Central America Backpacking Route
Welcome to our Central America backpacking route!
Although the smallest region in the Western Hemisphere, Central America is a really fun area to explore. Not only is it full of Mayan ruins, towering volcanoes and beautiful beaches, it’s also relatively easy to travel through.
From southern Mexico down to Panama, you need much less time here compared with South America, which is ideal for first-timers or those with less time on their hands.
Central America Backpacking Route
In this guide, we’ll explore our 1 month backpacking through Central America itinerary, as well as the highlights you’ll be visiting in each nation.
As well as covering how to get around, we’ll also be answering your most crucial questions on how to manoeuvre this unique subregion in our FAQ section.
🏁 Here are the main stops on this Central America travel route:
- Lake Atitlan
- Antigua
- Santa Ana
- Copán
- Utila
- León
- Ometepe Island
- Monteverde
- San José
- Puerto Viejo
- Bocas del Toro
- Panama City
Getting around Central America
Thankfully, the easiest ways into Central America are also the furthest extreme points north and south, which are ideal for this itinerary.
These are the cities of Cancún and Panama City, which have well-connected international airports (that then connect well with other cities such as Guatemala City, San Salvador and San José).
The best way to get around Central America is by bus. Whilst you could fly, costs will rack up quickly and may mean you’ll need to cut your trip short. Buses are very cheap, and also don’t tend to take that long either (most are usually between 2-8 hours each leg).
There are some instances where you can consider a flight. These are if you’re heading to islands such as the Corn Islands or Bocas del Toro, or if in an urgent rush.
Of course if you have the extra cash and want to upgrade every now and then, then by all means go for it. You can even start your backpacking South America trip by crossing over from Panama (via San Blas to Capurganá) if you really want to push the boat out.
Things to know before traveling to Central America
Between the two of us, we’ve spent plenty of time in Central America on various trips. This means we’ve got insider experience and can give our best tips to help your trip go more smoothly. See our Central America packing list for the full list of things to carry.
Use Padlocks on Bags when Traveling
Unfortunately petty theft and pickpocketing are still rife in Central America, so you’ll want to plan in advance. We recommend keeping bags on you with a secure padlock when on buses, which will help to deter any potential issues.
Pack a Range of a Clothes
Many travelers are surprised when they reach Central America. Whilst most areas are going to be warm climates, there’s also areas where you’ll be begging for warm layers (such as the Guatemalan highlands or when hiking in higher altitudes). This also means carrying a Poncho since there’s a good chance of rain!
Budget for $20-25 a Day
This is a great ballpark average to aim for, and you may find yourself spending even less in some areas. This budget assumes you’ll be sleeping in dorm rooms, using public buses, and also eating in local restaurants (or preparing your own food). See our Central America travel budget guide for more tips on how to save and spend money here.
Invest in High Quality Items
We’ll be the first to admit it – we love saving wherever possible when traveling. However the biggest mistake is bringing cheap equipment that breaks or wears out too quickly.
One of the biggest items we recommend travelers to invest in is a quality pair of hiking boots, especially given the amount of mountain and jungle hikes and experiences there are throughout Central America. We recommend these for the guys, and these for the ladies.
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1 Month Central America Backpacking Route
Now let’s dive into our 1 month backpacking Central America travel route. Here we’ll take a look at each country, the best things to do in each as well as our recommended accommodation options.
Guatemala (6 Days)
First we’ll kick off this itinerary by heading to Guatemala. To get here you can head overland through Mexico, or fly directly into Guatemala City airport.
From here we’ll take a bus straight to Panajachel, which is the gateway to the stunning Lake Atitlan. We recommend basing yourself in the town of San Juan de la Laguna (which is the main backpacker hub), and Don Pascual is our top stay here. This lakeside town also has many great nightlife options too.
Lake Atitlan is arguably the most scenic lake in Central America, and is surrounded by various prehistoric volcanoes. One of the best things to do here is to enjoy a boat ride around this majestic lake, where you’ll be able to visit many of the more authentic towns. such as San Marcos de la Laguna.
Next we’ll take the four hour bus south to Antigua. This historic city is laden with cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture, such as the Arco de Santa Catalina as well as the Convento Capuchinas. Antigua is also the perfect place to hike the nearby volcanoes, and we recommend this tour up Acatenango for some unreal early-morning views.
🏁 Route Stops:
Stop #1: Lake Atitlan
Stop #2: Antigua
Key Guatemala Info:
- 🌎 Currency: Quetzal
- 🥘 Food: Pepián, Jocón
- 🍹 Drink: Naranjada
- 💵 Daily Budget: $15-20
- 🔥 Special Mentions: Semuc Champey, Chichicastenango, Tikal Ruins.
El Salvador (3 Days)
From Antigua we’ll now take a bus south of the border to the city of Santa Ana.
This city is actually George’s favourite in all of Central America, and for good reason too! The stunning Santa Ana Volcano is a must-see, and instead of those fiery red lava flows in Guatemala we’ll instead find a bright green crater at the top. We recommend heading on this day tour, where you’ll also get to visit Lake Coatepeque along the way.
Santa Ana’s centre is also really nice to walk around, and will feel much less touristy compared to Antigua. The Catedral de Nuestra Señora Santa Ana is by far one of the most impressive in this region (as well as other buildings around the Parque Libertad), and you’ll also want to visit the nearby Mayan Ruins of Tazumal. You can base yourself in the Hostal Brunette, which is just a couple of blocks from the main plaza.
Our next stop is to the capital of San Salvador, and whilst you could spend the night here, we’d actually recommend seeing it as a day trip from Santa Ana (given it’s just an hour away).
The Capilla del Rosario is the best highlights by far, with this unassuming-from-the-outside chapel featuring some breathtaking stained-glass windows that shine all kinds of colours. Other things to see here include the National Palace as well as the Monument to the Divine Savior of the World.
🏁 Route Stops:
Stop #3: Santa Ana
Stop #4: San Salvador (optional stay)
Key El Salvador Info:
- 🌎 Currency: US Dollar, Bitcoin
- 🥘 Food: Pupusa
- 🍹 Drink: Atol de Marañon
- 💵 Daily Budget: $20-25
- 🔥 Special Mentions: El Tunco, Atiquizaya.
Honduras (5 Days)
From Santa Ana we’ll leave really early to catch the shuttle over to Copán. You can also do it independently on buses (like George did), however you’ll need to head back through Guatemala first, which will take around 7 hours in total.
Copán is a really charming mountainous town, which is best known for the Copán Ruins. Once an important Mayan city, it was home to over 20,000 people and also has many unique sculptures and pyramids.
In town you’ll also want to visit the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, which is home to an array of tropical birds including Scarlet Macaws and Keel-billed Toucans. We staying at the Berakah B&B which is just off the main plaza.
A day (or two maximum) is enough here, where we’ll then make our way over to the Caribbean island of Utila. Another backpacking haven, here you can spend your days relaxing on white-sand beaches and drinking cocktails into the early morning hours.
Whilst we’ve allocated 3 days for your time here, beware since it tends to keep travelers here much longer than expected!
If you’re into diving (or ever wanted to learn), then this is the place to go for it. Utila is located along the Mesoamerican Reef, and has some of the best visibility conditions in Central America.
You can spot everything from Dolphins and Manta Rays to Sharks, and even Whale Sharks (from February to April). We highly recommend going with this diving tour, where you’ll explore the waters just off nearby Roatán.
🏁 Route Stops:
Stop #5: Copán
Stop #6: Utila
Key Honduras Info:
- 🌎 Currency: Lempira
- 🥘 Food: Baleada
- 🍹 Drink: Horchata
- 💵 Daily Budget: $15-25
- 🔥 Special Mentions: La Ceiba, Tegucigalpa, Roatán.
Nicaragua (5 Days)
From Utila we recommend flying to Tegucigalpa (from La Ceiba), and then taking the bus to León. This is because you’ll otherwise lose most of the day heading along the Honduran highway.
León is our first stop in Nicaragua, and has quickly become one of the most popular backpacking spots in Central America. Volcanoboarding is the must-do activity, and when here you‘ll want to stay at the legendary BigFoot Hostel who do the best tour up and down the Cerro Negro. Those who want everything organised in advance can instead join this half-day tour.
As well as seeing other colonial buildings such as the La Iglesia de la Recolección, we also recommend heading to the Museum of the Revolution to better understand Nicaragua’s turbulent history, and what makes the country unique to other Latin American nations.
We’ll then take a bus to Rivas, followed by a boat over to Ometepe Island. Situated in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, it’s a great place to get lost in nature with many jungled paths and volcanoes to explore such as Maderas as well as the natural swimming pool of La Ojo de Agua.
🏁 Route Stops:
Stop #7: León
Stop #8: Ometepe Island
Key Nicaragua Info:
- 🌎 Currency: Córdoba
- 🥘 Food: Nacatamal
- 🍹 Drink: Macuá
- 💵 Daily Budget: $20-25
- 🔥 Special Mentions: Granada, Corn Islands, San Juan del Sur.
Costa Rica (7 Days)
Now we enter perhaps the most exciting country on our itinerary, and the one you’ve been waiting for! We’ll be taking the bus from Nicaragua into the town of Monteverde.
Known for its vibrant rainforest that has some of the highest endemic levels on earth, this is the place to come to spot wildlife. This night tour is the very best, where a wildlife expert will show you rare snakes, sloths, tarantulas and even ocelots if you’re lucky. In rarer cases you may even see a Jaguar. A couple of days here is enough, and those who love adrenaline will want to head on the various zip-lines and rides at Skyadventures.
From here we’ll then spend a couple of days in the capital of San José, which is often skipped (although it’s not the most striking capital there’s definitely worthy things to see and do). These include heading to the Gold and Jade Museums, as well as the National Museum of Costa Rica. In San José we recommend staying at the Costa Rica Backpackers Hostel.
Last but not least we’ll continue south to the chilled-out coastal town of Puerto Viejo. A classic backpacker town, this is definitely the place for hitting the beaches and putting your feet up. You can also rent a bike and explore the winding roads just outside of town, where you’ll find many deserted beaches and raw wildlife doing its thing.
If you still want to see more animals then consider this day trip to the Cahuita National Park, where you can see monkeys and raccoons as well as tropical underwater species.
🏁 Route Stops:
Stop #9: Monteverde
Stop #10: San José
Stop #11: Puerto Viejo
Key Costa Rica Info:
- 🌎 Currency: Colón
- 🥘 Food: Gallo Pinto
- 🍹 Drink: Guaro, Agua de Sapo
- 💵 Daily Budget: $25-35
- 🔥 Special Mentions: La Fortuna, Punta Uva, Santa Teresa.
Panama (5 Days)
Finally on our Central America itinerary we’ll be hitting Panama, which is the most southern nation in this region. We’ll take the bus and boat from Puerto Viejo to Bocas del Toro.
This stunning archipelago is a real highlight when in Panama, and is known for its variety of beautiful beaches. Wizard and Bluff beaches are the most scenic, whilst Playa de las Estrellas is great for seeing many starfish chilling along the coast (just remember not to touch them). It’s also a great place to head on this full-day speedboat tour, where you’ll get to explore the more wild areas of this otherwise popular backpacking hotspot.
From Bocas del Toro we’ll now take a short flight over to Panama City, given the bus will be too long for our given itinerary. Here we recommend allocating 3 days for the capital, as there’s a lot to see. You’ll want to stay at the Magnolia Inn in Casco Viejo, which is the nicest neighbourhood of the city.
Close-by you can visit many important sites such as the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria, the Calzada de Amador as well as the infamous Panama Canal.
We also recommend spending an overnight stay on the San Blas Islands, which are one of the best highlights of a trip to Central America. Here you can get to know the local Kuna Yala tribe, as well as visit islands like Perro Chico and Soledad Miria.
🏁 Route Stops:
Stop #12: Bocas del Toro
Stop #13: Panama City
Key Panama Info:
- 🌎 Currency: Balboa, US Dollar
- 🥘 Food: Sancocho de Gallina
- 🍹 Drink: Seco Herrerano
- 💵 Daily Budget: $25-30
- 🔥 Special Mentions: Valle de Antón, Santa Catalina, The Darien Gap.
Central America Travel Route FAQs
Central America Backpacking Route
That’s all for our 1 month in Central America backpacking route.
This diverse region is full of thrills and culture, and even those on a shorter time-frame will be able to enjoy their time in Central America.
From lounging on picturesque Caribbean beaches to hiking fiery volcanoes, you’ll for sure be coming back for seconds soon!
Be sure to revisit this guide before, during and after your travels to Central America as a nice refresher. Also, see our backpacking Central America travel guide for more pro tips.
👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.
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