Alaska to Panama
AN IN-DEPTH OVERLANDADVENTURE EXPLORING THE BEST OF ALL 8 CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES.
8 WEEKS = £995 + £295 Local Payment (LP)
Expedition Start and End Dates
Start Mexico City 21 Jul 2008 - End Panama City 15 Sep 2008
Start Panama City 22 Sep 2008 - End Mexico City 17 Nov 2008
Start Mexico City 24 Nov 2008 - End Panama City 19 Jan 2009
Start Panama City 26 Jan 2009 - End Mexico City 23 Mar 2009
Start Mexico City 12 Jul 2009 - End Panama City 06 Sep 2009
Start Panama City 14 Sep 2009 - End Mexico City 09 Nov 2009
Start Mexico City 16 Nov 2009 - End Panama City 11 Jan 2010
Start Panama City 18 Jan 2010 - End Mexico City 15 Mar 2010
Overview
MEXICO - BELIZE - GUATEMALA - EL SALVADOR - HONDURAS - NICARAGUA - COSTA RICA - PANAMA
If you have a love of the outdoors and a passion for culture then this is definitely the expedition for you! From the buzz of Mexico City to the pristine beaches of Honduras, from sky-trekking through the Costa Rican cloud-forest to exploring the islands of Belize and from the towering Mayan ruins of Tikal to the ‘Big Ditch’ in Panama, this is the trip that goes in depth into Central America!
Click here to see a detailed route map with highlights
You can also download the route map as a PDF
Highlights
- Teotihuacan Ruins
- Sumidero Canyon
- Islands of Belize
- Tikal ruins
- Lake Atitlan
- Suchitoto
- Islands of Honduras
- Monteverde cloud-forest
- Granada
- Panama Canal
What's Included (and What's Not)
We of course realise that not everyone is going to visit every ruin, raft every river and hike every trail along the way so we have left most of these activities as optional and therefore kept the expedition payment to a minimum.
Included
- Services of your expedition leader/ driver
- Use of expedition vehicle and equipment
- Diesel, mechanics, shipping and any other costs relating to our truck
- An average of two meals a day while camping (usually breakfast and dinner)
- All camping and hotel costs
- Compulsory ferry tickets
- All entry fees to National Parks that we visit in the truck as a group including Denali, Jasper, Banff, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Grand Canyon.
Not Included
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal spending money
- Visas
- Border taxes
- Lunch
- Meals while in hotels
- Entrance fees to optional sites and parks
- Any optional activities including visits to the Islands of Belize and Honduras
- Any unforseen contingency route expenses
- Any flights
Proposed Itinerary
Our proposed itinerary is here to give you a rough idea of where we will be going and what we will be doing during our expedition. This itinerary is the ideal route we would like to take providing all political situations are acceptable during the time of our travels. Obviously things can change and we may have to take an alternative route at some stage which is easily achieved in the Americas.
Week 1 & 2 - Mexico
Mexico's modern capital, Mexico City, is our starting point and far
from being the dirty squalor that so many think it is, this busy metropolis
is clean and welcoming, filled with a rich history and pulsates with
energy making it well worth a few days exploration.
The ruins of Teotihuacan are our next stop and are mysterious relics
of an ancient civilisation. This site also contains the worlds 3rd largest
Pyramid.
Cactus-filled valleys and wide open plains lead us to the charming city
Oaxaca, a mixture of colonial glory and indigenous market-places. This
world heritage site is crammed full of culture with wonderful museums,
churches and markets. The surrounding area offers inspiring archaeology
in the form of the Monte Alban Ruins, featuring pyramids, walls, terraces,
tombs, staircases and sculptures, all remnants of the ancient capital
of the Zapotec culture.
We now head for the Chiapas highlands and the Sumidero Canyon where you
can take an exhilarating boat ride through the steep sided cliffs giving
you the chance to pass by several waterfalls, enter caves and even pass
by some quite large crocodiles.
The quaint town of San Pedro de las Casas is close by and a real relic
of the past. A day here is great fun.
We continue on to Palenque, perhaps the most beautiful of all the Maya
ruins in Mexico. Set amongst lush jungle the ruins are a warren of exploration
and will keep your camera busy all day.
We now head into the Yucatan Peninsula and visit the ruins of Chichen
Itza before reaching the famous beach resort town of Cancun where we
have time to enjoy the white sand beaches and fine restaurants lining
the waterfront.
Week 3 - Belize
We enter this small country from the north and our first stop is at
Orange River. A boat trip through the jungle here will afford you the
opportunity to see crocodiles, iguanas, turtles, coatis, howler monkeys
and plenty of birds but the real adventure is arriving at the Lamanai
ruins hidden in the dense jungle at the end of the boat journey.
Belize City will be our next base where you have the option to explore
the beautiful Caribbean-style island cayes just offshore. This is a
fantastic spot for diving and fishing. Those who stay on the mainland
can visit the close-by baboon sanctuary or just laze on the beach.
Moving inland we find a wonderful sanctuary protecting the native jaguars,
pumas, snakes, monkeys, crocodiles, tapirs and more.
Week 4 - Guatemala
We enter Guatemala in the lush lowland jungles where we can explore
the once lost Mayan cities and pyramids of Tikal that lie hidden beneath
the tree canopy.
Narrow jungle roads now lead us south through beautiful scenery of
sheer-sided hills and thatched roof homes offering us an insight into
the real Guatemala.
These central highlands lead us to Lake Atitlan, commonly referred
to as the Most Beautiful Lake in the World. The two volcanoes and numerous
traditional villages that surround the lake are best explored by boats
which traverse the lake daily. The colourful market town of Chichicastenango
is also close by offering some bargain buys and interesting Maya Shrines.
Continuing east we reach the charming town of Antigua. Cobbled streets, colonial architecture and friendly faces make this a great place to chill out for a while. From here we wind our way through coffee plantations to the pacific coast and El Salvador.
Week 5 - El Salvador
Crossing into this lively and perhaps most friendly of the Central
American countries we follow the coastline and base ourselves at the
surf beaches close to La Libertad. Surfing and fishing are the order
of the day.
The capital San Salvador is a lively place where we have a day to explore
this once war-torn city.
A short drive away we reach Suchitoto, a treasured colonial town and
buzzing cultural centre with good hikes to nearby waterfalls.
Following the Lempa Valley east we pass by small towns and dramatic
volcanoes into the area that was disputed during the civil war. The
town of Perquin was once the guerilla's capital but is now a peaceful
place with an interesting war museum and fantastic surrounding scenery.
Week 6 - Honduras
We
head straight for the wonderful Bahia de Honduras where we base ourselves
at a camp on the north coast close to La Ceiba. From here you have
the option of visiting the nearby Bay Islands where the diving is spectacular.
White sandy beaches, coconut palms and gentle sea breezes typify these
islands and the clear waters, rich reefs and intriguing underwater
caves make this an idyllic location to undertake a dive course. Actually,
this is possibly the cheapest place in the world to do an open water
course. Those who choose to stay ashore can keep busy with jungle trekking
and boat tours.
From here we now leave the coast and follow the back roads through
the countryside and get a real appreciation of Honduras' fabulous landscapes
en-route to the Nicaraguan border.
Week 7 - Nicaragua
The colonial town of Leon is our first stop and is base camp to the
world's only volcano boarding tours. It is definitely a black run!
Winding our way through coffee plantations and pine forests we skirt
past Lake Managua and arrive at Volcan Masaya, one of Central America's
most active volcanoes. Situated in a National Park the area offers
great hiking around 2 volcanoes, 5 craters and a beautiful lake. Close
by we visit the town of Masaya, famous for it's Indian arts & crafts
and leatherwork.
Our next stop is the charming city of Granada, situated on the shores
of the vast Lake Nicaragua. The city's cobbled streets and laid-back
attitude make it a great place to hang out for a while. From here we
can explore the lakes volcanic Ometepe Island. The lake itself is amazing
in that it is a freshwater lake full of saltwater fish. These fish
exist in no other lake in the world.
Week 8 - Costa Rica And Panama
We
head straight for the pristine cloud-forests of Monteverde where hanging
bridges offer dramatic walks through the jungle canopy. For those seeking
more adrenalin you can even go 'Sky Trekking' (flying by zip wire through
the forest).
We continue inland and marvel at Volcan Arenal, Central America's most
active and perfectly formed volcano. From our base here in La Fortuna
you have the option of undertaking numerous wonderful excursions including
volcano trekking, sky trekking, turtle watching, boat tours through
pristine jungle, rapelling, bungy jumping and wildlife watching tours.
Back down on the Pacific coast our last stop in Costa Rica is at the
well-renowned Manuel Antonio beach where you have the option of spending
the day in Manuel Antonio N.P. with plenty of wildlife and pristine
beaches on offer.
Our final drive takes us into Panama and on to Panama City, the capital,
where the world's greatest short-cut and engineering marvel, 'The Big
Ditch' or Panama Canal is something that has to be seen to be believed.
An impressive end to a Central American adventure!
