Central America Overland: Mexico City to Panama
Itinerary through Mexico City, Oaxaca, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Palenque, Mérida, Tulum, … (97 days), with day-by-day ideas, shared by a Voyageur traveler.
Mexico · Belize · Guatemala · Honduras · Nicaragua · Costa Rica · Panama · 97 days · 24 Stages
Mexico City, Mexico
Days 1–7
- Day 2 09:00: Teotihuacan
- Day 3 10:00: Museo Nacional de Antropología
- Day 4 11:00: Coyoacán and Frida Kahlo museum
- Day 5 20:00: Tacos al pastor crawl
Oaxaca, Mexico
Days 7–13
- Day 8 09:00: Monte Albán
- Day 9 08:00: Hierve el Agua and a mezcal palenque
- Day 11 14:00: Mole cooking class
San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico
Days 14–18
- Day 15 08:00: Sumidero Canyon boat trip
- Day 16 09:00: San Juan Chamula church
Palenque, Mexico
Days 18–20
- Day 19 08:00: Palenque ruins in the jungle
- Day 19 14:00: Misol-Ha waterfall
Mérida, Mexico
Days 21–25
- Day 22 07:00: Chichén Itzá at opening
- Day 23 08:00: Uxmal
- Day 24 10:00: Cenote Santa Bárbara circuit
Tulum, Mexico
Days 25–29
- Day 26 08:00: Tulum ruins
- Day 27 10:00: Gran Cenote
Bacalar, Mexico
Days 29–32
- Day 30 09:00: Seven-colour lagoon sailing
Caye Caulker, Belize
Days 32–36
- Day 33 09:00: Hol Chan snorkel
- Day 34 07:00: Great Blue Hole dive
San Ignacio, Belize
Days 36–39
- Day 37 07:00: ATM cave expedition
Flores, Guatemala
Days 39–41
- Day 40 04:00: Tikal sunrise
San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala
Days 42–49
- Day 42 08:00: Spanish lessons, 4 hours a day
- Day 45 04:00: Indian Nose sunrise hike
- Day 47 10:00: Kayak to San Marcos
Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Days 49–54
- Day 50 08:00: Acatenango overnight volcano hike
- Day 52 09:00: Coffee farm tour
Copán Ruinas, Honduras
Days 54–56
- Day 55 08:00: Copán stelae and Macaw Mountain
Utila, Honduras
Days 56–62
- Day 56 08:00: PADI open-water course (4 days)
- Day 61 09:00: Whale shark search
León, Nicaragua
Days 62–66
- Day 63 08:00: Volcano boarding on Cerro Negro
- Day 64 10:00: Cathedral rooftop
Granada, Nicaragua
Days 66–69
- Day 67 09:00: Las Isletas kayak
- Day 67 18:00: Masaya volcano lava lake at night
Ometepe, Nicaragua
Days 69–73
- Day 70 08:00: San Ramón waterfall
- Day 71 10:00: Ojo de Agua springs by scooter
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
Days 73–76
- Day 74 09:00: Surf at Playa Maderas
- Day 75 17:00: Sunset at the Christ of Mercy
Monteverde, Costa Rica
Days 76–79
- Day 77 07:00: Cloud forest hanging bridges
- Day 77 18:00: Night walk for tarantulas and sloths
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Days 79–82
- Day 80 09:00: La Fortuna waterfall and Arenal hike
- Day 80 17:00: Free hot springs at El Chollín
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Days 82–86
- Day 83 09:00: Cahuita national park snorkel
- Day 84 10:00: Jaguar Rescue Center
Bocas del Toro, Panama
Days 86–90
- Day 87 09:00: Starfish beach and Zapatilla cays
- Day 88 20:00: Filthy Friday island hop
Boquete, Panama
Days 90–93
- Day 91 00:00: Volcán Barú summit for sunrise over two oceans
- Day 92 10:00: Geisha coffee tasting
Panama City, Panama
Days 94–97
- Day 94 15:00: Miraflores locks
- Day 95 10:00: Casco Viejo and the fish market ceviche