Central America overland tours
| country: | Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama |
| departures: | 2010: 24 Jul, 30 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec |
| price: | From £2258 (23 days) including flights from the UK. Minimum age 12. This trip can also be booked without flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Central America overland tours
Central America overland tours What better way to visit Central America than to travel through all 5 countries, at a relaxed pace, visiting the highlights of this diverse continent? Central America boasts Mayan ruins, tropical flora and wildlife, Caribbean coastline and some of the best preserved colonial towns in the Americas. We stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities and transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
Highlights of our Central America overland tours
Tour of Panama city, the great canal and the famous Miraflores Docks.
Walking, horse-riding and bird watching in the coffee region of Boquete.
Bocas del Toro: Caribbean archipelago of lush tropical islands and snorkelling on the coral reefs.
Walks and wildlife spotting in the cloud-forests of Monteverde National Park.
Explore the colonial cities of Granada, Leon and Antigua, steeped in history and fine architecture.
Visit the majestic Mayan ruins of Copan, set amidst the jungle of Honduras.
Style of travel:On our Central America overland tours we stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities, transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
A few days to spare? If you have a few days to spare, we can arrange extensions to the beginning or end of this tour, on a private basis. You may like to kayak in the Kuna Yala archipelagos and visit our carbon offsetting project which has installed solar panels into a number of remote Indian communities, or visit the impressive Mayan site of Tikal at the end of the tour. Our experts can advise and help you choose the extension most suitable for you. We stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities, transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
Best time to go on our Central America overland tours: These countries can be visited all year round. However, the dry months are typically December to April and heavier rains can be expected between May and October.
Highlights of our Central America overland tours Style of travel:On our Central America overland tours we stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities, transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
A few days to spare? If you have a few days to spare, we can arrange extensions to the beginning or end of this tour, on a private basis. You may like to kayak in the Kuna Yala archipelagos and visit our carbon offsetting project which has installed solar panels into a number of remote Indian communities, or visit the impressive Mayan site of Tikal at the end of the tour. Our experts can advise and help you choose the extension most suitable for you. We stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities, transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
Best time to go on our Central America overland tours: These countries can be visited all year round. However, the dry months are typically December to April and heavier rains can be expected between May and October.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly UK to Panama City. |
| Day 2: | Guided tour of the city and the canal. |
| Day 3-4: | Drive to Boquete Optional day horse riding, bird watching or relaxing in hot springs. |
| Day 5-7: | Bus and ferry to the Bocas del Toro archipelago, opportunities to snorkel and visit the tropical forested islands. |
| Day 8-9: | Drive to San Jose, Costa Rica. Explore the capital or take a river rafting trip. |
| Day 10-11: | Drive to Monteverde National Park, guided tour of the bird filled cloud-forest. |
| Day 12-13: | Drive into Nicaragua and take the ferry to Ometepe Island. Explore the island, relax or climb one of the volcanoes. |
| Day 14-15: | Ferry and drive to Granada; boat trip onto Lake Nicaragua and excursion to Masaya volcano and market. |
| Day 16: | Drive to the colonial city of Leon, via Managua. |
| Day 17: | Cross into Honduras and to the capital, Tegucigalpa. |
| Day 18-19: | Continue to Copan and visit the Mayan site. |
| Day 20-21: | Drive to Antigua, Guatemala. City tour and time to enjoy this beautiful colonial town. |
| Day 22: | Depart. |
| Day 23: | Arrive UK. |
small group adventure holiday
This trip is run by a company which specialises in only Central and South America holidays. Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip and how many others are booked on it) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone, with your partner 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, whilst being led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic leader. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
On our Central America overland tours we visit a number of national parks, including the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Bastimentos National marine park in Bocas del Toro. We support their work in conservation and the protection of the species found in this part of the Americas. With thousands of visitors each year, good administration and management of parks is essential in order to preserve these delicate eco-systems and fragile environments. We actively encourage clients to carry all waste out of parks, walk only on designated paths, and not to pick flowers or disturb the natural resources. When staying within these parks we use lodges which work towards sustainable tourism, minimising the negative impact of tourism on the surrounding area. Community On our Central America overland tours we work with small privately owned ground agents who live in the area, have established RT policies in place, and employ local guides and staff. A number of journeys on this Central America overland tour use public transport, the hotels are small, individual properties often run by the owners and their families, we eat in local restaurants serving locally grown produce – our style of travel ensures that as many local people as possible benefit by our being there. This Central America overland tour runs with a maximum of 16 people which helps to minimise the impact on delicate environments. We work with the charity Safe Passage which provides education and care for children who live on the Guatemala City rubbish dump. For those who are interested, your tour leader can arrange to visit the charity whilst in Antigua to see the wonderful work the charity carries out to improve these children’s lives and provide them with opportunities for a better future. |
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. |
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