People who love backpacking should visit Central America for sure as once you do then it will definitely be one of your favourite regions in the world. Travelling to this place is amazing, safe and not to forget, quite affordable.
Let us start with all the places you can visit and the things you can do there. Here’s the complete guide to backpack travel to Central America:
1. The San Blas Islands – Located on the Caribbean side of Panama
This budget-friendly trip is traveller’s favourite as this Panama archipelago is made up of some 378 islands and has amazing seascapes, wildlife and scuba diving option. You will meet amazing people there and colourful reef to witness.
2. Nicaragua Volcano – The Landscapes of Nicaragua are Majestic Volcanoes
Hike up to the top of the volcano and be ready to board down the slop and get dirty in the process. It may cost you around $30 for a half-day outing. Nicaragua is counted as one of the Top Attractions to Visit in Central America.
3. Guatemala – Most Diverse Country Captivates Travelers
This is easily one of the hottest spots for backpackers and the abundance of pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and a number of hostels will give you all the reasons to stay when you are done with seeing the colonial preservations. Guatemala is one of the best places to visit in Central America.
4. Costa Rica – Sovereign state in Central America
If you want to go visit the coffee plantation areas, they Costa Rica and Panama are the top picks for you. You can get fresh coffee at discounted prices as well. Before planning checkout Complete Guide to Discover Costa Rica
5. Chichicastenango – A Town of Guatemalan highlands
This might be one difficult name to pronounce but you can visit this place in Guatemala for the love of handicrafts, blankets, souvenirs or pottery items. Taste the amazing local food at the cheapest of prices.
6. San Jose – The Home of Silicon Valley
Tour the museum if you are a history person. The Gold Museum here is quite fascinating and you can turn pages from history’s chapters here. This Silicon Valley is listed as one of the Top Attractions to Visit in Central America.
7. Belize – A Perfect Destination for Adventurous
This place is known for being a part of the lighthouse reef system and one of the best places to visit in Central America, here you can find an almost perfectly circular hole that is 480 feet deep. The place has a water body that is completely motionless and as a result, you can see as deep as 200 feet in it.
8. How much does it cost to stay in Central America?
The good thing about cheap stay in Central America is the option of hostels. Night stay in one will cost around $5-$15 for a dorm. If you are looking for a private bed, then it will cost around $15-$30 for a night. You can find out the cheap hostels in Central America at Agoda You can choose the option of Family-owned guest houses or hotels as they are quite affordable as well. The average cost of such rooms is around $25 for a night.
9. What should be the budget estimate for Central America?
Ideally, a backpacker should plan his/her day at $30-50. At this price, one may get a hostel room (dorm), enjoy local meals, taste various street food and visit a few major attractions by using local transportation.
In case you decide to increase your budget up till $50-75 per day, you can stay in air-conditioned private rooms, eat at some dine-in restaurants, get to drink a lot more, have some meals from the west, visit some more sites telling historical stories.
10. What is the best time to visit Central America?
The weather remains dry from December to April and hence is the best time to visit the place. The crowd pours in heavily and prices surge subsequently. The rainy season starts from April and is till December. Though you can visit the place between this duration if you aren’t much bothered with periodic rain.
Mountains might see temperature dip as low as 10°C and the hottest places will go up to 30°C.
11. Getting around in Central America
Public Buses: This is the cheapest and most common option to get around. The fares are usually lesser than a dollar. These buses are usually filled with people who hop on and hop off at almost all the places in the locality.
If you are looking for an overnight inter-country journey, it will cost you somewhere between $10-30 for your seat.
Taxis: Taxis can be an affordable option but make sure you negotiate the fare before you get into one, in case it doesn’t have a meter.
Air Travel: You can opt for flying options but that isn’t cheap and also has the route limitations. We don’t suggest you one unless it is utterly important.
