Grand Mexico & Central America 4 (Mexico City to San Jose)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Mexico City

Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-arranged activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights. Mexico City is the world's most populated city with over 20 million people. You may want to arrive a couple of days early to get the most out of your stay here. Founded by Spanish conquerors in 1521, Mexico’s capital sits at 2,309 metres above sea level and was built on the site of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The extensive metro system and trolley buses make getting around easy and there is certainly plenty to see and do here.  A good starting point is the main plaza, the enormous ZĂłcalo, where you will find the impressive Catedral Y Sagrario Metropolitano, the main cathedral of Mexico City, with a magnificent Latin-Baroque style façade. Remember to look through the glass flooring outside of the church to see the ancient Aztec city beneath. Just behind the cathedral are the Aztec ruins of the ancient Teocali, which were only discovered in 1978. You can also visit the world famous Anthropology Museum and the National Palace where you can see murals depicting the history of Mexico by one of the country’s most famous artists Diego Riviera. A museum dedicated to his equally famous wife, Frieda Kahlo, is located in her childhood home in Coyoacan. In the evening you can enjoy a spicy Mexican dinner and a few tequilas in the Zona Rosa while enjoying music performed by a mariachi band.

Day 2 to 4

Teotihuacan - Puebla - Oaxaca - Monte Alban

On the way to Puebla we have a guided tour at the ancient site of Teotihuacan, an amazing abandoned city built around 300 BC by a civilisation now lost in the mists of time. The historic complex is a fascinating combination of ceremonial pyramids, such as the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, the Ciudadela, which are connected by the Street of the Dead, palaces, old temples and the Plaza of the Sun. The buildings are decorated with friezes and other ornate artworks. We continue to one of Mexico’s oldest towns, Puebla, which means “City of the Angels”. Set in a valley with a dramatic backdrop of volcanoes and snow-topped peaks, Puebla is a fascinating old colonial town founded in 1531. The historic city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site partly due to its impressively preserved Spanish colonial architecture. Puebla is the best place to try mole poblano, a rich, spicy sauce containing chocolate, cinnamon and nuts, as well as different types of hot peppers, often served over chicken. Next on our list is Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ka), a beautiful city bordered by mountains and thick forests, with a very pleasant Plaza de la ConstituciĂłn where you can eat, drink and watch the world go by. On our free day in Oaxaca we include a guided excursion of Monte AlbĂĄn, the holy city of the ancient Zapotecs located 400 m (1,325 ft) above the Oaxaca Valley. There are many structures to explore around the Grand Plaza including numerous tombs, ceremonial altars, tunnels, pyramids and palaces, many decorated by glyphs, paintings and intricate carvings.  On the evening of day 4 we take a night bus bound for San CristĂłbal de Las Casas.

Day 5 to 7

San Cristobal de Las Casas

San CristĂłbal probably offers the best chance to experience Mexico’s rich indigenous culture. Red tiled low-rise houses dominate this very pretty town and lend it a delightful provincial charm. There are numerous interesting museums to see. Apart from the city itself, there are Indian villages   nearby that you can visit, buy beautifully made local handicrafts and get a true feel for how modern descendents of the ancient Maya people live today. You may enjoy a visit to the Maya Medicine Museum, where you can learn about the folk medicine which has its roots in the shamanistic practices of the ancient Maya people and is still popular among the locals today. There is also an option to visit the stunning Sumidero Canyon on a guided speedboat trip through the ravine for the opportunity to photograph local wildlife such as birds, crocodiles and iguanas. The cliffs towering over the river reach 100m at highest point, which will provide a dramatic backdrop to your pictures.

Day 8 to 9

Palenque

We continue to Palenque, a half day drive down through the highlands to the Yucatan limestone karst platform and visit our first Mayan ruins at Palenque. This archaeological site houses more than 200 structures including a series of hilltop temples, towers, tombs and pyramids surrounded by steamy jungle. The most important constructions, which date back to the Classical period (400-700 AD) are the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Crypt, the Palace complex, the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Foliated Cross, and the Temple of the Sun. Decorated with elaborate friezes, sculptures and inscriptions, Palenque is unquestionably one of the most important Mayan archaeological sites. Paths cutting through the jungle lead to various temples and the gorgeous waterfalls, where over time, strange figures have taken shape in the rock formations. A local guide may offer you the extra option of going on a forest walk where you can see unexcavated ruins enveloped in jungle.

Day 10 to 11

Merida - Chichen Itza

Capital of the Yucatan province, the ‘white city’ of MĂ©rida is a pleasant mixture of colonial buildings, churches and plazas. The markets simply overflow with beautiful weavings, hammocks and batiks, making this a great place to buy handmade crafts and souvenirs. At night the city comes alive with live theatre and concerts. There are many city excursions on offer here – from a comprehensive hop on/hop off bus tour exploring the greater city area to a relaxing horse-drawn carriage tour around the cobbled streets of El Centro and Pasaje Montejo Boulevard. If you want to explore the region near MĂ©rida you could visit the small fishing town of CelestĂșn with its large flamingo population. You could also take a swim in the local ‘cenotes’ (sen-o-tays) - fresh-water swimming holes connected by spectacular limestone caverns and deep underwater rivers once sacred to the ancient Maya, covering the entire Yucatan peninsula. The huge Mayan city of ChichĂ©n ItzĂĄ, constructed between the 7th and 10th century AD, was a centre of pilgrimage for the Maya for over 1000 years. This impressive complex of ruins is very large and impressive, comprising of pyramids, ceremonial temples, tombs and platforms decorated by elaborate carvings. Among the sights your local guide will point out during the day-long included tour are the ball court where the captain of the winning team was beheaded (no incentive to play your best!) and the sacred cenote where treasures and the remains of human sacrifices have been discovered. The most famous attraction is the great Pyramid of Kukulcan, dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulcan and built with such precision that a shadow serpent descends down the steps during the equinox.

Day 12 to 14

Cancun - Playa del Carmen

Until 1970, CancĂșn was simply known as a small fishing village, but due to its beautiful beaches and subtropical climate it now attracts over 2 million visitors a year. You have time to relax on one of the beautiful white-sand beaches and swim in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, or enjoy optional water sport activities like snorkelling, scuba diving or parachuting. You’ll also find modern shopping malls, more than 500 restaurants offering the best in national and international cuisine, and numerous bars and discos where the parties rage all night long. There are several different optional excursions on offer, including a ferry out to the attractive island of Isla de Mujeres - where you can go snorkelling, tour the island in a golf-cart or simply sip cocktails and swing on ‘bar swings’ on the beach. The beautiful beach resort of Playa del Carmen is about an hour away from CancĂșn. Relax on a white sand beach or take advantage of one of the several interesting optional activities available in the area such as visiting the island of Cozumel or the amazingly located Maya/Toltec ruins of TulĂșm. There are also many cenotes to explore.

Day 15 to 18

Caye Caulker - San Ignacio

Crossing into Belize we spend a couple of very laid-back nights on the island of Caye Caulker, where you can throw away your shoes to wander the sand-filled streets, spend the evenings eating seafood, drinking cocktails, and listening to reggae music in one of the bars. During the day you can organise a range of different optional snorkelling trips, such as to Shark and Ray Alley, where you can swim within a few feet of nurse sharks and majestic sting rays, or in their mating season you may even have the opportunity to swim with sea-cows. Another optional snorkelling tour takes you out to Hol-Chan Marine Reserve where you are guaranteed to see lots of colourful fish and interesting reef formations. Qualified divers can explore the so-called bottomless "Blue Hole", made famous by the explorer Jacques Cousteau (please note: this optional excursion does not go every day, check locally for availability). Other options include relaxing on the beach, riding a bike around the island, or trying your luck at fishing. If you are lucky, you can take your catch to one of the local restaurants so they can BBQ it for you. Belizeans really know how to relax, and hopefully the locals’ expertise on relaxation will rub off on you during your stay on Caye Caulker. We continue on to San Ignacio. Known as “Cayo” to local people, this agricultural centre is also known to be the ‘adventure' and ‘nature' capital of Belize. The surrounding jungle, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers and caves, have created the ideal location for the numerous optional excursions that are available, from canoeing downriver and tubing through caves, to visiting the famous caves Actun Tunichil Muknal, where they found untouched Mayan ceremonial and sacrificial remains.

Day 19 to 22

Tikal / Flores - Livingston / Rio Dulce - Antigua

We continue to the charming island-town of Flores, situated in the centre of Lake Peten ItzĂĄ, which was the last town to be conquered by the Spanish. Flores is our base for exploring the breathtaking Maya jungle site of Tikal, is regarded as the greatest city of the Mayan world. This complex is one of the biggest Mayan sites discovered, and you will have  time to explore the site and learn about the flora, fauna, and amazing history with a knowledgeable local guide. Today the main centre covers an area of approximately 2Âœ square kilometres, but at the peak of its power the mighty Mayan city stretched for nearly 100 kilometres. As you wander the site, you will see several tall mounds which are temples that have not yet been excavated, and you will have the opportunity to climb some of the tallest Mayan temples. The emphasis was on height when creating these imposing structures because the Maya believed the higher the building, the closer they were to the gods. Tikal is surrounded by animal life and if you’re lucky, you may spot noisy howler monkeys, pizotes (a racoon-like animal), exotic birds such as toucans, and much more. We carry on to the river town of Rio Dulce, where we’ll have the option to take a boat tour to LĂ­vingston, experiencing some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable along this 23-kilometre stretch of waterway. LĂ­vingston is situated at the mouth of the Rio Dulce, where it joins the Bay of Amatique, and is inhabited by the Garifuna people. This lively little town has a Caribbean atmosphere different to the rest of Guatemala and is a great place to try the delicious local specialty tapado (seafood coconut soup) and listen to the local African-style punta music. Framed by awe-inspiring volcanoes, Antigua is one of the most charming and delightful colonial towns in Central America. Everywhere you go, local people line the cobbled streets and plazas in colourful traditional costume, selling handmade crafts and textiles. As the cultural centre of Guatemala, Antigua is an ideal place to experience the traditional music, Baroque architecture and artistic traditions of the country. Rich in ornate churches, convents, parks and plazas, as well as cafĂ©s, restaurants, bars and colourful street markets, Antigua has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Day 23 to 27

Copan Ruinas - Roatan

Leaving Guatemala we cross into Honduras and the charming town of CopĂĄn Ruinas. Within walking distance of the village is one of the best-kept and most intriguing of all the ancient Mayan sites. See the intricately carved stelaes (carvings/statues) depicting the 16 rulers of this once magnificent and influential city, the spectacular staircase, ball courts and enormous main plaza. You can enjoy a trip up to hot springs surrounded by the lush vegetation of the surrounding hills, take a horse-trek through the countryside, or enjoy a coffee tour of a local plantation. (Optional). From CopĂĄn Ruinas we take a bus through coffee growing districts to the industrial city of San Pedro Sula, where we change buses for the coastal town of Tela. We have time here to relax on the beach before moving on to La Ceiba for the trip by ferry across to RoatĂĄn, the largest of the beautiful sun-soaked Caribbean bay islands. Development on the island means there is plenty to do, but it is also easy to find a deserted beach lapped by warm Caribbean waters. Here you will find palm-fringed lagoons, turquoise water, friendly locals, lively nightlife and stunning underwater scenery, with some of the best value for money diving and snorkelling in the world. You can elect to swim with dolphins, a truly unforgettable experience, or get into the true Caribbean sprit with a sunset cruise. (Optional).

Day 28 to 32

Tegucigalpa - Leon (Nicaragua) - Granada

After a few days in RoatĂĄn, we return by ferry to the mainland to catch our express bus through the stunning Honduran countryside to Tegucigalpa (Teh-goo-si-gal-pa), the capital city of Honduras. The pace of life in Honduras only shifts up a gear in Tegucigalpa (or Tegus as it's thankfully called by the locals) where colourful chaos reigns eternal. Everything you imagine a Latin capital city to be, Tegus is charming, historic and framed perfectly by peaks on three sides. Crossing the border into Nicaragua, the lovely town of LeĂłn with its colonial charm is our next stop. We have plenty of free time here to take a break in the shady gardens and plazas. This is an especially good place to buy leather work souvenirs. There are various museums, churches the cathedral and the Plaza de la Constitution to explore. The Templo Expiatorio also has a collection of catacombs which are worth seeing. After passing through the capital, Managua, and the tobacco growing regions, we arrive in Granada, on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Granada is one of the most characteristic and colourful colonial towns in Central America. Founded in 1524 at the foot of the Mombacho Volcano, this lovely town will remind many of its Spanish counterpart, due to its Moorish feel. Here there are many optional excursions to visit surrounding countryside, including a visit to the Masaya National Park, with its double-crested active volcano, and the Masaya handicraft markets nearby (great for buying hammocks). Alternatively, you can choose to go for a boat tour of the islands on the lake nearby, or a trek and/or zipline through the Mombacho Volcano Cloud Forest. With two free days in Granada you also have plenty of time to take a day trip into Managua to explore. After years of civil war and the devastating earthquake of 1972, the city centre was left in shambles. There are still buildings with huge cracks and weeds growing through them, the strange old Cathedral being one. However, this now peaceful city is in the process of rebuilding itself. The recently restored National Palace offers a fascinating tour into the past.

Day 33 to 35

Ometepe Island - San Jose

Travelling onwards we cross the vast Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Once a large ocean bay, the water was cut off from the sea by land forced upwards by seismic activity. This has left the lake populated with sharks and other salt-water species. We take a boat to the unspoilt and tranquil island of Ometepe, located in the middle of the lake. This is the true heart of Nicaragua and is the perfect place to escape from normal life. The name of the island means ‘between two hills’ and was formed by the two volcanoes, ConcepciĂłn and Madera. The fertile volcanic soil provides the local population with perfect farming conditions for the many crops grown. You may choose to hire a local guide and spend your free time touring the island and searching for ancient stone statues and petroglyphs which have been found all over the island. Those feeling athletic can go for volcano hikes or horseback rides on the black sand beaches. If you’re more inclined to relax, you can spend your time lying about in a hammock, or take a dip in the lake or the nearby freshwater spring.  Either way, you can be sure that Ometepe’s beauty, tranquility and kind-hearted residents will make this visit a highlight of your trip. The capital city of Costa Rica is nestled in a fertile valley among coffee and sugar-cane farms on a high plateau. There is not much left of San José’s colonial era architecture due to the damage done by earthquakes, but it is certainly worth seeing the National Theatre which was built in 1897. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to catch a performance whilst you're here. The gold, jade and national museums are also particularly recommended for a visit.

Day 36 to 36

Depart San Jose

Our tour ends after breakfast on day 36.