Quetzal Highway (Cancun to Antigua)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Cancun

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. 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. 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. You may want to arrive a couple of days early to get the most out of your stay here.

Day 2 to 6

Playa del Carmen - San Ignacio

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. 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 7 to 9

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 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 10 to 10

Depart Antigua

Our tour ends after breakfast on day 10.