Centro America typically consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. This region, nestled between North and South America, offers a diverse range of attractions, from ancient Mayan ruins to lush rainforests and pristine beaches. It is an area of the world less known to the average European, but especially Spanish, German and French travelers are showing an increasing interest in Centro America. The region’s appeal lies in its rich cultural heritage, including 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as its focus on sustainable tourism and biodiversity. However, concerns about political instability in some countries and lingering effects of the pandemic may deter some tourists.
This for sure also differs massively by country – with Costa Rica being known as the easy-going destination for first-time travelers to Latin America, Guatemala being said to have a high crime rate, El Salvador publishing how good their jails are and how hard they punish criminals and Nicaragua worrying the world with perceived political instability. Should one go there nevertheless? For sure! We experienced an earthquake, had a small food poisioning and dealt with power outages at Guatemala, we went through some trouble at the borders of Costa Rica (proof when you will leave the country again with a valid ticket further on) and Nicaragua (have sufficient USD for all the fees) – but we never felt unsafe and the amazing experience of exploring this wonderful region of the world outweighs all the troubles.
Chapines, Ticos and Nicas
After having explored Nicaragua with a Nica friend and his family in 2023, we decided this time to explore Guatamala first and then visit friends and family at Costa Rica and Nicaragua. This required us to board planes six times and rent cars three different times; plus a cross-border bus ride. That was a very good decision as the time with the Ticos was most impressive: as authorities warn to travel to Guatemala, there weren’t so many tourists in the country and the experience was authentic and simply amazing. We were flying in from Frankfurt am Main (FRA) via Houston (IAH) to Ciudad de Guatemala (GUA), in between hopping one time from Ciudad de Guatemala to San José (SJO) and then returning from Managua (MGA) via Houston and London (LHR) to Frankfurt am Main. Quite some travel effort, but the jetlag wasn’t that bad this time.
Guatemala: Colonial cities, the Caribbean and Maya ruins
Guatemala has been shaped by various civilizations and political forces over the centuries. The ancient Maya civilization flourished in the region for thousands of years before Spanish conquistadors arrived in the early 16th century, led by Pedro de Alvarado. Guatemala remained a Spanish colony until 1821 when it gained independence, briefly joining the Mexican Empire before becoming part of the United Provinces of Central America. In 1839, Guatemala became fully independent under the conservative rule of Rafael Carrera. The country experienced periods of dictatorship, liberal reforms, and military rule throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. A significant turning point came with the Guatemalan Revolution of 1944, which ushered in a decade of progressive reforms. However, a U.S.-backed coup in 1954 led to decades of military governments and a brutal civil war from 1960 to 1996. Since then, Guatemala has struggled to maintain stability and address ongoing social and economic challenges while working towards a more democratic future.
We started our tour in Ciudad de Guatemala and headed straight to Antigua Guatemala, a lovely colonial city with many sights, cobblestone streets and the chance to explore everything on foot. From here we also went to the majestetic Lago de Atitlán and Antigua was the place where an earthquake in front of the coast made the walls of our apartment shake in the middle of the night. Next stop was indirectly the Caribbean: after visiting the archaelogical site of Quiriguá we chartered a boat in Río Dulce to have a look at the Spanish Castillo de San Felipe de Lara, took a bath in the hot springs near the river and discovered the Garifuna-shaped town of Livingston (including a long hike to the Siete Altares in the rainforest). After sailing back to Río Dulce, we stayed in El Remate to prepare for our trip to Tikal and the Maya ruins to discover there. Tikal was for sure the crown jewel of our trip, purely impressive because of the vast size and the well-preserved ruins. But the area was also the place for animal encounters: crocodiles, coatis, tucans, monkeys, woodpeckers, colibris – they’re all roaming there. From El Remate we continued via wonderful mountains to the city of Cobán which was heavily influenced by Germans and isn’t very touristy and went back to Ciudad de Guatemala for a final glimpse of Maya art at the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología near the airport.
Visiting Guatemala felt safe, entertaining and enlighting. Driving in the country was mostly pain-free (just the speed reducing thresholds – tumulos – were a bit annoying), police was omnipresent but also very friendly. I could have left out the small food poisioning I caught in Sayaxché, but that’s a tax you have to pay sometimes.
Costa Rica: Sloths, hot springs and volcanoes
Costa Rica has a rich history dating back to pre-Columbian times. The region was inhabited by indigenous peoples before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502, naming it the ‘Rich Coast‘. Spain colonized Costa Rica in the 16th century, but it remained a relatively poor and isolated part of the Spanish Empire. Similar to Guatemala, Costa Rica gained independence from Spain, also joined the Mexican Empire and later the Federal Republic of Central America, becoming fully independent in 1838. The country established a democratic tradition in the late 19th century, which was briefly interrupted by a civil war in 1948. Following this conflict, Costa Rica abolished its military and focused on social and economic development. Today, Costa Rica is recognized for its progressive policies, including universal healthcare, free education, and a strong emphasis on environmental protection.
Entering Costa Rica from Guatamala by plane worked well after a short hickup: we all ignored the information that you have to have a ticket out of Costa Rica when entering the country and the airline didn’t want to let us check in without. A bus ticket bought via smartphone became our entry ticket. Arriving late at San José we took a taxi to our hotel at the Barrio Escalante. We had read that regional trains passing by our hotel in the early morning would be rather loud and in fact I didn’t need an alarm clock there. The capital city of Costa Rica is a relaxed medium-sized city with a fantastic market, a nice pedestrian zone and great museums. From there we explored the volcan Poás and bought stawberries and Queso Palmito produced locally before having a nightly stop at Ciudad Quesada, a non-touristy town. Our destination was the are around La Fortuna with different possibilities to hike, see waterfalls, search for sloths and hang out in amazing thermal spas. As a next step we continued to Liberia to meet the father of a friend in Playas del Coco and to catch a Tica Bus to cross the border to Nicaragua. An endeavour that nearly failed because we had less USD in our pockets than needed, because we didn’t expect a fee on the Costa Rican side. But life always finds a way.
Travelling through Costa Rica was nice but less authentic and adventurous than exploring Guatemala. The country is better developed, is leaning a lot towards the United States and is known to be a safe country suitable for first-time travellers. Prices were way higher and what will bother tourists on a budget is that you’re charged for everything. Hiking to a waterfall? 20 USD per person. Watching sloths? 40 USD per person. Hiking through a field of lava? 20 USD per person. If you’re an extranjero, at least.
Nicaragua: Islets, revolution and family life
Nicaragua was named after a local indigenous chief by Spanish explorer Gil González de Ávila in 1522. The Spanish conquest began in earnest in 1524 when Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded the cities of Granada and León. This period was marked by conflict between conquistadors and devastating consequences for the indigenous population. Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821, also briefly joining the Mexican Empire before becoming part of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1823 and gained full independence in 1838, but the following decades were characterized by political instability and rivalry between liberal and conservative factions. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw increasing U.S. involvement, including military interventions. Nicaragua’s modern history has been shaped by the Somoza family dictatorship (1937-1979), the Sandinista Revolution, civil war, and ongoing efforts to establish stable democratic governance.
After entering Nicaragua through the border at Peñas Blancas we left our Tica Bus at Granada, at the main road, next to the old hospital. Fortunately, our host Carlos picked us up and brought as to a space we all know well: his Hotel El Arca de Noé. From the city we made some day tours to get onto the nearby volcano Mombacho, toured the Isletas in the Lago Cocibolca by boat and finally made a roadtrip to Managua having a look at the Plaza de la Revolución with the cathedral ruin and the Palacio Nacional, checking out the Laguna de Tiscapa with the Sandino monument and trying to catch a glimpse of the local university. We also had some time in Granada as well, exploring the beautiful graves on the main graveyard and going shopping with the abuela of our youngest traveler: as we had invited the family to a party at the shore of Lago Cocibolca, the basics had to be procured on the bustling market for the locals. The rest was family time: playing Patchesi with the kids of the neighbors at El Guayabo, learning how to make tortillas, trying to communicate using an insufficient level of Spanish, enjoying great local fish and just hanging out.
Thereby, the stay at Nicaragua was less a tourist trip but more like coming home. Enjoying an environment already known, meeting wonderful people, just relaxing. Two years ago I was given the image of an unsafe country with corruption and state authorities misusing their power, with the capital city not being safe enough to drive there. The news from Nicaragua since then seemed to confirm this. But let’s face the facts: we had zero negative experiences and Managua was a great place to see.
Centro America: ¿Hasta la vista?
The tour through Centro America was a very enjoyable one. Because of excellent company, lovely hosts, fantastic nature and interesting history to be explored. Good that there are still Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Panama left that I haven’t seen so far. Maybe in two years time again? ¡Nos vemos pronto!
Guatemala
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
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