Central America is a ribbon of land that runs between Mexico to the north and Colombia to the south. It includes Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Belize and Panama. It is a highly diverse region. A journey through it will take you through sprawling cities, across high mountain ranges, along tropical coastlines, past ancient ruins…
A Central America overland trip ticks plenty of boxes for those who want a journey as much as they want a destination. Overland trips are all about spending time seeing and doing as much as possible. What will you get to see and do on an overland tour through Central America?
You might want to start your journey in colourful Mexico City: not technically Central America, but a fantastic jumping-off point, with lots of culture to sample (and some famously good food to eat). From there, head south into Guatemala. Explore Mayan ruins, party in Guatemala City, and climb volcanoes. For some rest and relaxation, you can’t do much better than Belize. It’s wealthier and calmer than most of its neighbours, and has some truly incredible beaches.
Honduras is a vibrant, fast-paced place. You’ll find some fantastic beaches, and a mountainous lakes region packed with wildlife and waterfalls. Nicaragua has a reputation as being war-torn and dangerous, but those days are long gone. It’s now safe to visit, with plenty to explore in its beautiful wildernesses and colonial cities such as Granada. Panama is best known for its canal, but there’s more to see than that. Not many travellers make it to Panama so buck the trend and enjoy beautiful forests, deserted beaches and quaint colonial towns.
A Central America overland trip will take you through some really spectacular and little-visited parts of the world and it is relatively easy to go it alone. If you are going independent then make sure you’ve got four-wheel-drive….
