Central America 2026

12 March 2026 The next adventure begins at a very quiet Leeds Bradford Airport The sunrise  from the plane Arrived in Panama City, that bed looks very inviting Panama City at night

Panama City, one of the first cities of the Americas in the 1500’s and the launching point for the exploration and conquest of Peru and a transit point for gold and silver headed back to Spain. We started our day at the ruins of Panama Viejo, the original settlement of…

Today we had an early morning partial transit of the Panama Canal which took about four hours and took us through three locks Extending 51 miles from Panama City to Port of Colon, it connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea and is the world’s most strategic waterway. Our…

Farewell to Panama City, its been an interesting visit.  At the airport for the short flight to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. I think we got the party bus back to the airport! Flying into Costa Rica it was easy to see how mountainous it is Before checking…

Enjoying my coffee even more at breakfast knowing the hard work it has taken to make it. The coffee lady was very dismissive of decaffeinated which apparently has to be steamed to take out the caffeine. They then have to add flavour and the caffeine is sold to the pharmaceutical…

Woke to the dawn chorus and counted over 20 different birds. Not only birds but an agouti sat on the lawn. Early morning views from my balcony. The agouti After breakfast we drove the short distance to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve which covers 10,500 hectares and is a private…

Left the hills and mountains towards Nicaragua. The beauty of Costa Rica was easy to see on the journey down though the hills but not before an early morning bird and animal count Some of the spectacular scenery The Miravalles active volcano At the border crossing into Nicaragua we said…

The colonial city of Granada was founded in 1524 by Captain Franciso Cordoba and sits on Lake Nicaragua  next to Mombacho volcano. It such a pretty town with colourful houses and buildings. Wonderful day today exploring the lakes and volcanoes around Granada. We started with a boat ride on Lake…

Started the morning with a very healthy breakfast. The pineapple is so tasty Last walk through Granada, such a lively town and a bit of a highlight. Minor dropped us off at the airport for the short flight to San Salvador. He has been an excellent guide, not many guides…

Breakfast this morning with quite a view of Lake Suchitlan. Listening to the parakeets and watching the squirrels in the trees A short guided tour of Suchitoto, walking along the cobbled streets, Santa Lucia church, colourful houses and flowers. An avocado tree, each avocado can earn $1 and it’s usual…

Not a bad view to wake up to Ataco is a small town set in the mountains surrounded by coffee plantations. Its name in Nahuati means ‘place of the high springs’. We had an early morning walk around the cobbled streets, the market stalls and vibrant wall art. Standing room…

Near the Guatamalan border is the city of Copan. Cobblestone streets and a main square surrounded by shops, restaurants and museums. It is a very vibrant town with tuk tuks at every turn. Near to the hotel is the Maya ceremonial city of Copan. The area around the ruins has…

We left Copan early for a full day on the road.  Sadly we didn’t get too far because of road blockages. The lorry drivers are protesting about the high cost of petrol. After an hour or so we have left our coach in the queue and taken a little shuttle…

So a slight change of plan following yesterday’s blockade and we managed to leave our temporary residence just after 6.00 pm and drove to Rio Dulce rather than Livingston. Nice hotel set on the river with lots of boat moorings. Apparently when there are hurricanes in the Caribbean people take…

Today we visited Tikal, one of the oldest Maya sites set in a dense subtropical forest environment. The earliest evidence of human habitation is around 700 BC. The first simple structures were built around 500 BC and the first of the substantial structures around 200 BC. Some local wildlife Tikal…

Left the hotel after breakfast listening to the sound of the howler monkeys and a last look for the crocs and terrapins. My Maya symbol I never did school trips like this! Short plane ride to Guatamala City airport. Some shots from the plane The airport was very busy with…

Free day today so a walk around enjoying the atmosphere and the beautiful old buildings Cappuccino the same the world over The fountain in Parque Central!! Fish for sale in the Market but not to eat! Afternoon walk around the town and another cappuccino but this time someone added carrot…

The skies were clear this morning for a shot of the volcanoes. Just managed to get out of the town before the processions started. Thanks Keith for these photos Flying into Panama, boats lined up to transit the canal Sitting in the airport waiting to get the first of three…