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Need advice on planning a trip to Central America.

Posted by on

Hi friends

Need advice on planning a trip to Central America.

I'm visiting US in early Feb and was thinking of taking a side trip of 2 weeks to Central/South America.

I've previously been to Mexico(CDMX, Guadaljara, Oaxaca, Merida), Peru(Lima, Cusco) and Chile(Santiago).

And would like to visit a couple of countries on this trip.

So far, I've shortlisted Guatemala
-Antigua (4/5 days including the Acatnengo hike)
-Atitlan (3/4 days)

I need to plan some other country for the next 5-7 days.

Any suggestions?

I am more into cityscapes and activities, mountains over beaches. I will be traveling solo and would prefer places I can reach by flights or some sort of public transportation.

I was thinking Costa Rica (but I am not much into water activities, will there still be something different to see from what I do in Guatemala?)

Or maybe El Salvador/Colombia (Bogota) ?

Open to all suggestions. Even for Guatemala.

Thank you!

Posted by
2208 posts

I'd consider Panama.

Panama City is fascinating, both modern and historic. And there are some great day trips. I worked with Panama Road Trips (https://panamaroadtrips.com/) when I was there in 2023. They took me to an Emberá Drúa village (a fascinating look at a traditional indigenous culture). We traveled part of the way by road and part of the way by motorized dugout canoe.

We also went to Gomboa and Lake Gatún. We started with a boat ride on the lake, exploring a number of islands. Then we walked on Pipeline Road, an old road the US built parallel to the canal during WWII as a backup in case Japan attacked the canal. (Which they never did.) Now it's part of Parque Nacional Soberanía. Used by hikers, birdwatchers, and wildlife lovers.

I know I've mentioned water activities, but those were mainly modes of transportation to get to where you can see some interesting things.

I also visited Colombia on the same trip. Cartagena would be my top recommendation. It can be extremely hot and humid, which is my least favorite travel weather, but it is still a completely enchanting city with gorgeous colonial-era architecture.

I visited Costa Rica in 2018. It has much to offer besides water activities, especially if you are interested in seeing birds and wildlife. It has the highest density of biodiversity on the planet. Consider Corcovado National Park, on the Osa peninsula. The best way to get there is by boat (sorry!), but there is a small airfield and there are commercial flights daily from San José.

Let me know if you'd like to see my photos of these places.

Posted by
24796 posts

Guatemala is a Level 3, so double check your insurance will cover you if something happens. Also ask the question with any travel policies you have or are thinking about. Someone pointed this out when I went to a similar early this year. Turns out my policy said no, but I bought something for the trip. Or, just wing it.

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