Central America Travel Tips Wanted

[buntysammy]

My boyfriend and I are thinking of taking a 3 week trip to Central America at the end of the year. Can anyone recommend places to go, places to stay, places to avoid? We will be back packing, we like to experience culture, eat local food, meet local people...I love the beach so we would like a chilled out place to stay on the beach too...

Thoughts welcome!

[agreendream]

I lived in the Amazon for a few years so if you want some tips about that area would be happy to help.

[maxxi]

If you're starting in Mexico then Merida makes a good base. A market town in the Yucatan there are buses to all the places of interest including Chichen Itza, Tulumn, Playa del Carmen etc. as well as buses going on south.

[Ladygooner]

Caulker Caye in Belize has fabulous beaches - just beware of travelling through Belize City to get the boat there

[bigdavid]

Hi there,

My girlfriend and I got back from a Central America trip just last week.

We spent 3 months travelling all the way from Panama City to Mexico City and would be happy to give some hints, tips and pointers. We also look for local food and culture and are early 30s backpackers (no dorms). If you have budget questions then we can also let you know what the cost of things is like...

Main points:

Take as little as possible. Luggage is a burden, and there were many busses that we would not have made/fit on if we had to move quickly, put stuff on the roof etc..

Despite the reputation of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, by using common sense and the savvy you will have from living in London you will have no bother and people are generally honest and helpful

3 weeks is a good length and you can do loads, but remember that although central America is not that big, outside Mexico transport is not always quick, and rarely comfortable. Less countries (and therefore miles) will help you get the best out of your time

Costa Rica was out of this world if you are into birds

Guatemala and Nicaragua have amazing colonial towns and volcanoes and crater lakes.

Guatemala and Mexico are king for Mayan ruins. Tikal and Palenque are real highlights.

Belize is more expensive but if you want to dive or snorkel, Caye Caulker is superb. Good seafood too...

Generally the capital cities have little to offer. Exceptions being Mexico City, Panama City old town and San Jose (doesn't offer much but isn't a hell hole like Managua or Guatemala City). Other than that, I wouldn't say there are any "must avoid" places

Food can be samey if you always go for the local option - rice and beans, rice and beans, rice and beans. Perks up a lot in Mexico, but you will always be able to find something.

Beaches:

We found the yucatan VERY touristy. The beach at tulum was very nice, but it was a bit, shall we say, Benidorm on the Caribbean. And we were given the impression that playa del Carmel and cancun are more so. We didn't go to those, so my comment is hearsay only. We went across to the pacific beaches (puerto Escondido) and there were less tourists, particularly gringos, the food was better and the accommodation better and cheaper. Maxxi's suggestion of Mer?da as a base is good, and chichen itza is worth a visit you can also get down to Palenque from there.

Pacific beaches in Nicaragua were very nice, but unless you are an expert surfer the water is off limits

Costa Rican beaches on the Caribbean side are lovely, we didn't go to the pacific but everyone was raving about those. Costa Rica is the most expensive country in the region, as a side note.

Feel free to take a look at our blog to give you a flavour of the different countries in the area, there are pics on there too and if you want some more detail on particular areas then let us know.

http://daveandamytravel.wordpress.com

Cheers for now.

Dave.