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Picture yourself wandering along a trail through the dense rainforest. You’ve never seen plant life like this before. Water drips down from the trees towering above you and lands on the top of your head. The bushes ahead of you move – is it an anteater or a coati? Neither. It’s an agouti, a relative of the guinea pig. You watch it scamper away before walking a bit further into the jungle. Almost immediately you hear howler monkeys calling back and forth in the canopy overhead and a metallic blue Morpho butterfly flutters into the distance. You’re searching for the brilliantly colored quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird. Two were seen yesterday, so you’re hopeful …

This might seem like a dream, but it could be your reality with a trip to Central America. Jennifer Turek shows you how.


Although they make up less than one percent of the world’s total land area, the seven countries of Central America are home to seven percent of the world’s species. This biodiversity hot spot lures the nature lover. Endless ways to explore its natural charms await the adventurous spirit. Travellers find themselves scuba diving in the tropical Caribbean reefs in Honduras, riding zip lines through the rainforest canopy in Costa Rica, or hiking in the hills of El Salvador to secluded waterfalls.
In addition to the area’s natural wonders, historical treasures lie around unexpected corners. Impressive ancient Mayan ruins in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras beckon the inquisitive. Remnants of devastating wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua attract visitors trying to comprehend the tumultuous events of the past. Museums honour legendary colonial Central American writers. Countless opportunities to learn about the history of these seven nations wait for the curious to discover them. 
To those visiting the natural and historical attractions Central America has to offer, the uniqueness of the culture in each area becomes apparent. The native dress of the local women changes from one place to the next. Certain foods are sold only in particular areas. Spanish dialects change and different native languages are heard. The cultural differences within this small area are extraordinary.
The university break surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a great opportunity to venture into this area of our planet that often gets overlooked. Plus, travelling over the holidays gives you the opportunity to buy everyone on your list a unique gift for a great price! (However, you’ll have to give their present to them when you return in January.) New Year’s Eve in Central America sounds like a pretty memorable night, too! So, check out these suggestions and go explore it on your own.
 
Get ready!
• Learn some Spanish. You’ll get a lot more respect with even just basic Spanish. Critic recommends Pimsleur’s Spanish (pimsleur.com), an audio method. It’s great for use on an MP3 player on long bus rides or flights.
• Get a guidebook. Several companies put out guidebooks that include all the Central American countries in one convenient book. Critic’s favourite is Lonely Planet’s Central America on a Shoestring. There are plenty of suggestions in there to keep you busy.
 
Get Set!
• Timing. Give yourself about two and half months of travel time (75 days), from early November until mid-January. Of course, you can go faster or slower depending on your budget, your interests, and what you want to see or do. 
• Route. Panama City airport is a major international hub, and provides a good starting and stopping point. From Panama City, do a counter-clockwise loop working northwest along the Caribbean coast and then back to Panama City along the Pacific Coast. 
 
Go! 
• Days 1-8: Panama
Spend a few days in Panama City acclimating to the new time zone, pace of life, food, language, people, etc. There’s a good mix of history and modern nightlife in this city. Make sure you find your way to the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal just outside Panama City. Also spend these days organising a trip to the San Blas Islands – a truly special place that largely remains undiscovered by tourists. The Kuna, an indigenous group, live in this area and exposure to their culture is like a photo essay straight out of a National Geographic magazine! It may be hard to leave, but eventually, find your way back to Panama City to catch a bus to Bocas del Toro. Get into some snorkelling or diving during the day and enjoy the backpacker scene at night. When you’re ready, cross the border at Sixaloa and continue your journey in Costa Rica. 
 
• Days 9-15: Costa Rica 
Find your way to the beach towns just southeast of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, such as Punta Uva or Manzanillo. Try your hand at surfing, kayaking, or hiking. Lose track of time reading a book while lying in a hammock. When you’re itching for a new spot, leave early in the morning for a long day of travel by bus and boat to get you to Tortuguero. Spend a few days here surrounded by tropical wildlife. If sea turtles are still nesting on the beaches (this is near the end of their nesting season), hire a guide to take you to them. The turtles are protected, so be respectful! Book an early morning canoe trip into the jungle with a guide to spot iguanas, caimans, toucans, and other wildlife. Once you’ve recovered from your arduous journey to Tortuguero, get prepared for another day of travel to cross into Nicaragua at Los Chiles. 
 
• Days 16-27: Nicaragua 
Find the ferry in San Carlos to take you across Lago de Nicaragua to Isla de Ometepe. Don’t be misled: this is a very large lake and the ferry ride takes about ten hours! This island is made up of two volcanoes (which you can climb for good views), lovely beaches, and has impressive petroglyphs. After a few nights here, leave on a much shorter ferry trip (four hours) for Granada. Granada has a lot of Nicaraguan history, so it’d be a shame not to check it out. Once you’re satisfied, carry on to the Corn Islands for a bit more time in tropical paradise. Depending on your budget, your nerves, and your time, you have two options for getting to the Corn Islands. Your first option is to take a plane from Managua, which will fly you there comfortably in just a few hours’ time. The second more adventurous option is to travel by bus and boat. This will be a long journey, but will cost you almost nothing. Either way, find your way to the Corn Islands (Little Corn Island, in particular) and relax for a few days. Decide how you want to get back to the mainland and then carry on north through Nicaragua to León, which is worth a stop for its museums, galleries, and other historical points of interest. Get your stuff packed up and prepare to cross into Honduras at Las Manos. 
 
• Days 28-35: Honduras
Spend a good travel day (or two) getting to the Bay Islands (Roatán or Utila) off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Once here, consider taking a scuba diving course, if you haven’t already. If scuba isn’t your thing, be sure to do some snorkelling. After about a week of diving or snorkelling on these world-renowned reefs, return to the mainland and catch a ferry (a.k.a. speed boat!) from Puerto Cortés to Belize (unless you get sea sick – in that case you’ll want the longer bus option).
 
• Days 36-43: Belize
Arrive in Dangriga and enjoy speaking English, the official language of Belize! Also soak up the Garífuna culture you’re bound to run into. Eat some good Garífuna food and listen to some of their music (they have some particularly groovy percussion). Carry on towards Belize City to catch a small plane to Caye Caulker for yet another experience in tropical heaven. Try diving at the Blue Hole with your newly acquired scuba certification. Or go deep-sea fishing, sailing, or windsurfing. Enjoy these last moments in the Caribbean because you’ll be heading inland and to the west coast from here. Once back on the mainland, head to some spectacular sites such as the Mayan Ruins at Altun Ha and Lamanai. Then, catch a bus west to cross the border into Guatemala at Benque Viejo del Carmen.
 
• Days 44-55: Guatemala
You simply must go to Tikal. These Mayan ruins are tucked back in the jungle and are nearly engulfed by the plant life surrounding them. Occasionally, a vista will open up and you can see large, steep stone temples majestically peaking above the tree line, enticing you to venture further. After appreciating the historical wonders of Tikal, find your way to Cobán. Take a day trip from here to Semuc Champey, a gorgeous place for a swim deep in the jungle. Then, carry on to Lago de Atitlán. If you haven’t taken a Spanish course yet, here’s another chance. Many of the towns on the shores of this lake have reasonably priced Spanish lessons (usually offered in weekly packages). If you still feel a bit rusty on your Spanish, enrol for a course and get settled into a home stay for some intense studying. Feeling confident on your Spanish-speaking ability, move on to Antigua and book a reputable guide to take you to the lava flows at the top of Volcán Pacaya. (Be sure to check the weather and have adequate safety equipment.) Spend a day on the road getting to the border crossing back into Honduras at El Florido.
 
• Days 56-58: Honduras
Pop back into Honduras to see Copán, an impressive set of Mayan ruins, right at the border. Then, travel towards El Salvador, crossing the border at El Poy.
 
• Days 59-64: El Salvador 
Enjoy the charms of Suchitoto, a quaint town off the beaten track with art galleries and a charming central square. Ride on horseback or hike to some waterfalls. Then, carry on to the beach towns on the Pacific coast to strengthen your surfing skills at Playa El Tunco near La Libertad. Leave El Salvador at El Amatillo, pass through Honduras and cross the border into Nicaragua. Catch a long-distance bus from Managua, Nicaragua to San José, Costa Rica. 
 
• Days 65-70: Costa Rica 
From San José, organise transport to the Península de Osa. Book a trek with a guide into Parque Nacional Corcovado. (Be warned, the walk will take a few days!) Scarlet macaws fly. Toucans call in the trees. Coatis leave footprints on the sand. It’s a spectacular place where virgin rainforest meets the sea. You won’t stay clean or dry, but you’ll never forget it. Cross the border at Paso Canoas into Panama.
 
• Days 71-75: Panama 
Check out the coffee plantations in Boquete before returning to Panama City. Eat one last plate of rice and beans and go out for a good night on the town. Do some last-minute souvenir/present shopping and rest up for a long trip home. 
 
 
THE BASICS:
Expenses: 
• The flight. For return flights for mid-November to late January, STA Travel has flights for $2398 from Auckland to Panama return for students and youths, or $2489 for everyone else. For Christchurch to Panama return STA has $2549 for students and $2749 for everyone else.
• ‘Expensive’ versus ‘less expensive’ countries. All countries in Central America will seem relatively cheap when compared to New Zealand. However, if you’re on a budget and looking to stretch your dollar, you can avoid spending lots of time in the more expensive countries like Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize. Spending more time in cheaper countries like Guatemala and Nicaragua will allow you to feel justified in buying some extra rum along the way. 
 
Border Crossings:
Central American border crossings are simply a hassle. However, if you’re aware of this before you approach a border crossing, maybe you can look upon the crossing as a ‘cultural experience’. Sometimes the fee seems official, but in fact it’s not legitimate. Sometimes it doesn’t look official, but it is. Sometimes there’s a bus departure tax, or a port tax, depending on how you arrived or are leaving a country. The rules vary from country to country and from crossing to crossing. It’s impossible to figure them out. You can usually cross the border without paying unnecessary fees. However, you may have to negotiate for a long time. Generally, it is not good practice to quarrel over something ‘small’, so choose your battles carefully – and remember to smile. Good luck. 
 
Money Exchange and Currencies:
Every time you cross a border, you’ll have to change currencies. At nearly every border crossing men will swarm around you with wads of cash, trying to get you to exchange money with them. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but if you catch on to the routine and have a good idea of what the proper exchange rate should be, this should be seen as a convenience. It is wise to ask around for the best rate. 
It is also good practice to keep some US dollars on you at all times, as if you don’t have the proper money at any point, US dollars will usually get you where you need to go. In addition, sometimes the fees at borders are only accepted in US dollars. Furthermore, some countries are starting to accept US dollars more readily, especially in more touristy areas. 
 
Central American Currencies:
Panama: US dollars
Costa Rica: colones
Nicaragua: córdobas
Honduras: lempiras
Belize: Belize dollars
Guatemala: quetzals
El Salvador: US dollars
 
Check online for current exchange rates - xe.com is the easiest.
 
¡Diviértase en Centroamérica!
Translating that is your first Spanish lesson.
Next, buy your plane ticket and guidebook, and you’re on your way!