Wonders of Central America 22 Days | Panama City (Panama) to Antigua (Guatemala)
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TRIP NOTES Wonders of Central America 22 days | Panama City (Panama) to Antigua (Guatemala) Discover the natural and cultural • Granada - Stroll around Central America's What's Not Included oldest Colonial city on the shore of Lake highlights of six Central American • International flights and visas Nicaragua countries on this three-week • Departure taxes or border taxes • Ometepe - Spend three relaxing days on tour which travels from Panama • Tipping - an entirely personal gesture this exquisite volcanic island in the middle to Guatemala. Visit wildlife-rich of Lake Nicaragua national parks and remote islands, • Copan - Take a guided tour of the world DETAILED ITINERARY uncover ancient secrets in Mayan famous Mayan Ruins of Copan Day 1 : Panama City ruins and roam around colonial • Antigua - Guatemala's delightful colonial Saturday. Welcome to Panama! Those cities. town • Masaya National Park – Visit Nicaragua's passengers arriving on an international flight beautiful volcanic crater lakes and walk to will be met at the airport by the tour leader HIGHLIGHTS AND INCLUSIONS the rim of the active volcano or a local representative and escorted to the • Suchitoto - Take in El Salvador's group hotel. Overnight - Panama City Trip Highlights captivating cultural capital • Panama City - Visit the famous Panama Day 2 : Panama Sightseeing Canal and explore Central America's most What's Included cosmopolitan and wealthy capital • Breakfast daily • Boquete - Ride in a chicken bus and • 21 nights 3-4 star hotels explore Panama's coffee growing country • Arrival and departure transfer on days 1 • Bocas del Toro Archipelago - Discover and day 22 Panama's pristine islands, with their • Transfers and transportation in private air- laid back Caribbean vibe and beautiful conditioned vehicles with one public bus beaches journey from Panama City to Boquete • Sarapiqui - Visit some of the wonderful • Escorted by an English-speaking local national parks in the area or the Sarapiqui tour leader Your guided tour explores Central America's River • Walking tour of Granada, Panama City most cosmopolitan and wealthy capital, • Monteverde National Park - Hike through and Canal and Antigua built along picturesque Panama Bay. The the beautiful cloud forest, shrouded in a • Guided tour of Mayan Ruins in Copan contemporary Hong Kong-style skyscrapers canopy of cloud and home to a wonderful • Excursions to Masaya National Park and of the Paitilla district dominate the skyline at array of flora and fauna market, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Colon one end, whilst at the other lies the decaying, • Leon - Explore this charming old Colonial island and Ometepe Island peeling colonial heart of San Felipe. After town discovering the narrow streets, delightful Wonders of Central America - 22 days updated on 26-09-2021 10:34:09 www.onthegotours.com This information has been compiled with care and good faith. They give an accurate illustration of the proposed arrangements for this holiday. Circumstances beyond our control such as changes in local conditions, inclement weather or other reasons could force us to make changes to UK 020 7371 1113 [email protected] this itinerary. Any costs shown are subject to change, though are an accurate reflection of costs at time of writing. Please also note that visa AUS 1300 855 684 [email protected] requirements are subject to change and are the responsibility of the traveller and not that of On The Go Tours. NZ 0800 44 77 69 CAN 1 866 890 7038 - 1 - USA 1 866 606 2960 SA 0800 990 311 TRIP NOTES Wonders of Central America plazas and overhanging balconies of this area the humid lowlands. From here, we board a America, Costa Rica has long been a haven you continue to Panama Viejo. This is the site ferry across the Caribbean to the archipelago of stability; there's a democratic government, of the city's original settlement until it was of Bocas del Toro, 24 km offshore (30mins in and they feel no need for a national army. ransacked by the infamous British buccaneer calm weather). Henry Morgan in 1671. Starting along the road from Sixaola to Bribri The beautiful islands of Bocas del Toro remain vast tropical plantations stretch on either side The excursion proceeds out of town to the isolated from mainstream tourism, but it won't as far as the eye can see. After an hour the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks. be long before this densely wooded region road returns to the Caribbean coast, and the As the excellent visitors' centre elaborates, of secluded bays, coral reefs and Guaymi journey continues for another couple of hours this extraordinary feat of engineering was Indian settlements is firmly on the map. There along the picturesque, palm-lined highway started by the French diplomat Ferdinand de are 6 large islands and countless smaller to Limon. From here it's another 2hrs onto Lesseps in 1880, following his success with ones. Water taxis ferry local people and Sarapiqui, a small town that has become a the recently inaugurated Suez Canal, but was tourists between the small communities that popular base in which to take advantage only completed in 1914 after the Americans dot the archipelago. Only the largest island, of the wonderful forested national parks in assumed ownership. To the delight of most Isla Colon, has any roads and there is one the area, dispersed between banana and Panamanians, the canal was returned to major settlement here, Bocas: we spend 2 pineapple plantations. Panama on 31 December 1999. Overnight - nights here. Panama City (B) From the lodge where we are based Bocas is an unkempt but charming little spend the next day exploring this exciting Day 3 : Boquete seaside town. Even though there is no densely forested region. This exuberant Panama City - Boquete. Board a bus for beach the burgeoning number of lodgings, foliage creates an enticing habitat for many the journey across western Panama, along simple seafood restaurants and little bars, species of bird and wildlife and there are the Pan-American Highway (approx. 7 hours) make Bocas a great place to relax. Evenings numerous national parks to explore. You can to the city of David where you switch to are balmy and generally low key, with view the canopy from above via a series of an old American school bus, known fondly activity restricted to the huddle of welcoming hanging bridges and towers, or hike through it as a ‘chicken bus’, for the last stretch. The little watering holes along the shore. The on trails and paths that wind through the trees. ascent to Boquete is the most scenic section archipelago also supports very traditional For the more adventurous the Rio Sarapiqui of the trip as the road winds up through communities of Guaymi Indian fishermen who runs just east of the main street and is popular the mist and into the cloud forest. In the live in wooden houses suspended above the for rafting on its rapids. There are numerous foothills of the Baru volcano the town of water on stilts. They travel solely by canoe, other activities in the area including mountain- Boquete, with its cool, clean air, comes as relying on paddle-power to get around. biking, boat trips and canopying or you may a pleasant respite from the heat and frenzy prefer just to relax and prepare for the next Explore the islands and revel in the laid- of Panama City. This settlement in the heart leg of your trip. Overnight - Sarapiqui (B:2) back Caribbean atmosphere on day 5. One of Panama's coffee- growing country is your optional day trip is to the Bastimentos National base for explorations into the surrounding Days 8-9 : Monteverde Marine Park. Spend the day on the beautiful area. Overnight - Boquete (B) National Park white sand beaches and delve into the jungle, Days 4-5 : Bocas del Toro rich with wildlife, which covers Bastimentos Island. Maybe take the plunge and snorkel around one of the spellbinding coral atolls. (Snorkels can be hired in Bocas.) Alternatively, adopt your own tropical island for the day. Take a short boat trip out to a deserted islet, pursued by playful dolphins, and lounge beneath the palms, or cruise among dense mangroves, spotting marine life beneath the clear surface of the Caribbean. Overnight - Sarapiqui - Monteverde. We board a private Bocas del Toro (B:2) bus for the 4 hour journey to Santa Elena Boquete - Bocas del Toro. In the afternoon on the edge of the Monteverde National a bus heading north takes us across the Days 6-7 : Sarapiqui Park. This is a magical sanctuary of verdant, continental divide to the Caribbean coast. This Bocas del Toro - Sarapiqui (Costa Rica). Back dripping cloud forest high up in the Costa beautiful road winds its way through forested on the mainland, a short, scenic road journey Rican mountains. Monteverde is home to the mountain scenery and descends to Almirante, through wooded countryside brings us to the elusive resplendent quetzal, an exotic bird a railhead for the export of bananas grown in Costa Rican border. An anomaly in Central with an emerald green body and rust-red Wonders of Central America - 22 days updated on 26-09-2021 10:34:09 www.onthegotours.com This information has been compiled with care and good faith. They give an accurate illustration of the proposed arrangements for this holiday. Circumstances beyond our control such as changes in local conditions, inclement weather or other reasons could force us to make changes to UK 020 7371 1113 [email protected] this itinerary. Any costs shown are subject to change, though are an accurate reflection of costs at time of writing. Please also note that visa AUS 1300 855 684 [email protected] requirements are subject to change and are the responsibility of the traveller and not that of On The Go Tours.