Central American Odyssey: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras & Guatemala

The tour starts today in Granada. Locally known as the "Gran Sultana" it is one of Latin America's most beautiful towns. Founded in 1524 on the shores of vast Lake Nicaragua, it boasts a long history and colonial charm and is famed as one of the oldest European settlements in the western hemisphere. Granada is also a great base to visit pristine nature reserves, active and dormant volcanoes, and the artisan villages in the region. If you arrive early today we recommend a wander around the streets of the city to soak up the atmosphere, and then the group will head out to dinner in a local restaurant.

Today we head out on foot to explore the city's historic centre. We will include visits to the San Francisco Convent founded in 1529, and La Merced church. Here we can climb the bell tower and enjoy spectacular views over the city, Lake Nicaragua, and Mombacho volcano. Whilst wandering we will observe Granada’s mix of traditional Andalusian and Moorish architectural styles, home to beautiful buildings and specifically an array of doorways reflecting the influence of its two cultures. In the late afternoon we take a boat trip arounds the Las Isletas archipelago. The small forest-covered islands were formed by a volcanic eruption over twenty thousand years ago. They are home to an impresive diversity of flora and fauna as well as San Pablo fort, built in the 18th century to protect Granada against English pirates and from where we can enjoy the sunset over the city and lake.

After breakfast we visit the local community ´Nicaragua Libre´, idyllically located on the slopes of Mombacho Volcano. This has been set up by a co-operative of local farmers to showcase their rural community and farming techniques. Here we will be treated to a traditional lunch in a rural setting as well as a chocolate workshop to learn how to make organic chocolate from locally grown beans. We then continue our journey to the port at San Jorge to take a local ferry to Ometepe. This striking island is formed by two volcanoes rising out of Lake Nicaragua. Its name is derived from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning 'two mountains'. We stay here for the next couple of nights.

Ometepe is a wonderfully natural environment with stunning views of the two volcanoes of Concepcion and Maderas, providing quite the backdrop! Today we capture the beauty of the island by hiking through dense jungle in Charco Verde Nature Reserve. Within the reserve are the emerald waters of Chico Largo Lagoon, a mystical place that has inspired many a local legend. En route we will be keeping an eye out for howler monkeys, a myriad of birds and also butterflies. This afternoon, we will pay a visit to Finca Magdalena – a working community-run coffee plantation founded back in 1888. Here we will learn all about the cultivation of organic coffee and not without sampling the goods, of course.

Taking a ferry back to the mainland this morning, we will head to the village of San Juan de Oriente. Here we can observe the local craftsmen in their traditional workshops before enjoying the spectacular scenery over the Apoyo Lagoon from Catarina Viewpoint. After lunch, we will pay a visit to Masaya National Park - gazing down into an active volcano, only to see molten lava flowing in the Santiago crater below. Later we continue our journey to Leon, Nicaragua's second largest city and former capital.

Leon is steeped in revolutionary history and folklore, and played a pivotal role in the 20th century political upheavals in the country, and for many it is still hugely defined by it. Leon's legacy is captured with the revolutionary statues, and murals dotted around the city. Graffiti here is not solely the mark of a frustrated teen, but symbolic of the generations of fervent political independence and thought which still lives on in Leon. We will take a walking tour through the historic part of town, home to more than 12 colonial period churches, each unique in design. These range from Baroque to Neo-Classical tiny parish size chapels, to the mighty Cathedral, and Central America's largest church. The art museum houses works of internationally renowned artists, both classic and contemporary. We also have the opportunity to explore the local market and interact with locals going about their every day lives. In the late afternoon we head for the coastal fishing village of Las Penitas for some relaxation by the beach and a chance for a cocktail watching the sunset.

This morning we transfer to the small port of Potosi, the starting point for our journey across the Gulf of Fonseca, to La Union in El Salvador. The journey will take around 2 hours (weather dependent). The motorboat is open-sided so you may get a little damp during the crossing - all part of the adventure! If we are lucky we will get to see turtles, dolphins, and many species of birds. We will make a stop for lunch on the volcanic island of Zacatillo. On arrival in La Union we will need to go through the immigration procedures for El Salvador before continuing on to the beach town of El Cuco for the night. Please note that if the boat is not operating due to poor weather conditions then we will need to drive to El Cuco. This will be a long day's drive of 8-10 hours via Honduras into El Salvador.

We have a relaxed morning to enjoy the beautiful beach around the hotel. In the afternoon we transfer to Suchitoto, a small town with charming cobblestone streets and vibrant colonial buildings. Suchitoto is the cultural centre of El Salvador, but also boasts the natural and stunning backdrop of Lake Suchitlan, a former river that was dammed. The ecosystem offers budding ornithologists an abundance of bird species to observe, including pelicans, herons and storks.

This morning, we take a walking tour around the town centre to absorb the understated charm of the colonial architecture. We visit the home of Laura Pena, a sexagenarian who has been rolling hand-made cigars from local tobacco for decades. Today the art of cigar hand rolling has practically vanished, but we will have the opportunity at trying our hands at the traditional rolling technique. Our next stop is Pájaro Flor, a cooperative that brings together women artisans from a number of communities. Founded in the wake of the civil war, the seamstresses produce clothes using indigo - a blue dye harvested from the leaves of the xiquilite plant that has been in use since the time of the ancient Maya. We will learn about the history of indigo, the cooperative itself and even have a go at making our own scarf. Later this afternoon, for those who are interested, there is a 1.5 km walk to Los Tercios Waterfall. Its uniqueness and beauty lies in the vertical wall behind the water composed of large hexagonal columns of rock, created during volcanic activity. However, numerous folkloric legends also claim to explain the origins of rocks' shape.

After breakfast we dip into the country’s bustling capital city with a visit to the National Palace, El Rosario Church and the tomb of human rights advocate Monseñor Romero. We will then continue to Joya de Cerén or the Pompeii of America, which was declared a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1993. Here we admire a pre-Columbian Maya farming village preserved remarkably intact under layers of volcanic ash when the village was buried by an eruption around 600 AD. The drive from here is a spectacular one via Nahuizalco, one of the most traditional towns in the area. Famed for handicrafts and furniture made from tulle and willow, we will then continue up the mountain to Salcoatitán. Located at a little over 1,040 metres, it proved the perfect place for the first coffee plantations in the 1860s. Upon arrival in Ataco, we will be making our own dinner tonight during a stuffed pupusa cookery demonstration. This is a traditional dish in El Salvador made of thick corn flatbreads filled with cheese, beans, loroco and pork. Simple but delicious!

This morning we head to the National Park Cerro Verde, an ancient volcano surrounded by the Izalco and Santa Ana volcanoes. Our walk up Santa Ana volcano starts in jungle terrain before gradually ascending above the tree line for great views to the crater. We will enjoy a picnic lunch at the rim where we can see the beautiful turquoise lake below, Izalco and Cerro Verde volcanoes, and the ocean on the horizon. If you would prefer a more relaxed option the National Park has a bird sanctuary with a collection of birds such as emerald Toucanet, magpies, woodpeckers, motmots and hummingbirds. Later in the afternoon we drive to Santa Ana, the second largest city in El Salvador. The walk is approximately 7- 8km and will take 4-5 hours round trip

We start the day with a walking tour of Santa Ana where we explore the city's colonial heritage, as it still boasts many traditional houses. In the heart of the city we visit the stunningly beautiful Neo-Gothic Cathedral. The original version was completed in 1575, but it was hit by lightning in the early 19th century and was re-built between 1906 and 1959. The opulent renaissance style Theatre and the Palacio Municipal are also worth visiting. After lunch in the city centre, we transfer to Copán. This will involve traversing the south east section of Guatemala before arriving in Copán, Honduras where we stay for the next two nights.

Today's focus will be the mystical Mayan site of Copán Ruinas, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ruined citadel and imposing public squares reveal the three main stages of development before the city was abandoned in the early 10th century. Copán, with its temples, plazas and terraces, comprises a typical architectural complex characteristic of the Mayan civilization. The lengthy inscription on the Hieroglyphic Stairway Plaza is of considerable historical significance. The Museum of Mayan Sculpture, is also acclaimed by experts as unique in the Mayan World, boasting the masterpiece of the life sized replica of the famed Rosalila Temple, discovered in 1989. Our lunch spot will be at the Hacienda San Lucas, a beautifully preserved hacienda located in the hills overlooking the site of Copán. Los Sapos, translated as 'The Toads', which lies adjacent to the hacienda, has a collection of old Maya stones and carvings of toads scattered across the site. Archaeologists have interpreted this to be a site for Maya fertility rites, offering one of the oldest labour and delivery rooms known in Honduras. For those who are interested, there is an easy walk back to the centre of Copán to allow you to stretch your legs in the late afternoon. The evening is free for you to wander around this small town and sample some of the local cuisine.

Today we head across the border into Guatemala which is a stone's throw from Copán. Our journey takes us via the archaeological ruins of Quiriguá. Lying along the Motagua River in the south-eastern part of Guatemala, these ruins date back to the Maya Classic Period (AD 200-900), and are located at the crossroads of trade routes between Guatemala and the ancient site of Copán. Culturally, this site offers an array of extraordinary preserved and deciphered stelae, depicting watershed events in Mayan history. We then head north to the Rio Dulce region. Meandering its way through the verdant landscapes of the Rio Dulce National Park the ‘Sweet River’, as it is known in Spanish, runs from Lake Izabal down to the coast and the glittering waters of the Bahia de Amatique. We stay in this natural haven for the night.

Today, we will head north to the amazing site of Yaxhá. Although less well known than Tikal, the ruins at Yaxhá are very impressive with over 500 structures, including temples and a twin-pyramid complex. Climbing to the top of one of the restored temples will give us a truly amazing panorama of the surrounding jungle and the Yahxá and Sacnab lakes, and we’ll spend sunset here before continuing on to Flores. 

We’ll have a leisurely start this morning and there may be some free time in Flores to explore something of its densely packed streets and colonial architecture. Ideal for exploring on foot, Flores is filled with narrow cobbled streets and interesting plazas, its red-roofed buildings adding to its enchanting appeal. Leaving Flores mid morning, we will visit the remarkable ruins of Tikal, set within the lush landscapes of the Parque Nacional Tikal. Considered by many to be the finest collection of Mayan ruins on earth, this stunning UNESCO World Heritage site lies encased in a remote jungle setting. Abandoned over a thousand years ago, the city was once one of the largest and most powerful in the Mayan world, its temples and pyramids spreading across an area of over 16 square kilometres. Deserted since the end of the 9th century AD the city lay lost for centuries, before it was rediscovered in 1848 and its temple complexes again stood testimony to the incredible ingenuity of Mayan engineering. The site is still only partially excavated and the jungle trails that wind through the expansive plazas and past towering Mayan pyramids, enhanced by the choral accompaniment of howler monkeys and toucans, only add to its feeling of remoteness. The views from atop Temple 4 provide vistas that overlook the jungle canopy and stretch out as far as Mexico and Belize.

After an early flight to Guatemala City, we will visit Iximché Mayan Ruins - a hidden gem enroute to the spectacular shores of Lake Atitlan. This is the deepest lake in Central America and considered by many as one of the most beautiful in the Americas. An old caldera, the lake’s volcanic origins are still very much in evidence, the deep escarpments that surround it still being sprinkled with volcanic peaks that attest to its violent beginnings. Heading down to Lake Atitlan we then gaze upon a setting that Aldous Huxley once described as ‘really too much of a good thing’. Covering over 130 square kilometres, the lake’s fertile shores are dotted with farms producing coffee, corn, avocados and strawberries, whilst the villages that blanket the basin still retain the deep seated traditions of their Mayan heritage. We continue to the small town of Santa Catarina Palopó later this afternoon, where we will spend the next two nights.

Today we take a boat trip to visit some of the villages dotted around the lake. At Santiago Atitlán, populated by Tz’utujil-speaking Mayans, we visit the colourful market and observe the spectacularly dressed Mayan women. The local church is adorned with dozens of statues of saints dressed in indigenous clothes, representing a unique fusion of Catholicism and Mayan motifs. The church’s three altarpieces represent the three volcanoes surrounding the town, and these play a prominent part in local myths. During our visit we will go in search of Maximón, a Mayan and Spanish-Catholic deity, also known as San Simon. Venerated as a folk saint he has a dubious track record of womanising, smoking and drinking, and we will hear many tales about his exploits. Today, the effigy of Maximón moves residence between local families and is relocated each year during the procession of Holy Week. Later we visit the village of San Juan La Laguna, famed for its traditional artisans producing paintings and intricate textiles using organic dyes. Returning to Santa Catarina we have the opportunity of visiting the local project of Pintando Santa Catarina, introduced to regenerate the village and local economy by encouraging visitors using the medium of local art. The concept of 'art inspires life' can be seen in bold and grand colourful designs on houses all around the village.

This morning we head to the highland market town of Chichicastenango. The town's colourful and lively market is famed throughout the region and it is an ideal place to pick up a bargain or two amongst the pigs and pottery. You will also have a chance to visit the 400 year old Church of St Tomas, where a unique mix of Mayan ceremony and Catholic faith demonstrates a fascinating centuries old collaboration between the two religions. Heading south we make a stop to see the Stone faced idol, Pascual Abaj, situated on a hill side above the town. The local people or 'Chuchkajaues' make offerings and say prayers at this site. After taking lunch with a local family we drive to the charming city of Antigua. Set in a beautiful valley and surrounded by volcanic peaks, Antigua has been described as one of the finest colonial cities left in the Americas. Dating back to the early part of the 16th century, this World Heritage gem is blessed with a stunning collection of beautifully preserved colonial buildings that have survived centuries of earthquakes, floods and the relentless onset of progress.

Guatemalan coffee is considered to be amongst the finest in the world, and this morning we will take a tour of one of the region’s small, independent coffee producers. Supported by a number of organisations that promote environmentally responsible agriculture, the tour affords a chance to see how the coffee is picked and washed, graded and then roasted over open fires, before being hand ground on a traditional grindstone. We finish by sampling a cup of freshly brewed local coffee with the family. Returning to Antigua we embark on a walking tour of the city exploring its historical core. This includes a number of its ruined churches and convents such as the 16th century churches of Iglesia San Francisco. The cathedral of La Merced, in its heyday, was one of the Central America’s largest. This evening we will head out for a farewell dinner in one of the local restaurants in the city.

The tour ends this morning in Antigua