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19 Days The Richness of Central America Tour Package Arriving in the Costa Rican capital of San Jose puts us in prime position to explore one of the country's largest and most abundant national parks -- the nearby Braulio Carillo National Park -- and learn about the importance of an industry that helped shape the face of the country on a visit to a working banana plantation. Boarding a riverboat, we sail down a series of natural canals and man-made thoroughfares, past verdant jungle alive with the chattering of monkeys and chirping of exotic birds, in order to explore areas otherwise inaccessible to travellers. Through sugar cane fields and amid rolling hills, we travel to the geothermal rivers and gurgling hotsprings near the spectacular Arenal Volcano and we wander the trails in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, where blankets of mist lingering over the lush trees bring an almost supernatural feel to our experience. Before heading into Guatemala, we head into Honduras to explore the capital, Copan, and to learn about the ancient ways of life of one of the most significant and influential ancient peoples in the Americas; the Maya. The Copan area is brimming with Mayan ruins and remnants from ages past and though our time here is short, it is well-spent. Crossing into Guatemala, we experience colourful local markets and in Chichicastanengo, we have the chance to meet a people who are said to be the purest descendants of the ancient Maya, the Maya Quiche Indians. We discover the hidden beauty of Lake Atitlan and mingle with friendly villagers whose traditional dress and ways of life have remained unchanged for generations. We see religious and colonial buildings and structures, and end on a high note by visiting Tikal, once a Mayan ceremonial centre and today perhaps the most magnificent of all Mayan sites. Tour Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in San Jose Today we arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica. PLEASE NOTE: The hotels indicated in this itinerary reflect our preferred properties in each location. We list these hotels primarily to provide a general sense of overall standard; the final hotel list (which supersedes this itinerary) is not 100% confirmed until approximately 30-45 days prior to departure. We reserve the right to make substitutions of a similar standard if necessary. Overnight in San Jose. Hotel Balmoral or similar. Dinner if required. Day 2 San Jose - Tortuguero This morning we travel by bus from San Jose through Braulio Carillo National Park, one of Costa Rica's largest. Later we visit a working banana plantation and pass through a region known for its cocoa production. We then board our riverboat and spend the afternoon journeying through myriad interconnecting rivers and canals that take us finally to the Caribbean coast and Tortuguero Park. The park is a water thoroughfare which is a 160 km (100 mile) stretch of natural rivers, lagoons and estuaries, and connecting man-made waterways that run almost to the Nicaraguan border. The canal is the main "highway" of the northern coastal region, complete with directional signs and branches from the main trunk route. As we go along the canal, keep a keen lookout for views of pastel-coloured toucans and monkeys of various type; if we're lucky, a lazy sloth hanging from a branch, and maybe a coati or two roaming the forest. Stands of mangroves and water hyacinth appear here and there. Scattered along the way are people, too--fishers and farmers whose dugouts serve all the purposes of pickup trucks elsewhere. Mostly the banks remain wild, and the calls of monkeys and whistles of birds predominate over the noises of humans. Riding a canal boat is probably the easiest way to penetrate the lowland tropical rain forest. Overnight in Tortuguero. Laguna Lodge or similar. All meals. Day 3 Tortuguero: Forest Walk & Village Tortuguero Park is a fascinating place to explore. An early morning boat ride offers an opportunity to observe an awakening coastal rain forest full of lush vegetation and unique bird life. After lunch we visit the village of Tortuguero accessible only by river boat; you may choose to walk on the Caribbean beach where several turtle species lay their eggs each year. We will visit the Tortuguero Museum with its excellent displays pertaining to the ecology of the area and an informative video presentation specific to turtle conservation in Tortuguero and the entire Caribbean region. NOTE: The exact order of our activities in Tortuguero may vary depending on weather and other variables. Overnight in Tortuguero. Laguna Lodge or similar. All meals. Day 4 Tortuguero - Baldi Hotsprings - Arenal Volcano After an early breakfast we travel by boat 1?-hour from Tortuguero to the Cano Blanco dock. From there we continue by road (+/- 5 hours) to the la Fortuna / Arenal area. We travel through rolling hills covered with sugar cane fields to overnight near Arenal Volcano. The volcano's regular eruptions and lava flow can be heard and seen in the night sky from afar on a clear night. We make a stop at the Baldi Hotsprings (located near Arenal and outside the Risk Zones established by the National Prevention of Risks and Emergency Commission). Here a geothermally-heated river flows through beautifully landscaped grounds featuring many plant and tree species and great birdlife. We will have time to relax in or around the various pools (bring a towel). The springs feature ten hot pools with different temperatures fed by individual springs and two swim-up bars. This evening (weather permitting) we can view the volcanic activity which may include explosions and lava flows. Overnight at Arenal. Breakfast and dinner. Day 5 Arenal - Monteverde Cloud Forest Today we travel through a rustic rural countryside to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve area (+/- 4 hours). Covered in a mantle of moss, ferns and orchids, this private reserve is home to over 400 species of birds and a great number of animals. The forest is created by the winds, particular temperature and moisture conditions, and mountainous topography which combine during the dry season to hold a steady cloud cover along the continental divide. The rains and the moisture in the air nourish trees and plants rooted in the ground, as well as many plants that live at the upper levels of the forest, and take their nutrients directly from the mist and dust that pass through the air. The result is an enchanted fairy-tale environment where trees are laden with orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns that obscure their branches, where the moisture and mild temperatures and sunlight filtered by the forest canopy encourage the exuberance of begonias, heliconias, philodendron and many other tropical plants in every available space on the ground. This afternoon we have a guided tour of the "Butterfly Garden" where butterflies and other endemic insects are raised and protected in a controlled environment allowing scientists to study them--their place in the food chain and their response to things like increased pollution and climate change. Overnight at Monteverde. Heliconia Hotel or similar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 6 Monteverde Cloud Forest We have a full morning exploring the cloud forest reserve with the help of a local naturalist guide. There is more to the forest than the trees and lesser plants. Of over 320 bird species, the most notable is the quetzal with its long arc of tail feathers. It nests in the trunks of dead trees. Other visually spectacular species include the three-wattled bellbird, the great green macaw, the bare-necked umbrellabird, and the ornate hawk-eagle. Assorted trogons in addition to the quetzal inhabit the reserve, along with more than 50 varieties of hummingbird. About 500 kinds of butterfly are found at Monteverde. Among the more than 100 mammalian species are howler, white-faced and spider monkeys, coatis and their cousins, raccoons; as well as the rarely observed pumas, ocelots, jaguars, tapirs, and kinkajous. This afternoon you may choose to go on an optional "Canopy Walk" excursion, located within the cloud forest. Suspension foot-bridges are strung across deep gorges allowing one to get a bird's eye view of the forest from a totally different perspective than we experienced this morning. At a leisurely pace, one can complete this easy and fascinating walk in about 90 minutes. Your Tour Leader can help you plan this activity (optional cost approx $25-40, subject to change). REMEMBER: This can be a wet and windy place by definition. You should be prepared for varied conditions. Overnight at Monteverde. Heliconia Hotel or similar. Breakfast and dinner. Day 7 Monteverde - San Jose Today we return by road to San Jose. Time permitting, we recommend a visit to the Gold Museum in downtown San Jose (optional), easily the country's best with thousands of different examples of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts (the museum closes at 16:30). Overnight in San Jose. Breakfast and dinner. Day 8 San Jose, Costa Rica - San Pedro Sula, Honduras Today we fly from San Jose to San Pedro Sula and transfer to our hotel. Honduras is an agricultural country of succulent tropical forests with much to offer the visitor. As a nation situated in a region of turbulent political and economic history, Honduras is known by many as one of the participants in the so-called Football War of 1969 when disagreements between fans of El Salvador and Honduras football teams escalated into a full-scale if short-lived war. Today the country is peaceful and beginning to develop a tourist infrastructure partly based on eco-tourism. Overnight in San Pedro Sula. Breakfast and dinner. Day 9 San Pedro Sula - Copan Today we travel by road from San Pedro Sula to Copan. During our time in Copan we will visit the World Bank funded Children's Museum in the town centre. Small but informative, it displays a Mayan rubber ball used in the famous ball games and a video presentation offers visitors the oppurtunity to see a re-enactment of the game. Overnight in Copan. Breakfast and dinner. Day 10 Copan: Site Tour Copan is a superb site and the highlight if any visit to Honduras. The Copan Maya created a ceremonial center that is unparalleled in its architectural beauty. The architects who planned Copan wanted it to be distinctive, unlike any other Maya city, and the design for this ceremonial center was meant to be impressive. We will tour the legendary Archaeological Park of Copan, which consists of two main sites: the ruins and the sepulchres. We also learn about the impressive 63-step stairway with over 2,500 hieroglyphs and masterfully carved stelae, most of which date from AD 613 to 738. Many had vaults beneath them in which sacrifices and offerings could be placed. The Ball Court at Copan is the second largest in Central America; and nearby is Copan's most famous monument, the Hieroglyphic Stairway, the work of King Smoke Shell. The flight of 63 steps bears a history, in several thousand glyphs, of the royal house of Copan. One of the most interesting reliefs shows the 16 great kings of Copan, ending with its creator, Yax Pac. Nearby was a sacrificial vault in which archaeologists discovered the bones of 15 jaguars and several macaws which were probably sacrificed to the glory of Yax Pac and his ancestors. We have a guided walk through the Rosalia and Jaguar tunnels, one of the few opportunities to enter a Mayan pyramid to see upclose the layers upon layers of temples that make up these magical structures. Overnight in Copan. Breakfast and dinner. Day 11 Copan, Honduras - Guatemala City, Guatemala Today we travel by road from Copan to Guatemala City. Overnight in Guatemala City. Breakfast and dinner. Day 12 Guatemala City - Chichicastanengo This morning we travel to Chichicastanengo where we visit the famous market. This is one of Guatemala's largest local markets with an impressive array of beautiful hand-woven textiles and crafts for sale. It is also possible to see the 400 year-old Cathedral of Santo Tomas where Catholic and pagan beliefs mingle as one. Chichicastenango is an important centre of culture and religion for the local Indigenous population. It is also the home of a large population of Maya Quiche Indians, said to be the purest descendants of the ancient Maya. These people still maintain much of their ancestors' culture, including their religious beliefs and practices which are only mixed with the Catholicism forced upon them by the Spanish conquest. It is this relationship with the past, with the old traditions still omnipresent in everyday life, that makes Chichicastenango so fascinating to the outsider and a must for every traveller. About the 1000 people, mainly ladinos (people of mixed Indian and Spanish blood, who reject the traditional lifestyle), live in the village itself. They work as tradespeople or local officials, or they operate the small number of hotels, shops and bars in town. However, over 20,000 Indians live in the surrounding hills, most of them farmers on small plots of land. It is on market days that Chichicastanango comes alive, as Indians pour into the tiny village to sell wares, buy provisions and partake in religious ceremonies. Overnight in Chichicastanengo. Breakfast and dinner. Day 13 Chichicastanengo - Santa Catarina Palopo & San Antonio Palopo - Panajachel Departing Chichi, we drive to Lake Atitlan and visit Santa Catarina Palopo and San Antonio Palopo, two traditional Kaqchikel villages on the south shores of the lake. Before the road was completed in 1980, access was only by boat or by footpaths. Due to this geographic isolation, women still wear backstrap loomed red striped huipiles, red headribbons, and blue skirts, while men dress in similar striped shirts and pants with a small woolen blanket called a rodillera around the hips. A similar garment of cotton was worn by the ancient Maya men. Tunecos, as they call themselves, raise onions and anise in terraced fields extending up from the lake that give the landscape a sculptural form. We continue to Panajachel. Overnight in Panajachel. Breakfast and dinner. Day 14 Panajachel: Lake Atitlan Our journey today takes us across the shimmering waters of Lake Atitlan, nestled beneath the three volcanoes of San Pedro, Atitlan and Toliman. When we visit Santiago de Atitlan you will notice the unusual headdresses that the locals wear which are called Tocoyal and consist of 12 metres/40 feet of material. This is easily the most beautiful and fascinating village on the lake, as well as the largest, with a population of almost 15,000 people if the outskirts are included. Built on the slopes of Volcano Atitlan, is it surrounded on three sides by water and faces Volcano San Pedro across a small bay. Originally the capital of the Tzutuhil Indian nation, Santiago was turned into an important missionary and trading outpost after the Spanish conquest. Today Santiago is one of the most traditional Indian villages in Guatemala, with a purely Indian population that lives much as it did hundreds of years ago. As our boat approaches Santiago's shore, you will see dozens of women standing knee-deep in water, washing their families' clothes against the rocks, often with babies in colourful slings on their backs. This sets the mood for the rest of our visit. Just wander through the streets of this village and you will catch a firsthand glimpse of indigenous life as it is today. As we walk around we see towering volcanoes and spectacular scenery. Flowers are abundant; the white blossoms on coffee plants, bright wildflowers and hibiscus cover the landscape. Once again colour is the focus, costumes which are very vibrant are worn by nearly everyone. The women's costume consists of white and purple huipiles embroidered with birds and flowers, bright red skirts and unique headdresses made from narrow, woven red bands (sometimes over twenty feet long) that are evenly wrapped around their heads until a wide brim is formed. The men's outfits are equally vibrant, with purple and white striped knee-length pants, white shirts and multi-coloured sashes worn nowadays with cowboy hats. While in Santiago we also see Maximon-the mayan "Judas Esacriot" diety. Maximon ("mah-shee-mon") is a popular post-Columbian Mayan folk deity who apparently blends aspects of the Christian Saint Simon with a Mayan god, perhaps Maam, an underworld god. Overnight in Panajachel. Breakfast and dinner. Day 15 Panajachel - Iximche - Antigua This morning we travel to Antigua. We travel by bus through the spectacular volcanic landscape of Guatemala's western highlands to visit Iximche en route, an excellent Maya site which became a model of civic planning. Most of the buildings were erected around four large courtyards. There are also two smaller courtyards at Iximche that may have been used for religious ceremonies. Terraces were levelled from the natural terrain to accommodate platforms for temples, palaces, and other structures. The structures had roofs of thatch or of wooden beams and plaster and have long since perished. Ball courts were common at all civic and religious centres. At Iximche there are two ball courts, one of which has been restored. We also visit the Kojom (music) Museum in Jocotenango before continuing to Antigua. Antigua was a place where religious orders founded churches and monasteries, many of them dedicated to improving the life of the Indian population. Once the third largest city in all of Spanish America, Antigua served as Guatemala's capital city for more than 200 years until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1773. Then called Santiago de Guatemala, Antigua was home to 70,000 people, 32 churches and convents, a fine university and magnificent estates. We spend the afternoon wandering through the cobblestone streets of the enchanting colonial town. We visit the superb Capuchinas Monastery and then walk through quiet cobblestone streets past rebuilt stucco homes with heavy, beautifully carved wooden entrances. Overnight Antigua. Breakfast and dinner. Day 16 Antigua: Free Day Today you are free to explore Antigua. Sit and relax in the Plaza de Armas, the central square, and enjoy the view of the Palace of the Captains General, the old City Hall and the remains of the Cathedral and Archbishop's Palace, excellent examples of Spanish colonial architecture. NOTE: This days exists as a floating "contingency day" in the event that logistical factors necessitate changes to our itinerary. Ie, on some departures, we may fly to Tikal today and spend two nights there instead of one. Passengers continuing to Mexico's Yucatan on some tour combinations may spend one night in Tikal and a free day in Cancun. This situation will be indicated on your final HOTEL LIST and reviewed by your Tour Leader on arrival at destination. Overnight Antigua. Breakfast and dinner. Day 17 Antigua - Guatemala City - Flores - Tikal Site Tour Today we transfer to Guatemala City for our flight to Flores. On arrival we embark on a guided tour to experience the mystiques of Tikal, possibly the most magnificent of all Mayan sites. Here we discover ancient temples, pyramids and stone structures dating from 500 BC. The five great pyramids of Tikal give this ceremonial centre a majestic grandeur unique among Maya cities. The height of the temples, crowned with tremendous roof combs; the complicated assemblage of the palace structures of the central Acropolis; and the complexity of the chronology of the North Acropolis are staggering to anyone visiting Tikal for the first time. In ancient times Tikal functioned mainly as a ceremonial centre in which the aristocratic elite and their priests ruled, dictated, and directed the activities of the architects, builders, craftsmen, and labourers. All endeavours in the region of Tikal were directed to enhance the city, to glorify the gods, to amass wealth, and to acquire tribute for the ruling upper strata of society. To sustain this activity for over a thousand years demanded a well-disciplined peasantry. Overnight near Tikal. Breakfast and dinner. Day 18 Flores - Guatemala City Today we fly back to Guatemala City. Overnight in Guatemala City. Breakfast and dinner. Day 19 Departure Departure from Guatemala City. Breakfast. BUEN VIAJE! Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Costa Rica Vacation specialist Contact: Travelwizard.com |
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