A boat journey in Central America will take you places you wouldn’t otherwise reach
Central America has two beach-sprinkled coastlines facing the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and dozens of stunning lakes and jungle-fringed rivers. A boat can be the best – and sometimes the only – way to get from A to B.
In Nicaragua, there are regular sailings from San Jorge to the bucolic island of Ometepe on Lake Nicaragua. Boats also run from Bluefields on the Caribbean Coast to the icing sugar-soft beaches of the Corn Islands, and you can ferry-hop from La Ceiba to the underwater paradise of the Bay Islands in Honduras.
On Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Tortuguero can only be reached by boat or plane, with small boats chugging along the wildlife-rich canals of its namesake national park. On the Pacific Coast, a regular ferry service connects Puntarenas with Playa Naranjo and Paquera, providing easy access to the year-round surf breaks on the Nicoya Peninsula. And daily ferries operate from Golfito to Puerto Jiménez on the wild and wonderful Osa Peninsula.
In Guatemala, you can explore the myriad Mayan villages that dot the shore of Lake Atitlan by lancha (public boat); Panajachel is the main hub for ferry services. And don’t miss a trip along one of the planet’s greatest man-made marvels, the Panama Canal, squeezing along those famous locks and admiring the engineering genius of the Culebra Cut. A partial transit of the isthmus by cruise boat takes around six hours.
Let the plane take the strain
If you’re cash-rich and time-poor, flying can knock hours off many road trips, though there’s an environmental impact to consider in those calculations. For example, the flight from Guatemala City to Flores – gateway to the towering temples of Tikal – takes just one hour, compared to an eight-hour journey by bus.
Panama-based Copa Airlines and Colombian flag carrier Avianca operate the majority of services on the isthmus, and both are part of Star Alliance, making for easy international transfers. Discount Mexican carrier Volaris has some very reasonable low-cost fares to Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador.
You can also take a “puddle-jumper” – a small propeller-driven aircraft used for short local and mainland-to-island hops. You’ll share the tiny open cabin space with the pilot, and you’ll often be weighed along with your baggage at check-in, so pack light.
These diminutive planes are a popular alternative to long road trips and bumpy boat rides to Central America’s fringing islands. Useful routes include Tropic Air’s service from Belize City to Caye Caulker, and La Costeña’s shuttle from Bluefields and Managua to Nicaragua’s Corn Islands.
Small “puddle-jumper” planes connect jungle outposts and offshore islands across Central America © OLyaL / Getty Images
Urban transport is easy in major cities
Trains may be scarce in Central America, but Panama City has the region’s first and only metro, linking the northern and southern reaches of the metropolitan area to the city center, with more lines under development. You’ll need to buy a rechargeable Metro, MetroBus, or RapiPass card to use the service, and these tickets also work on the city’s buses.
In Costa Rica, the Interurbano Line is a commuter train connecting the provinces of San José, Alajuela, Heredia, and Cartago in the lush Central Valley. In other major cities, downtown transport is provided by fleets of local buses, mototaxis and conventional taxis.
My favorite way to travel in Central America is by ‘chicken bus’
Traveling on a chicken bus is an experience like no other. On journeys across the isthmus, I’ve shared a seat with a strident caged cockerel and been swept off the bus by the voluminous skirts of Guatemalan ladies eager to get to market.
It’s always easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow passengers – if you can hear them above the tinny music played at ear-splitting volume on the bus stereo – and a little Spanish goes a long way when it comes to breaking the ice. The buses can be cramped, hot, dusty, and sometimes downright dangerous when careering around blind corners at breakneck speed, but the experience is never dull.
Accessible travel in Central America
Central America still has a way to go before it becomes a truly accessible destination, but it’s not all bad news. Strict accessibility laws saw Costa Rica named the world’s best accessible travel destination in 2021, and awareness of accessibility issues is growing around the region.
Throughout Central America, obstacles include buildings with steps, poor (or absent) sidewalks, hotels without elevators, a general absence of safe road crossings and few accessible buses or boats. In general, hiring a vehicle or using taxis is often the easiest option for those with mobility issues. For more information, see Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Resources page.
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Publish date : 2022-03-19 03:00:00
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