Got 6 weeks up your sleeve and want to see what Central America has to offer? You've come to the right place, our 6 week Central America itinerary packs a whole lot in. 


For such a tiny part of the world, Central America is packed full of all kinds of natural beauty and great activities. From zip lining past sloths in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, to boarding down volcanoes in Nicaragua, to scuba-diving shipwrecks in Utila and snorkelling with whale sharks off Belize, Central America really has it all.

We have been through Central America twice now. We've gone North to South and then South to North and both times we've done loads of things and seen some truly amazing places.

Now to truly see and experience everything Central America has to offer we're recommend at least 2 months. However you can still see lots of places and visit multiple countries with less time as travel between countries is quick-ish (emphasis on the ish) due to the small size of them. If you don't have endless time then 6 weeks in Central America is definitely enough time to pack a whole lot in!

Now although Mexico is technically part of North America we're going to include it in this itinerary because it's an easy base to fly in and out of AND it's an awesome country with LOADS to see and do (you could easily spend months just in Mexico and only scratch the surface)
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Without further ado, here is our 6 week Central America itinerary.

​If heading Nth → Sth: Fly in to Mexico City or Cancun (usually via LA if you're coming from Australia/NZ) and fly home from Panama City or San Jose. If heading Sth → Nth then reverse the itinerary! This Itinerary could take you anywhere from 2 to 4 months.. Or even longer! This is an itinerary combining our two trips to the region. It is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it is helpful in planning your own little jaunt.

• Mexico
  • Yucatan Peninusla: (If flying in to Cancun)
    • Cancun
    • Isla Holbox
    • Playa Del Carmen
    • Isla Mujeres
    • Tulum
  • Central Mex: (If flying in to Mexico City)
    • Mexico City
    • Oaxaca
    • San Cristobal
    • Palenque
    • Puerto Escondido (Only if surfing)
  • All of Baja Mexico but further away, probably best to do on a separate trip unless you have loads of time

 

• Belize
  • Caye Caulker

 

• Guatemala
  • Flores (Tikal Ruins)
  • Semuc Champey
  • Lake Atitlan
  • Antigua

 

• El Salvador
  • El Tunco

 

• Honduras
  • Utila (Only if scuba diving)

 

• Nicaragua
  • Leon
  • Granada
  • Corn Islands
  • Isla Ometepe
  • Popoyo (Only if surfing)
  • San Juan Del Sur

 

• Costa Rica
  • Monteverde
  • San Jose
  • Manuel Antonio
  • Nicoya Peninsula
    • Montezuma
    • Sata Teresa
  • Corcovado National Park
  • Puerto Viejo

 

• Panama
  • Bocas Del Toro
  • San Blas Islands
  • Panama City

​

MONTEVERDE

Where to Stay:​

• Pension Santa Elena

What To Do:

• ​Canopy Tour
  • ​Ziplining & Tarzan Swing
    
  • Bird watching
    
• Butterfly House

We arrived at the island of Flores after our bus-boat-bus journey. It was nearing dusk and we stayed at the nearest accommodation we could find, Hotel Mirador de Lago. It was a place to rest our head before we set off bright and early (at 4am!!) to visit the Tikal ruins. And at 90 Quetzals (~$12AUD) we could almost overlook the close call Sean had with a dodgy electric shower head. 

We set off on our tour to Tikal (cost 150 Quetzals, around $20AUD per person) at 4am in the hopes of seeing the sunrise from the top of Temple IV. However luckily for us our tour guide, Borris (a Guatemalan with an American accent due to teaching himself english from watching movies with subtitles) told us that it would be far too misty to see anything and it wasn't worth rushing for. So we set off to the other end of the national park to visit other parts of the ruins and within the hour had heard various disgruntled tourist complaining of exactly what Borris had predicted, a non-existent view of the sunrise due to the standard morning fog. 

Tikal as a whole is hard to put into words. It was amazing. Despite the huge number of tourists that visit these ruins each day, the vast size of the place ensures you can still feel totally immersed and get lost exploring the ancient jungle city. How can you put into words the combination of visual, olfactory and auditory sensations you experiences as you stand atop Temple IV, 87m high, whilst howler monkeys screech in the sea of green trees below. Mind blowing. 

Upon returning to Flores after our trip to Tikal, Sean and I went for a stroll around the island. Due to an EL Clásico football match being screened on television the entire island felt like it was in hibernation as it seemed every resident was glued to the closest screen. We stopped for a drink and soaked in the afternoon sun whilst listening to the bars owner yell GOAAAAAAAL at the television. It was great. Later that night we visited a local food market for a cheap and tasty dinner. 

The next day we were off to Belize. I told you, our trip was rushed.