series of cliffs that reach an impressive 1,500m in height. Alternatively, you could take a horse ride into some of the nearby villages. |
| Day 21: | San Cristobal-Palenque. We take a bus to Palenque, the town close to the impressive site of the same name. |
| Day 22: | Palenque-Yaxchilan-Bonampak. We head into the jungle early in the morning in a quest for these little visited Mayan ruins. A boat ride take us to Yaxchilan (Place of the Green Stones), one of the few Mayan cities where women have ruled as well. In the afternoon we visit Bonampak, a site that is known for its well preserved frescoes. The Lacandon Indians are the original inhabitants of this part of the jungle, and we spend the night at an original Lacandon settlement in a simple multi-share cabin. (BLD) |
| Day 23: | Jungle-Palenque. After breakfast we take a walk through the Lacandon jungle with an indigenous Indian guide. Along the way we stop at small waterfalls to take a swim. Later this afternoon we drive back to Palenque. (BL) |
| Day 24: | Palenque. A free day to visit the amazing Mayan ruins at Palenque, set amidst stunning rainforest. We also have the option of visiting Agua Azul, an area of beautiful jungle scenery and superb waterfalls. In the evening we take an overnight bus to Merida. |
| Day 25: | Merida. We arrive in Merida, capital of the Yucatan state and packed full of markets and old colonial buildings. Nearby are the ruins of Uxmal and the Celestun National Park, home to huge flocks of flamingos. A free day to enjoy the city. |
| Day 26: | Merida-Chichen Itza. In the afternoon we drive to Chichen Itza. We have plenty of time to visit the magnificent Mayan site and spend time exploring its temples and pyramids. |
| Day 27: | Chichen Itza-Playa del Carmen. After having time for a last visit to the ruins before the crowds arrives, we then head to the lively coast town of Playa del Carmen. |
| Day 28: | Playa del Carmen. Tour ends. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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We use a wide range of public transport to move around these countries, from overnight buses to local boats and taxis. We visit small places like Caye Caulker and San Ignacio in Belize or Flores in Guatemala and stay in small hotels which are privately owned by families or small guesthouses. They are all simple but they are nice and clean, and the welcome is always friendly.
In Antigua we stay in a small posada (guesthouse) where all profits go towards providing educational opportunities for the children of families working at the Guatemala City garbage dump. The posado also cooperate in the development of a vocational training program to assist local young people in acquiring valuable skills in areas like reception, housekeeping, maintenance, and food service. In the Petén area you will enjoy a trek through the jungle for three days to finally arrive at Tikal. This trek is part of the development project of the small community of Cruce Dos Aguadas, from were everything is arranged, food, equipment, horses, etc. And of course the amazing Cristobal brothers (the three brothers share the same firstname!) who will be your crew in this unique experience.  While in Flores you will have the opportunity to visit the small village of San Andres on the other side of the lake Petén and meet Mathew or Mateo as he is known to everyone in the town. He founded Volunteers Petén mainly to teach ecology and forest management, and to protect local flora and fauna in an area where deforestation is a major problem. At the moment, Volunteer Petén is trying to construct a new Community Library for San Andrès which is currently housed in one room in the town hall. Donations from travellers to finish the building are matched by us and presented to Mateo’s organization on an annual basis. Travellers are encouraged to bring books, DVDs or games with them to add to the library. They are specifically looking for children and adults books in Spanish and children movies with Spanish language options. |
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. |