Central America (17 days), April 5 - 21, 2013 | By-Air Tours

Date: April, 5 - 21, 2013
Tripduration: 17 days
Price:$2190 CAD plus 520 CAD tax
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Stunning Beauty of Central America!

Amazing richness of acient cultures, lavish tropical rainforest and mysterious volcanoes!

Central America – nowadays a little forgotten, situated far from the most trampled touristy routes - for many years has been an amazingly colourful and cultural region of the world. The area from Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, San Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua to Costa Rica used to be inhabited by the Mayas, the Aztecs, the Olmecs, the Zapotec, the Totonac, the Mixtec and the Teotihuacan. Their traditions, beliefs, bloody rites and advanced knowledge of astronomy still fascinate the archeologists and historians; the mysterious ruins lost in the jungle still lure the adventure seekers. The famous Mayan calendar was supposed to predict the end of the world and, although it is said to have been misinterpreted, there are still some people in Guatemala who can use its modernized version. The descendants of the Mayas, who live on the banks of Lake Atitlan, also believe in Maximon, the folk saint; his cult, which is completely incomprehensible for the visitors, was created by mixing local beliefs with the teaching of European missionaries and stories of Spanish colonists. The image of Maximon, as in many ancient beliefs, is quite drastic – usually he does not have arms or legs; the legend says that he lost his limbs as a revenge taken by the village men for abusing their wives.

What is fascinating are not only the remains of the old cultures. Central America means, above all, the huge richness of flora and fauna of the tropical zone. Once a banana empire, nowadays it is an important producer of coffee, corn and oil palm. The local ecosystem is the second largest in the world and the rainforest can only be compared to the Amazonian one. The whole region is crossed by the volcanic mountain range Sierra Madre. 83 volcanoes, out of which 16 are still active, make a unique moonlike scenery. Guatemala has 37 volcanoes, four of which (Pacaya, Santiaguito, Fuego and Tacana) still emit smoke and lava, thus reminding people of their existence from time to time. This seismically active area is full of geysers, rich and not examined crater lakes and hot springs with mineral mud.

Modern inhabitants of Central America live between two worlds, on the scrap of land which is a bridge between the worlds. On one side they have North America with Coca Cola and US dollars, on the other side – South America, with much better developed tourism. All the magic of Central America lies in the undiscovered routes, twisting roads in the mountains, mangroves which are several kilometers long, calm lakes and wonderful empty sandy beaches of the Caribbean Sea. In spite of the weak economic position in the world and poor infrastructure, Central America charms people with the variety of cultures, traditions, beliefs, plants and landscapes. Undoubtedly, well-preserved colonial architecture adds a lot of charm; thanks to it many towns have preserved their unique atmosphere.

During our expedition to the most beautiful places of Central America you will learn the lifestyle of Garifuna people and underwater beauty of coral reef; you will hear marimba and shouting of colourful parrots; you will dance the salsa and punta; you will look into volcanic craters and take a bath in hot mineral springs; you will have a chance to ride on the rope in a jungle in Honduras; you will taste the local chocolate with the smell of cardamom; you will also drink aromatic coffee from Guatemala; and you will keep cool in tropical heat by drinking cold coconut water straight from the coconut picked from the palm tree!

Marimba and shouting of colourful parrots, salsa and punta, underwater beauty of coral reef, lifestyle of Garifuna people, relaxing baths in hot mineral springs, exciting ride on the rope in a jungle and unforgettable taste of local chocolate with the smell of cardamom!

Day 1: TORONTO - ANTIGUA

Departure from Toronto to Guatemala City from where we will be transferred to Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala. We will visit Antigua, one of the most beautiful cities of Latin America; there are pretty and low colonial-style buildings which are hundreds of years old. The city is situated 1,530 metres above sea level in a mountainous region of the central Guatemala, and is surrounded by three huge volcanoes – Agua, Acatenango and Fuego, which is still active and emits smoke. We will spend the night in the historic district of Antigua.

Day 2: LAKE ATITLAN

We will make a day-long excursion to Lake Atitlan. On the way through the mountainous and volcanic areas we will stop in a few small villages where people still wear traditional colourful clothes and continue the old traditions, such as using the Mayan calendar. Numerous street markets and colourful churches make this part of the country more charming. We will also ride a ferry on Lake Atitlan to one of the coastal villages where you can watch and take photos of the life and traditions of the authentic descendants of the great Maya people. In the evening we will return to Antigua to spend the night there.

Day 3: SALVADOR

We will travel by coach to Salvador. On the way we will stop in the picturesque region of the highest and the most beautiful volcanoes of the country – among others, Santa Ana. In the evening we will arrive in San Salvador where we will spend the night.

Day 4: SUCHITOTO - SAN SALVADOR

We will visit Suchitoto, a town which is a UNESCO heritage site; it has a rich local culture and is one of few towns in Salvador which has preserved its cobbled streets, and is full of art galleries, festivals and shops with handicraft. In the afternoon we will visit the centre of San Salvador, the capital of the country situated at the foot of San Salvador volcano. Among others, we will visit Catedral Metropolitana (the cathedral built in the colonial style), Palacio National, Casa Presidencial and the city centre - Plaza Barrios. We will spend the night in San Salvador.

Day 5: COPAN RUINAS - HONDURAS

We will travel to Copan Ruinas in Honduras through several mountain ranges of the Cordillera. We will stop in the observation points. We will spend the night in Copan Ruinas, a charming peaceful town.

Day 6: COPAN RUINAS

We will visit Copan Ruinas – a magnificent Maya city and the greatest tourist attraction in Honduras (except for the coral reef). Copan Ruinas is a UNESCO heritage site and some sensational discoveries still take place there. We will see stelae, the Hieroglyphic Stairway and other more important buildings. We will spend the night in Copan Ruinas.

Day 7: COPAN RUINAS - CANOPY TOUR - JAGUAR SPA

We will continue sightseeing in Copan Ruinas (the part known as Sepulturas). The brave ones will have a chance to take part in a canopy tour ($35) which is 4 kilometres long. Riding on the ropes hung between the trees is a safe adventure which raises the level of adrenaline. This is the largest attraction of this kind in Honduras. In the afternoon we will go to Jaguar Spa, a famous spa in the jungle with natural hot springs and mineral mud – it is a wonderful form of relaxation. We will spend the night in Copan Ruinas.

Day 8: TELA - MIAMI - LAGUNA LOS MICOS

We will travel to Tela on the Caribbean Sea. In the afternoon we will visit the most authentic, one of five villages on the coast, Garifuna village – Miami. We will also ride a boat in the mangroves to the bird reserve Laguna de Los Micos. We will spend the night in Tela.

Day 9: PUNTA DEL SAL

We will take a speedboat to Punta Sal National Park. We will hike in the jungle with an experienced guide who has enormous knowledge about the local ecosystem and problems connected with the National Park. We will see the lush, tropical flora, hear stories of healing plants, watch the houses of blue crabs and picturesque bays where pirates used to hide; there will also be a chance to watch the dolphins, monkeys and sea birds, as well as to snorkel on the beautiful coral reef. We will spend the night in Tela.

Day 10: LA CEIBA - UTILA

We will travel to La Ceiba and ride a ferry to Utila Island, which is a wonderful place to dive and snorkel on the rich and colourful coral reef. We will spend the night on Utila Island.

Day 11: UTILA - LA CEIBA

There will be an optional excursion to the coral reef ($40). In the afternoon we will return by ferry to La Ceiba where we will spend the night.

Day 12: LA CEIBA – SAN PEDRO SULA - SAN JOSE

Transfer from La Ceiba to the airport in San Pedro Sula. On the way stop in Tela's famous and beautiful botanical garden. Flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Overnight in San Jose.

Day 13: ARENAL NATIONAL PARK

Volcanoes, hot springs, geysers – all the different phenomena connected with the volcanic activity; we will also see some interesting species of fauna and flora. In the evening we will either watch the flowing lava or take a bath in a spa which is beautifully situated at the foot of the volcano. We will spend the night in the area of Arenal National Park.

Day 14: LIMON

We will travel to the coast of the Caribbean Sea to Limon. On the way we will stop at the famous Poas volcano. Poas is one of the most active volcanoes of Costa Rica – it has three craters, two of which are filled with lakes. Sometimes frequent eruptions of the volcano remind of the eruption of huge geysers; this is connected to the process in which water gets inside the volcano by the crevices, where it gets warmer, changes into steam and under pressure gets out of the volcano causing eruption. We will spend the night in the town of Limon, which is the main Atlantic harbour of Costa Rica from which two most important goods are exported from Costa Rica – coffee and bananas.

Day 15: PANAMA - CHANGUINOLA - BOCAS DEL TORO NATIONAL PARK

We will travel by a picturesque road along the coast of the Caribbean Sea to Changuinola in Panama, later we will take a ferry on Changuinola River and Canal De Soropta to Bocas del Toro National Park, which is the greatest tourist attraction in Panama (except for the Panama Canal). Bocas del Toro is an archipelago lost in time, which has a unique atmosphere of charming unforgettable simplicity hidden in the amazing variety of plants and old customs. There will be some time to relax. We will spend the night in Bocas Del Toro.

Day 16: BOCAS DEL TORO NATIONAL PARK and PANAMA CITY

You can spend this day relaxing or you can take part in an optional excursion in the National Park. In the afternoon we will fly to Panama City. We will visit the city, which is full of life and entertainment; we will see the modern City and the district of Casco Viejo with its colonial tenement houses from the seventeenth century. Casco Viejo (or Casco Antiguo) is a mixture of styles which reflect the cultural varieties of the country – you can find the Caribbean, art deco, French and colonial influences here. There will be a chance to buy Panama hats. We will spend the night in Panama City.

Day 17: PANAMA CANAL - TORONTO

We will see the Panama Canal, the most important investment for the world, where you can watch the transatlantic ships. Panama Canal was built in the years 1904 – 1922 as the connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the Caribbean Sea. The canal, which is 81.6 kilometres long, is one of the most important sea routes in the world, which shortened the voyage of the ships from New York to San Francisco by 14,500 kilometres. In the afternoon we will catch direct flight to Toronto.