How to choose a Central America overland holiday

Some trips cover as many as seven countries; others may do a smaller block such as Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama make another trio of treats. Your holiday company will follow a carefully crafted itinerary; however, these are also trips that invite an independent traveller approach rather than a spoon fed one, so there is usually plenty of time to do your own thing.

The classic route is one month long, starting in Mexico, and working your way south down through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. That’s pretty much everything on the menu, without Panama. In two weeks, you can usually do two countries and still have time for lots of wonderful experiences. Start in Nicaragua and take in the volcanoes, rainforests and lakes, then into Costa Rica starting with the stunning Arenal Volcano and then down the east coast to Tortuguero National Park and the white sandy beaches of Cahuita National Park. You might also squeeze a few coastal moments in Panama too on the Bocas del Toro archipelago.

You can also go much more off the beaten path in just two weeks in Central America, on an overland holiday through El Salvador and Honduras. Here, the tourism infrastructure is less developed, and so you will be travelling by private transport most of the time, and being led to highlights such as the Mayan Copán ruins or hiking though Pico Bonito National Park in Honduras, or bird watching at Suchitlán Lake in El Salvador.

Overland trips do vary in price, and to understand the variation we recommend you take the following factors into consideration:

• How long is your trip? 15, 21, 31 days? The longer ones usually spend a few days in one place so that you can explore in more depth. Or chill for a bit.
• Are flights included?
• Are you travelling on public or private transport?
• Are you staying in hotels or more budget accommodation such as homestays or camping?
• If you are travelling solo, will you have your own room? In most cases you won’t, but one will be available for a supplemental cost. Check how much extra that will be.
• Are meals included? Some trips only include breakfasts in the cost, leaving you the freedom to budget for the rest of your food, be it in markets, small cafes or higher end restaurants.
• Check out the ‘inclusions’ – some trips include a white water rafting trip, guided tours to Mayan sites or city tours. Others may make these optional extras, in which case do research the cost of each one. You should never be put under pressure to buy these – optional means optional.