Travel inspiration Central America

It was in 2007 when I boarded a plane in Zurich and landed in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, about 20 hours later. I was so carefree that I didn’t even know where we were going to spend the first night and therefore had a bit of trouble explaining to the lady at the Lost Baggage counter where to take my backpack, as it hadn’t made the long way on the same plane right away. Seven hours later, I was already standing at over 3,000 m above sea level and looking into the turquoise crater of Irazú, the highest volcano in Costa Rica. This was just the beginning of a two-month journey across Central America. We traveled exclusively by chicken bus and spent endless hours on bumpy roads.

The only culture shock I experienced on this trip was when we crossed the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua on foot. From “the Switzerland of Central America” directly to no man’s land. Worlds collided. However, a lot has changed since 2007. In 2013, Nicaragua was mentioned by the New York Times in third place on the list of “Places to Go in 2013“. This year, Belize made it to the 50th place of the “52 Places to Go in 2014“. And since Central America is particularly hip at the moment and it seems that Hinz and Kunz are traveling there right now, this is the ideal time to show you my impressions.

On the following map you can see our itinerary from back then with some milestones. The original plan was to travel from Belize up the Riviera Maya to Cancún. But a hurricane threw a spanner in the works. Since the Riviera Maya was evacuated exactly at the time we arrived in Chetumal, we gave up Tulum with a heavy heart and visited Mérida instead (also quite nice, by the way).

With jet lag on the Irazú

Uetendorf in Costa Rica – Finca in the rainforest

Sloths and other wild creatures in Tortugero

Tamarindo – Surfer Boys and Kitschy Sunsets Included

Blubbern – Rincon de la Vieja
National Park

Isla Ometepe Nicaragua – here there are also laughing horses on the beach

Colorful streets

Lush greenery in enchanting Guatemala

Hurricane defense (no joke)

Sweet beach life on Isla Mujeres and Playa del Carmen

The Roads of Mexico

Practical tips for traveling through Central America:

• Ideal travel season from November to June (July to October hurricane season)
• Basic hotels are often cheaper than hostels located in Lonely Planet
• Tending to avoid the capitals (we’ve only ever changed)
• Spend the night in Omoa, Honduras at Roli’s Place – a Swiss expatriate
• Allow enough time for the bus journeys (the timetable is interpreted flexibly)
• Have small change in dollars at the border crossings (and anything over 5 dollars is already a lot of money)
• Carry your passport, credit cards and large banknotes directly on your body
• Always keep change handy
• Don’t walk alone through lonely streets in the dark
• Take a silk sleeping bag with you (light and hygienic)

In terms of safety, we didn’t have any significant incidents and were pleasantly surprised at how reserved and friendly the locals were. Guatemala and Honduras (San Pedro de Sula) have increased crime, mainly due to drug production and trafficking. Here, it is simply important to use common sense and not to carelessly put yourself in critical situations.