Antigua to Panama City (ZGP)

Panama City to Antigua 28 days, departing 13 Apr 2014

• Comfort Zone: Basic Basic / AdventurousLuxury
• Physical Challenge: Easy Moderate FitnessHard
• Trip Style: Overlanding
• Route: Panama City to Antigua
• Length: 28 days
• Transport: Dragoman overland-style vehicle (coverted US school bus!), boats
• Accommodation: A mix of small hotels (65%) and camping (35%).

Countries Visited

Costa Rica

Welcome to the easiest going place on earth. Welcome to beauty and paradise. Welcome to Costa Rica - so reads the national tourist board literature. Although hyperbolic it's hard to disagree.

Costa Rica has some of the most scenic views in Central America. The Poás Volcano National Park is a chance to get to the heart of a crater and see the astonishing views of the green lake. Paths leading up to these can lead to the amazing wildlife that lives in the park. Mountain squirrels, clay coloured robins and hummingbirds can be seen and heard all around, and it adds to the reasons why it is one of the most visited places in Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica you can try something new every day, and Costa Rican food is just beautiful. Let your mouth water from the juices of the fresh fruit and vegetables in the country. Have breakfast the traditional way - fried plantains, egg and orange juice is the perfect way to experience yet another flavour of Costa Rica.

El Salvador

El Salvador is one of the most fascinating and exciting countries in Central America.

El Salvador translates as "the saviour" in Spanish, and there is much culture similar to Spain. It has many notable dishes, one being a delectable chicken and shrimp paella. Many dishes can be found in restaurants around the country, and although influenced by Spanish cuisine, it has it's own distinct taste. Like the food, the music is also distinct. There are many types of music in El Salvador including folk, popular and alternative tunes. Influenced by South American music of Mexico, Colombia and Cuba, this country has managed to develop the sounds to make it their own. The capital, San Salvador is home to some fantastic gastronomy festivals, and is the place to discover typical El Salvadorian cuisine, music and art. The largest city in El Salvador is a generally Spanish speaking city, and this runs throughout the country.

With some of the most beautiful areas in the whole of Central America, El Salvador is one of the most captivating places to visit.

Guatemala

With mountains and volcanoes setting the landscape, Guatemala is a perfect place to get out and explore.

The capital is Guatemala City, and it is a city bursting with culture. From the amazing art galleries and museums, to sporting venues and shopping centres, Guatemala City is full of life.

Quetzaltenango is the city with everything. Climb a volcano, hike through the countryside and listen to some live music by local bands. Known as Xela by the locals, it is the place in Guatemala to learn Spanish, help on extraordinary volunteer programmes and see amazing picturesque views.

In Guatemala, there is a tradition to eat certain foods on certain days. "Paches" is a potato based dish and is usually eaten on a Thursday. These traditions continue into special occasions such as Christmas. Like food, music is an important tradition in Guatemala and the national instrument is called the marimba. This type of xylophone is heard all over the country. It is not the only type of music in the country and the traditional music could be Marimba music, Garifuna and even rock music.

For a country with a difference, and many traditions, Guatemala is the place to visit.

Honduras

Honduras has an amazing coastline spanning hundreds of miles along the Pacific coast

With some of the whitest beaches in Central America, escaping and exploring is a must. The Bay Islands is the place to be for snorkling and scuba diving. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the second longest in the world, and submerged below the clear waters lie unspoilt coral and an arrary of colourful underwater life. With bright fish, manta rays, sea turtles and even white sharks split into 3 isles, it makes the Bay Islands the perfect place to explore.

Away from the coastline are the fantastic mountains that soar above the country. There is some amazing scenery in Honduras and it is the place where so many resources are found. Gold, silver, lead and zinc are only a number of these.

Another treasure to be found is the Honduran music scene. Garifuna and Reggae are two of the most popular sounds of country. Music is important to Hodurans and there is an institution in the city of Comayauga. It's a central point in Honduran meals, especially the national dish of Plato Típico. This meal is a centre of beef surrounded by drinks and music. These two Honduras' icons are brought together, and made a magnificent part of Honduran culture. The food is influenced by Spanish and African cuisine. Typical Honduran food has infused these two flavours together to create its own specific taste. 

The capital city of Honduras is Tegucigalpa, and it is also the largest city in the country. There are so many places of interest including museums and national parks. The river Choluteca runs through the capital city which runs over 200 miles into the Pacific Ocean. The city is surrounded by mountains and the heart of Honduras is ready to explore.

Nicaragua

The rugged beauty of Nicaragua makes it one of the most interesting places in Central America to visit. The landscape is lined with many volcanoes, of which you can climb and explore.

The capital, Managua is flowing with adventure. The traquil surrounding of trees and many untouched trails means exploration is a must. Discover the magic of poetry flowing through the city and enjoy one of the most relaxing capitals in Central America.
The contrasting city of Leon however, is full of culture. Churches, cathedrals and many art galleries are scattered around the city. Exploring sites and learning about the culture can be hard work, but with the wide variety of food and drink available, are a chance to relax. There are many street barbeques about, and with grilled meats and lovely pastry dishes. Nicaragua is a country that grows tropical fruits all year round. Juicy fruits such as mangoes, bananas, watermelons, plums, dragon fruits, star fruits and passion fruits are just some of the many wonderful fruits that can be found across the country. Like the fruit, the wildlife too is colourful. It is the place to find the three toed sloth. This wonderful animal can be seen swinging through the tree life, so keep your eyes peeled and there is a high chance you can see one. Other animals include anteaters, armadillos, sea turtles and spider monkeys.
 
A country brimming with culture is also home to some beautiful music. The Marimba is a xylophone styled instrument and infused with guitars and drums, the sound of Nicaragua can be heard. On the east side of the country, the music is heavily influenced from an Indian and Spanish culture, while on the west, the music is influenced by Africans.

Nicaragua is the forgotten treasure of Central America and is a perfect place to explore.  

Panama

Panama is the southernmost country of Central America and links Central America with South America having a land border with Colombia. Despite this travel between the two continents is diffcult due to the Darien Gap and the security situation within it. That said Panama is a safe country to travel around with a stable economy and because of its key geographic location, it is an important country in the area with a well developed service sector heavily weighted towards banking, commerce and tourism.

Democracy is now strongly emerging in the country as Panama puts behind it the political turmoil of the Noriega regime which saw American troops invading the country in the late 1980's and early 1990's in support of the Panamanian people who were being repressed.

The Panama Canal is obviously intrinsically important to the economy and has been since it was built between 1904 and 1914 and the tolls from the canal now form a considerable part of the country's gross domestic product.

Panama does not produce any banknotes of their currency, the Balboa, but use the American dollar. One dollar has the same value as one balboa, though it is difficult to find out what exactly a balboa is as the last and only time the currency was in use was back in 1941 and only for 7 days!

Day 1: Panama City

Sun 13 Apr 2014

Today is free for you to explore Panama City, so maybe a chance to look around Casco Viejo or Panama Vieja, before a group meeting at 18:00. We stay the night in a centrally located hotel.

If you are continuing on from Cartagena then your leader will have assisted you with getting to the airport for your included flight to arrive in time for the joining meeting.

Day 2: Santa Clara, Panama City

Mon 14 Apr 2014

This morning we set off to visit the Miraflores docks to see the Panama Canal is full operation. After a tour of the visitors centre we have a short 3 hour drive out of the capital arriving by the beach at Santa Clara for a chance to relax and dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean. We will camp by the beach.

Day 3 to 4: Chiriqui, Boquete

Tue 15 Apr to Wed 16 Apr 2014

We travel some 340 kms today to the Chiriqui highlands and the town of Boquete where we stay in a small pension for 2 nights. The area is famous for rafting, hiking, horseriding and the nearby Volcan Baru, the highest point in Panama.

Day 5 to 6: Manuel Antonio National Park

Thu 17 Apr to Fri 18 Apr 2014

We leave Panama behind and cross into Costa Rica heading towards Quepos on the Pacific coast where the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio is located. We spend 2 nights in cabins in the park enjoying jungle walks with a variety of optional activities on offer.

Day 7: San Jose

Sat 19 Apr 2014

Today we head to Costa Rica's wonderful capital city of San Jose where we stay in a centrally located hotel allowing you the day and night to explore the city.

Day 8 to 9: Monteverde

Sun 20 Apr to Mon 21 Apr 2014

We continue north through Costa Rica and a short 140km drive brings us to the dense rainforest of Monteverde where we stay in a hotel for a couple of nights. This stunning area offers an incredible diversity of flora and fauna which hopefully you will be lucky enough to see during a visit to the Cloud Forest Reserve.

Day 10 to 11: La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano National Park

Tue 22 Apr to Wed 23 Apr 2014

A short drive north brings us to La Fortuna near the shores of Laguna de Arenal where we camp by the lake for fantastic vistas of the Arenal volcano and its lava flow glowing in the night. We stay by the lake for a couple of nights allowing you time for optional activities around the lake.

Day 12 to 13: Ometepe Island

Thu 24 Apr to Fri 25 Apr 2014

This morning we cross into Nicaragua and hop aboard a boat and across Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest lake, to Isla Ometepe. On the island we will stay in a small hotel for 2 nights giving you the chance to explore all the island has to offer.

Day 14: Granada

Sat 26 Apr 2014

Crossing back to the main land we make a short drive to Granada, Nicaraguas's oldest city, oozing with colonial charm where we spend the night in a hotel.

Day 15: Masaya National Park

Sun 27 Apr 2014

Another short drive northbound brings us to Masaya National Park. We will visit the national park and the active volcano that lies in the middle of the park, viewing the crater and lava flows. We spend the night camping in the park.

Day 16: Leon

Mon 28 Apr 2014

A drive of approximately 130kms takes us to the university town of Leon, with wonderful colonial architecture ranked second best in the country behind that of Granada. We may also possibly stop in Managua en route if time allows. We stay the night in a centrally located hotel.

Day 17: Lake Yojoa

Tue 29 Apr 2014

We start early today to cross the border and into Honduras. A long drive of 400kms brings us to Lake Yojoa, half way between San Pedro de Sula and Tegulcigalpa where we can camp for the night by the lake.

Day 18 to 20: Roatan Island

Wed 30 Apr to Fri 02 May 2014

An early start followed by a drive of just over 230kms brings us to the caribbean port town of La Ceiba from where we board a plane to the stunning Bay Islands and to Roatan. Here we stay for 3 nights in a lovely posada near many of the bars and restaurants the island has to offer.

Please remember there is a 25 USD airport tax not included on kitty today.

Day 21 to 22: Copan

Sat 03 May to Sun 04 May 2014

We return to the mainland and head 300kms to the spectacular ruins of Copan where we camp for two nights in the grounds of a hotel.

Please remember there is a 25 USD airport tax not included on kitty today.

Day 23: Suchitoto

Mon 05 May 2014

Today we cross the border and enter El Salvador. Once the formailities are dealt with we continue to the lovely town of Suchitoto, with it's cobbled streets and whitewashed houses where we stay in a local hotel for the night.

Day 24: Cerro Verde National Park

Tue 06 May 2014

A short drive takes us to Cerro Verde National Park which offers amazing views of the surrounding volcanoes and countryside. We camp in the park which has basic facilities.

Day 25 to 26: El Impossible National Park

Wed 07 May to Thu 08 May 2014

An early getaway brings us 170kms to El Impossible National park. We camp for a couple of nights and explore this incredible park with it's great diversity of plant and animal life where you may be lucky enough to see pumas, tigrillos or black crested eagles.

Day 27: Antigua

Fri 09 May 2014

This morning we drive roughly 300kms and across the Guatemalan border to the beautiful town of Antigua, the finest town in all of Central America. We stay the night in a lovely colonial hotel.

Day 28: Antigua

Sat 10 May 2014

The trip ends today and no accommodation is provided. During the day the more adventurous of you may wish to try and climb up Pacaya, an active volcano.

Visa Information:

Important Notes

The routes, activities and places visited described in these trip notes are intentions and are meant as a rough guide only.

We intend following the planned route but exact night stops cannot be guaranteed. It sometimes happens that we decide to make a change to our basic planned itinerary. This may be for a variety of reasons - climatic, road or bureaucratic conditions may demand it. By their very nature overland itineraries need to be flexible and the regions that we are travelling through are often unpredictable. We run adventure journeys in off the beaten track areas, often in areas without western infrastructure. You should expect that some these areas do not adhere to western safety standards.

Physical Preparation

Physical preparation for Central America Itineraries

Central America is diverse continent so you should therefore be prepared for the adventure. There will be time for hiking and other activities such as horse riding and you will need to be reasonably fit. Overland travel can be demanding - long, rough travel days, dusty conditions can be challenging to some. You will need to be fit enough to help every day with the camp chores (cooking, washing up, general camp set up) as well as putting up and taking down your own tent. There are some long driving days and some early morning starts. The step up into the overland vehicle, while not overly high can become tiring and you need to judge yourself to be physically fit enough to haul yourself up and down the step at least 8-10 times a day. The Central America trips have a good range of hotel accommodation mixed up with camping so that life is not too rough.

Visa Information

Most countries we visit on our travels will require visas.  Some are best obtained before you leave home and others can be obtained en-route. Whilst the ultimate responsibility for obtaining visas is yours, we will endeavour to assist you wherever possible.

The visa requirements for your trip vary depending on where you are from and where you are going. The information provided is given in good faith and we do try to keep the visa information as up to date as possible.  Please be aware though that rules do change, often without prior warning, which is why it is important that you check for yourself.

For visas that are needed in advance you can choose to submit the applications directly to the relevant embassy /consulate.  However our recommendation is that you use a visa agent to assist you with your applications. While this does increase the cost it will make the process much easier for you. Dragoman have teamed up with ‘The Visa Machine’ to create a safe, secure, hassle-free way of obtaining visas and visa advice. Our unique link within their website is designed to make the visa process as straightforward as possible.  Simply go to https://dragoman.thevisamachine.com and click on your region of travel followed by your trip route and ‘The Visa Machine’ will advise you about not only the required visas but also the dates by which you should apply.  ‘The Visa Machine’ can then assist you in the actual visa application thus taking all the worry and hassle out of the process.  This should apply for ALL nationalities and countries of residence.

As you will need to submit your passport together with your applications, we recommend that you avoid making any travel plans in the weeks leading up to your departure. However if you do need to travel in this period please let us know as soon as possible so that we can help you work out the options for your visa application process. 

Panama

Nationals of many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most European countries do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 or 180 days. Depending on your nationality you may however be required to obtain a tourist card which are available upon arrival and cost $5. For nationalities requiring a visa, these should be obtained in advance from your local embassy or consulate.

Costa Rica

Nationals of many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most European countries do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days. For nationalities requiring a visa, these should be obtained in advance from your local embassy or consulate.

Nicaragua

Nationals of many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most European countries do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days. Most nationalities are also required to purchase a tourist card upon arrival which cost 10USD. For nationalities requiring a visa, these should be obtained in advance from your local embassy or consulate.

Honduras

Nationals of many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most European countries do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days. For nationalities requiring a visa, these should be obtained in advance from your local embassy or consulate.

El Salvador

Nationals of many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most European countries do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days. Many nationalities however are required to purchase a tourist card upon arrival which cost 10USD. For nationalities requiring a visa, these should be obtained in advance from your local embassy or consulate.

Guatemala

Nationals of many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and most European countries do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days. For nationalities requiring a visa, these should be obtained in advance from your local embassy or consulate.

Flying to Central or South America via the USA

If your flight to central or South America is via the USA then you MUST obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before travel.

An ESTA can be obtained online via the following link and paying the appropriatefee - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

Personal Spending

Based on the range that previous travellers have spent on trips in Central America, we recommend you allow between a minimum of US$20 and a maximum of US$40 per day.

This will covers expenses such as your drinks, meals whilst out and also when staying in hotels, souvenirs, tips and personal permit

What else you need to know

Currencies & Cash

It is not really worth trying to buy local currencies before you travel.  Do also bear in mind that many countries have strict regulations about the amount of their own local currency you are allowed to import - if you are found with amounts in excess of the allowed amounts, it may well be confiscated!

For obvious security reasons we hesitate to recommend you bring lots of cash with you, a sensible mix of cash, traveller’s cheques and ATM cards is best. However, most of our past passengers have said they wished they had been told to bring more cash. Throughout Central America the US Dollar is king.

Also in this trip you will have the departure tax for the flight to Roatan not included in kitty. You will need 25 USD each way for this.

These trip notes have been compiled to help you prepare for your journey, once you have booked. They include the full itinerary and dates, information and kit lists, meeting hotels, insurance, vaccinations, visas, and other information that will help you get ready for your trip.

Please ensure you have an up to date version of these Trip Notes

These trip notes were printed on 25/05/2013