I’d been wanting to visit Central America since I returned from my adventure in South America one and a half year ago. This summer I could finally make it happen. I spent six weeks travelling all the way from Costa Rica to Mexico. That’s a lot of places in a short amount of time, and so many memories that I’ll treasure forever. Latin America holds such a special place in my heart and I’m sure I will return for more adventures in the future.
For anyone wondering, six weeks will let you do a lot in Central America. It is fairly easy to get around although the distances can be long between some places. In this post I’ll give a quick overview of how I did it and where I went. I’ll go into specifics later for sure.
Costa Rica
I started my trip in Costa Rica simply because it was the cheapest and easiest country to fly into, but I’m so glad I got to add it to my itinerary. From exploring beaches and dancing in the ocean in Puerto Viejo to climbing volcanoes in La Fortuna and going zip lining in Monteverde; Costa Rica reminded me, once again, of why I love travelling so much.
I spent ten days in Costa Rica and would’ve gladly stayed longer. Such a wonderful country!
Nicaragua
Nicaragua was one of the countries I was most excited about beforehand, and I’m happy to say that it was nothing but amazing. My first stop was the incredible Isla del Ometepe, where I got to explore the island on a scooter and climb all the way to the top of Volcan Concepcion. I then moved on to Granada, before finishing off with a few days in León.
In Nicaragua I got to explore a lot of volcanoes. Such powerful experiences that never seizes to amaze me. I also learned a lot about the history of the country, which is both sad and complicated. I spent a good week in Nicaragua, which is not nearly enough, but still gives you a good overview of what the country has to offer.
El Salvador
The dangerous one. That’s what I had heard, and so that’s what I expected. I honestly didn’t feel it, though. El Salvador had me feeling nothing but welcome, and the people I met left me feeling so pleased that I chose to spend a few days in the country.
In El Salvador I spent time in El Tunco and Santa Ana, and even had a short afternoon excursion to the capital, San Salvador.
Guatemala
This was the country I expected to love the most, and this also ended up being the case. My favorite experiences of my trip mostly took place during my two weeks in Guatemala. I started off with the most amazing volcano hike in Antigua, moved on to Lake Atitlan, where I spent way more time than anticipated, sadly had to skip Semuc Champey, and finished off with a few days in Flores for some Maya ruin experiences.
I met such great people while in Guatemala, and just had the best time!
Belize
In Belize I only spent time in Caye Caulker. I went mainly for relaxation and snorkeling in the second biggest coral reef in the world. Getting sick before I even made it to the island was not a part of the plan, and my stay ended up being far less enjoyable than expected.
I cannot blame Caye Caulker or Belize for this, though. The island is beautiful, the vibe is so chill and I’m sure the seafood would’ve been amazing, if I had managed to enjoy some. I would love to return to actually experience it all.
Mexico
I wasn’t actually planning on spending time in Mexico this time around, but I managed to squeeze in a full week on the Yucatan peninsula before my flight out of Cancun. I started with a few weird days in Bacalar. It was a lot of fun and Bacalar is unreal. Then I moved on to Tulum, where I visited cenotes and spent time with the best group of people. My last day was spent in Cancun before an early morning flight back to Europe.
I managed getting sick again during my last night, and had the worst time traveling home. Obviously this doesn’t change the fact that I really had the best summer ever. Another trip completed on my own, a lot of challenges tackled and so many memories made.
Travelling in Central America
Travelling in Central America is fairly easy, and I usually found myself with several transport options for each leg of my trip. I opted for both private shuttles and the infamous chicken busses; they might not be the most comfortable means of transport, but it’s an experience to have had for sure! In some places, like Costa Rica, Mexico and parts of El Salvador, the comfort of the local busses actually impressed me.
Other practicalities
Being Norwegian I did not need any visas to visit Central America. They do however charge some interesting fees at some of the borders. The one between Costa Rica and Nicaragua definitely was the most confusing one.
Every country has their own currency, which is natural but also annoying when you only spend a few days in each place like I did. I also ended up with the biggest struggle when I arrived in Mexico and none of the ATMs in Bacalar were working, and my hostel didn’t accept credit cards. To avoid such situations, I would recommend keeping a few USD as a backup solution handy through all of Central America.
Something I was curious about beforehand was whether I’d have issues entering Costa Rica. I had heard that they sometimes do not let you in if you don’t have a ticket out of the country, which I did not. I entered Costa Rica by air and was not asked for any proof that I would be leaving, but I met people that crossed the border overland with different stories. So I guess it depends, and that I got lucky.
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