Backpacking Central America: what I spent and where I went in 3 months.

Thinking of traveling around central America but not sure how much time and money you need and where to go?

Hopefully this post will help you! Central America is relatively small compared to neighbouring North America and South America. You can get around it easy enough on public buses and shuttles and cover alot of countries in a matter of weeks. Its cheap too, not south east Asia cheap but cheap. Guatemala and Nicaragua being the cheapest countries to travel in, maybe that’s why I spent the longest time in both of those countries but they were also my favourite countries too.

Time of year to visit

The dry season is from Dec to Mar and the high season with dry warm days and cooler than the hotter, wet and humid months from May until October.

How long do I need?

I spend just over 3 months in total in Central America and felt it was the perfect amount of time to explore the highlights of each country, get off the beaten track slightly and emerse fully in the culture of the countries. Of course I could have spent a lot longer and ideally I would have loved a month longer to explore Mexico more, I only skimmed through the Yucutan peninsula.

I spent almost a month in Guatemala which is very easily done but I could have moved quicker by missing out on Spanish school in Xela, where I spent one week.

On average I would say two weeks is a good amount of time to spend in each country. Less time is needed in some of the smaller countries such as El Salvador and more time in Mexico and Guatemala. Here is how I split my time through the eight counties:

• Mexico (yucutan peninsula): 2 weeks
• Belize: 2 weeks. Belize is an expensive country, if you’re on a tight budget you could see the highlights in 10 days.
• Guatemala: 1 month. I did a language school for a week and a multi day trek. Doable in 2.5/3 weeks.
• El Salvador: 1 week
• Honduras: 10 days
• Nicaragua: 2.5 weeks. I could have moved on after 2 weeks.
• Costa Rica: 2 weeks. I could have spent longer, I missed out on the Pacific coast and some national parks. I would recommend 3 weeks but its expensive so backpackers tend not to spend too long here.
• Panama: 10 days or 2 weeks including the San Blas islands . I could have spent longer exploring the islands but in the end 10 days is enough or 2 weeks with the San Blas Islands.

What I spent:

In 3 months in Central America I spend €4500.

That doesn’t include my flight to Cancun but that was under €250 from Dublin with baggage.

I had estimated about €1500 a month and some countries and cheaper. For example I spent just under €1000 in Guatemala for a month. I have done everything I’ve wanted to do including diving in Belize and Honduras, ziplining in Costa Rica, language school and multi day hiking in Guatemala, volcano boarding in Nicaragua, meals out, one hotel and a few private rooms along the way.

Only in the past few weeks have I decided to be a bit more thrifty with my money and cook a few meals a week. Mind you I still am spending $7 on churros and $14 on cocktails from time to time.

Ways to make your money go further:

• Stay in dorm rooms in hostels. Expect to pay about $10 a night in most countries. Up to $20 in the yucutan in Mexico, $15 in Panama and Costa Rica in places and as little as $6 in Nicaragua.
• Look out for hostels with free breakfast and a kitchen to prepare and store food. Free breakfast is key.
• Take public/ chicken buses where possible. They are dirty cheap and take longer but that’s half the fun. Some places it’s obviously worth splashing on the shuttle for an easy life. In Guatemala you will have to take tourist shuttles everywhere mostly but they’re cheaper than their neighbouring countries.
• Make friends in hostels to split tour costs. Also not too much fun on your own.
• Speak of the lingo, helps you not being fucked over. Sometimes they see you’re a tourist and just make up a price for the chicken buses or things in markets cause they can.
• Eat and drink local. Local rum is delicious and cheaper than water. Local tradition food like pupusas in El Salvador are 30 cent each. Eat lots of them.
• Go over land. No need for flights in Central America its so small you can bus it between countries.

10 highlights of Central America

1. Tulum for Mexico’s cenotes. The Grand Cenote, Dos Ojos, Ik Kil and Cenote Zacil Ha are all so different. Go early to have them to yourself.

2. Caye Caulker, Belize. Snorkelling with whale sharks and mantra rays in Caye Caulker was one of my highlights of Central America.

3. Tikal, Guatemala. If you do any ruins, pick these. They are spectacular.

4. Semuc champey, Guatemala. These limestone pools are memorising.

5. Ruta de Las Flores, El Salvador. Cute mountain towns along a road lined with flowers. One of the towns along the way has incredible waterfalls.

6. The Bay Island, Honduras. The cheapest place in the world to get your open water diving licence, incredible clear waters and small coconut filled paradise islands a short boat ride away.

7. Leon, Nicaragua. Not as pretty as its little sister Granada but volcano boarding was a highlight of my trip here and the white cathedral is the biggest and most beautiful in Central America.

8. Monteverde, Costa Rica. Hiking, ziplining and free falling in cloud forests was so different to anything else I had done or seen.

9. Bocas del Toro, Panama. Amazing parties, incredible beaches and wildlife.

10. Boquete, Panama. Hiking Volcan Baru throughout the night to watch sunrise and seeing both the Carribean and Pacific coasts is something I will never forgot.