Central America Explorer — Self-Launched Solo Version

Land at Benito Juárez (MEX) and take the Metrobús line 4 or an authorised airport taxi (~£5-8) into the Centro Histórico or Zona Rosa. Settle into a hostel dorm, get a SIM (Telcel Amigo, ~£5 for data) and walk the Zócalo and Alameda Central at dusk. Buy an ADO bus ticket for the days ahead at a ticket office or via the ADO app.

🚌Metrobús/authorised taxi from MEX airport, ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm, Centro Histórico (e.g. Hostel Home or Casa Pepe dorm)

• →Zócalo orientation walk
• →Metropolitan Cathedral exterior

DIY taco crawl: start at El Huequito or a taquería near Bellas Artes for tacos al pastor, work through the Mercado de San Juan for quesadillas and exotic produce, then finish on Calle Génova in Zona Rosa. In the evening, free walking tours of the Centro run daily (tip-based, ~£5 tip) as a substitute for the leader-led orientation walk. Optional: Plaza Garibaldi for mariachi, or a rooftop mezcal bar.

🚌Metro/Metrobús, ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Centro Histórico

• →Self-guided taco crawl (al pastor, mercado snacks)
• →Free walking tour (tip-based)
• →Plaza Garibaldi at night

Morning: take the Tren Ligero to Xochimilco and hire a shared trajinera at Embarcadero Nativitas (~£10 per group, split with boatmates you meet) — the chinampa canals are the same UNESCO-listed wetland system the Intrepid tour visits in San Pedro Tláhuac. Afterwards, ADO bus from TAPO terminal to Puebla (2 hrs, ~£10). Evening orientation walk around the Zócalo and a stop at La Pasita, Puebla's famous liqueur bar.

🚌Tren Ligero + ADO bus TAPO–Puebla, ~£12

🛏Hostel dorm, Puebla Centro

• →Xochimilco trajinera boat ride (~£4 pp shared)
• →Puebla Zócalo orientation walk
• →La Pasita bar

Visit the Templo de Santo Domingo and its gilded Capilla del Rosario (free/cheap entry), then take a local bus or colectivo to Cholula to walk the tunnels inside the Great Pyramid (the largest by volume in the world) with Popocatépetl views. Back in Puebla, browse the Parián market for talavera pottery and eat mole poblano at a fonda. Book your ADO ticket to Oaxaca for tomorrow.

🚌Local bus to Cholula, ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Puebla Centro

• →Santo Domingo & Capilla del Rosario
• →Great Pyramid of Cholula + tunnels
• →Puebla handicraft market

ADO bus Puebla–Oaxaca (4.5 hrs, ~£20). Check into a hostel near the Zócalo, then do a self-guided market lunch at Mercado 20 de Noviembre — order tasajo and cecina from the smoke-filled pasillo de carnes and a tejate. Evening stroll along the Andador Macedonio Alcalá with a mezcal in the Plaza de la Constitución.

🚌ADO bus Puebla–Oaxaca, ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm, Oaxaca Centro

• →Mercado 20 de Noviembre market lunch
• →Andador walk + mezcal tasting

Early colectivo or local bus to Monte Albán (~£3 return) to beat the heat and crowds at the Zapotec hilltop city. Afternoon: book a half-day Oaxacan cooking class via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£30-40, often including a market visit) or a mezcal distillery tour. Evening: street art in Xochimilco barrio and tlayudas.

🚌Colectivo to Monte Albán, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Oaxaca Centro

• →Monte Albán archaeological site
• →Oaxacan cooking class (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£35)
• →Street food walk

Recreate the tour's craft day independently: local bus to Santa María del Tule for the 2,000-year-old ahuehuete (entry ~£1) and on to Teotitlán del Valle, where family weaving workshops welcome walk-ins and sell directly. A palenque mezcal tasting is easy to arrange in Santiago Matatlán on the same road. Then night bus or late ADO to Tehuantepec (overnight option saves a hotel night).

🚌Local buses + ADO to Tehuantepec, ~£18

🛏Night bus or budget hotel in Tehuantepec

• →Árbol del Tule
• →Teotitlán del Valle weaving workshops
• →Mezcal palenque tasting

Long travel day: ADO bus Tehuantepec–San Cristóbal (approx 8-9 hrs via Tuxtla Gutiérrez, ~£30-35) with winding mountain roads — take motion-sickness tablets. Arrive in the cool Chiapas highlands, check into a hostel, and do an evening orientation walk of the pedestrianised Real de Guadalupe and the plaza.

🚌ADO bus, ~£32

🛏Hostel dorm, San Cristóbal

• →Orientation walk around Real de Guadalupe
• →Plaza 31 de Marzo

Colectivo to San Juan Chamula (~£1) to see the pine-strewn, candle-lit church of San Juan Bautista — no photos inside, be respectful of the syncretic rituals. Combine with Zinacantán weaving co-ops. In the afternoon, book a shared Sumidero Canyon boat tour (collectivo tour from town, ~£18-22) for the 1,000 m cliff walls and crocodiles.

🚌Colectivos, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, San Cristóbal

• →San Juan Chamula church
• →Zinacantán weaving co-op
• →Sumidero Canyon boat trip (~£20)

Take a tourist colectivo/shuttle San Cristóbal–Palenque (approx 6 hrs, ~£15-20) that stops at Agua Azul or Misol-Há waterfalls en route — sold from any travel agency on Real de Guadalupe. Arrive in Palenque town, a sweaty lowland contrast; pick a budget cabaña or hostel with fans and book an early entrance ticket for the ruins.

🚌Shared shuttle, ~£18

🛏Hostel or cabaña, Palenque town

• →Agua Azul/Misol-Há waterfall stop
• →Palenque town evening walk

Colectivo to the Palenque archaeological site (~£2) at opening (8am) — hire a licensed guide at the gate for ~£25 per group or join a shared group. Climb the Temple of the Inscriptions precinct and the palace tower, listening for howler monkeys. Afternoon combi to Misol-Há waterfall (~£3) for a swim. Book a shuttle towards Campeche/Mérida for tomorrow.

🚌Colectivos, ~£5

🛏Hostel or cabaña, Palenque town

• →Palenque archaeological site (guided at gate ~£10 pp shared)
• →Misol-Há waterfall swim

ADO bus Palenque–Campeche (approx 5 hrs, ~£20), then a quick walk of Campeche's pastel-walled UNESCO centre and a seafood lunch before the ADO on to Mérida (2.5 hrs, ~£12). Evening orientation around the Plaza Grande and Paseo de Montejo — Mérida is one of the safest, most sociable cities for solo travellers in Mexico, with free cultural events most nights.

🚌ADO buses Palenque–Campeche–Mérida, ~£32

🛏Hostel dorm, Mérida Centro

• →Campeche historic centre walk
• →Mérida Plaza Grande & Paseo de Montejo

Book either a shared tour to Uxmal (~£25-30 via GetYourGuide, or ADO Oriente bus independently ~£8 return) with its rounded Puuc pyramids and light show, or a Celestún boat trip for flamingos and mangroves (~£30 with transport). Evenings: Mérida's Sunday Mérida en Domingo street festival, marquesitas and hammock shopping.

🚌ADO/local bus, ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, Mérida Centro

• →Uxmal Maya ruins
• →Celestún flamingo boat trip (optional)
• →Mérida street food

Early ADO Oriente bus to Chichén Itzá (2 hrs, ~£10), arriving at 8am opening to dodge tour buses — buy tickets at the gate and hire a guide (~£25 per group) or use an audio guide. Bus to Pisté for a Yucatecan lunch (poc chuc, sopa de lima), then ADO to Playa del Carmen (approx 4 hrs, ~£16). Evening walk down Quinta Avenida.

🚌ADO buses, ~£26

🛏Hostel dorm, Playa del Carmen (5 av blocks back from the beach)

• →Chichén Itzá with El Castillo & cenote
• →Yucatecan lunch in Pisté
• →Quinta Avenida orientation walk

Option A: ferry to Cozumel (~£7 each way) and shore-dive/snorkel Colombia reefs or hire a dive boat (2-tank dive ~£65). Option B: stay mainland and snorkel cenotes — Dos Ojos or Gran Cenote tours ~£30-40 via GetYourGuide. Tacos and cocktails on Calle 12 with hostel mates in the evening.

🚌Ferry/colectivo, ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm, Playa del Carmen

• →Cozumel ferry + snorkel/dive (~£30-65)
• →Cenote snorkelling
• →Tacos & cocktails

Colectivo south to Cenote Azul (~£2) for a cheap, open-air swim, then continue by colectivo to Tulum to explore the clifftop ruins (entry ~£6) and the public beach below. Return for a relaxed evening — Playa is a good laundry/resupply stop. Book a Bacalar-bound ADO ticket for tomorrow.

🚌Colectivos, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Playa del Carmen

• →Cenote Azul swim
• →Tulum ruins & beach
• →Resupply/laundry

ADO bus Playa–Bacalar (approx 4 hrs, ~£14). Join a shared sailboat or pontoon tour of the Lagoon of Seven Colours (~£20-25, bookable on arrival at the pier) and lunch on the lakeshore. Continue to Chetumal (~1.5 hrs, ~£5) to position for the Belize crossing; a budget hotel near the bus terminal keeps costs low.

🚌ADO buses, ~£19

🛏Budget hotel, Chetumal

• →Bacalar lagoon boat tour
• →Lakeshore lunch
• →Chetumal waterfront malecón

Take the Chetumal–San Pedro water taxi (Belize Express, ~£40-45 one way, about 1.5-2 hrs with immigration formalities) and connect to Caye Caulker (~£12) — or the through service if running. Pay the Belize departure/entry fees at the terminal. Watch for manatees at the split. Check into a guesthouse and walk the sandy roads at sunset — no cars, just golf carts.

🚌Water taxi Chetumal–San Pedro–Caye Caulker, ~£52

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Caye Caulker

• →Water taxi crossing to Belize
• →Caye Caulker sunset at the Split

Book a half-day snorkel trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley directly with one of the many local operators on Front Street (~£25-30, gear included) — nurse sharks, rays and coral gardens. Afternoon: rent a bike (~£4) to ride to the north split, or just swim and swing in the hammocks. Fresh lobster or snapper grilled at a beach shack for dinner.

🚌Walking/bike, ~£4

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Caye Caulker

• →Hol Chan Marine Reserve snorkel (~£28)
• →Bike rental & north split
• →Beach time

Join a small-group Belizean cooking class with a local family (~£25-35, book a day ahead through your guesthouse or GetYourGuide) to make rice and beans, stew chicken and coconut plantain. Afternoon: optional manatee-watching boat trip (~£25) or a lazy beach afternoon. Note lobster season is 15 June–15 Feb — outside that, go for conch or snapper.

🚌Walking

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Caye Caulker

• →Belizean cooking class with local family (~£30)
• →Manatee spotting boat trip (optional)
• →Beach swimming

Water taxi back to Belize City (~£15) and a local bus or shared shuttle to San Ignacio (~£6-10, 2.5 hrs). San Ignacio is a friendly, walkable river town and a great base. Evening orientation around Burns Avenue and dinner at a Maya-run spot with cochinita pibil and rice and beans.

🚌Water taxi + local bus/shuttle, ~£23

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, San Ignacio

• →Burns Avenue orientation walk
• →Belizean/Maya dinner

Three good options for a solo traveller: (1) local bus to San José Succotz + hand-cranked ferry and a walk/climb to Xunantunich (~£5 total, El Castillo has a frieze) — the cheapest; (2) Actun Tunichil Muknal cave tour (~£95-110, licensed guides mandatory, book ahead — genuinely spectacular but not budget); (3) shared taxi to Big Rock Falls in Mountain Pine Ridge (~£25) for swimming. Evening at the Santa Elena barbecue stalls.

🚌Local bus/collectivo, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, San Ignacio

• →Xunantunich Maya site
• →Actun Tunichil Muknal cave (optional, ~£100)
• →Big Rock Falls (optional)
• →Santa Elena BBQ stalls

Shared shuttle San Ignacio–Tikal via the Benque/Melchor border (~£25-30, approx 3 hrs including border). Enter Tikal at midday or early afternoon when crowds thin (entry ~£20), hire a licensed guide at the gate or book a GetYourGuide tour, and climb Temple IV for canopy and toucan views. Shuttle on to Flores for the night.

🚌Shared shuttle + Tikal transfer, ~£32

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Flores

• →Tikal National Park (entry ~£20)
• →Temple IV canopy climb
• →Flores island evening

Breakfast at a lakeside café on Flores, then the local bus or shuttle to Río Dulce (~£9-12, 3-4 hrs) crossing into Izabal's jungle lowlands. Check into a riverside hostel or lodge (Finca Tatin and similar are reachable by boat). Afternoon swim and a self-guided jungle walk along the river trails — howler monkeys and kingfishers.

🚌Local bus/shuttle, ~£11

🛏Riverside hostel/lodge, Río Dulce

• →Flores lakeside breakfast
• →Río Dulce riverside jungle walk
• →River swim

Public lancha down the gorge to Livingston (~£12-15 return, buy at the muelle) — the boat ride alone is worth it. Livingston is Afro-Caribbean Garifuna country: eat tapado (coconut seafood soup), then take a Garifuna drumming/dance class with a local group (~£12-15, arranged through guesthouses or the Casa de la Cultura). Return boat to Río Dulce by late afternoon.

🚌Public lancha, ~£14

🛏Riverside hostel/lodge, Río Dulce

• →Boat to Livingston (~£14)
• →Garifuna drumming & dance class (~£14)
• →Tapado lunch

Long shuttle day Río Dulce–Antigua (~£25-30, 7-8 hrs via Morales/Guatemala City, or a chicken-bus chain for less). Arrive into the colonial grid below Volcán de Agua and check into a hostel near the Arco de Santa Catalina. Group dinner optional — hostels here run family dinners most nights, which is the easiest solo social entry point.

🚌Shared shuttle, ~£28

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua

• →Antigua arrival walk
• →Hostel family dinner

Free day: wander the cobblestones, the ruined Monasterio de Santa Clara and Convento de las Capuchinas, browse the Mercado de Artesanías, and eat at the street stalls by the bus station (tostadas, churros). Afternoon: book a volcano hike for a later day or a coffee-farm tour. Cafés on 5a Avenida are good for planning the Guatemala loop.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua

• →Monasterio de Santa Clara ruins
• →Mercado de Artesanías
• →Coffee farm tour (optional)

Local bus to San Andrés Itzapa to visit the shrine of San Simón, where a shamanic ceremony (limpia) can be arranged respectfully on site for a small offering (~£8-10). Continue by chicken bus via Chimaltenango to Quetzaltenango (~£6 total). Evening orientation around Parque Central in the cool highland air — Xela is a real Guatemalan city with almost no tourist gloss.

🚌Chicken buses, ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm, Quetzaltenango

• →Temple of San Simón ceremony (~£9)
• →Chicken bus rides
• →Xela Parque Central walk

The full chicken-bus experience: a brightly painted bus to Almolonga vegetable market (~£0.70), where giant carrots, radishes and flowers fill the streets and women in traje sell at dawn. Back in Xela for breakfast, then an afternoon side trip to Zunil's Maximón shrine or the Fuentes Georginas hot springs (~£8 by shared pickup).

🚌Chicken buses/shared pickup, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Quetzaltenango

• →Chicken bus to Almolonga market
• →Fuentes Georginas hot springs (optional)
• →Xela market food

Chicken bus to Chichicastenango for the Thursday/Sunday market (~£2.50, 2 hrs) — textiles, masks, copal smoke on the church steps. Then bus down to Panajachel on Lake Atitlán (~£2). Pick a hostel with a lake view, and take a sunset walk along the shore road.

🚌Chicken buses, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Panajachel

• →Chichicastenango market
• →Textile & handicraft shopping
• →Lake Atitlán sunset walk

Public lancha across the lake to Santiago Atitlán (~£4 each way, 25 min) to visit the shrine of Maximón, where local shamans conduct rituals for offerings (~£3-5 entry, drink a small cup of local spirit if offered, photos may cost extra). Visit the weaving co-op and the church where a Maya saint-shrine sits alongside Catholic iconography. Boat back for dinner in Pana.

🚌Public lancha, ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, Panajachel

• →Public boat to Santiago Atitlán
• →Maximón shrine with shamans
• →Weaving co-op visit

Morning lake time or a cooking class in Pana (many hostels offer short classes, ~£15-20). Shuttle or chicken bus back to Antigua (~£8-12, 3 hrs). Re-orient in Antigua's historic centre, and book your Copán shuttle for tomorrow. Final group dinner equivalent: join a hostel dinner or a happy hour on the arch-side terraces.

🚌Shuttle/chicken bus, ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua

• →Cooking class in Panajachel (optional)
• →Antigua historic centre walk
• →Hostel social dinner

Book a ChocoMuseo bean-to-bar workshop (~£20) or hike Pacaya volcano with a shared tour (~£25-30 including s'mores over lava vents) or climb Acatenango overnight if you're up for it (~£60-75). Otherwise, café-hop around Parque Central and check the Gold Museum. Pack light for the border crossing.

🚌Local transport, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua

• →ChocoMuseo workshop (~£20)
• →Pacaya volcano hike (optional ~£28)
• →Parque Central cafes

Shared shuttle Antigua–Copán Ruinas (~£30-35, 5-6 hrs via El Florido, arrival fees ~£3 exit Guatemala + ~£3 entry Honduras). Alternatively a cheaper chicken-bus chain via Chiquimula. Copán Ruinas is a small cobbled town with a relaxed plaza — walk to the Central Plaza in the evening and eat baleadas, a Honduran staple for ~£2.

🚌Shared shuttle, ~£33

🛏Hostel dorm/budget guesthouse, Copán Ruinas

• →Copán Ruinas central plaza
• →Baleadas dinner

Walk 1 km to the site (~£20 entry, ~£20 for a licensed guide or join a shared group). The Hieroglyphic Stairway and the Sculpture Museum are the highlights; the scarlet macaws in the trees are a bonus. Afternoon: Macaw Mountain bird park (~£10, rescue centre) or a tuk-tuk to the Luna Jaguar hot springs (~£12 with dinner if self-arranged).

🚌Walking/tuk-tuk, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm/budget guesthouse, Copán Ruinas

• →Copán ruins + hieroglyphic stairway
• →Sculpture Museum
• →Macaw Mountain (optional)
• →Luna Jaguar hot springs (optional)

Cross into El Salvador by local transport via El Poy or by shuttle (~£20-25 to San Salvador), then a chicken bus on to Suchitoto (~£1.50, 1.5 hrs). This whitewashed colonial town above Lake Suchitlán is El Salvador's prettiest, with a strong pupusa tradition. Evening: pupusería dinner and a walk to the mirador over the lake.

🚌Shared shuttle + chicken bus, ~£25

🛏Budget guesthouse, Suchitoto

• →Pupusa dinner
• →Suchitoto mirador walk

Morning pupusa cooking demonstration (many guesthouses and the Centro Arte para la Paz arrange this, ~£10) or join a short class. Then visit an indigo (añil) dyeing workshop in town — El Salvador's historic dye tradition — with a local designer, entry and demo ~£8-12. Afternoon: hike in the Cinquera forest with a local guide (~£15) to visit former guerrilla trails and waterfalls.

🚌Local buses, ~£2

🛏Budget guesthouse, Suchitoto

• →Pupusa cooking demonstration
• →Indigo dyeing workshop
• →Cinquera forest hike (optional)

Buses to San Salvador's Terminal del Sur, then a coastal bus down to El Tunco or El Zonte (~£3 total, 3 hrs). Book a surf hostel and rent a board or take a lesson (~£20-25). The dark volcanic sand and warm water are the draw; sunset beers and a cheap fish dinner on the beach.

🚌Local buses, ~£4

🛏Surf hostel dorm, El Tunco/El Zonte

• →Surf lesson or board rental
• →Black-sand beach time
• →Seafood dinner

Cross the Gulf of Fonseca the local way: bus to La Unión (El Salvador), boat to Potosí (Nicaragua, ~£5-8), then buses via Chinandega to León (~£5 total, roughly 6-8 hrs) — or a direct Ticabus/King Quality if timings suit (~£25-30). Check into a hostel near the cathedral and eat vigorón and quesillo at the market.

🚌Buses + boat + border fees, ~£16

🛏Hostel dorm, León

• →Gulf of Fonseca boat crossing
• →León orientation walk
• →Vigorón & quesillo street food

Book volcano boarding on Cerro Negro (~£25-30 including board, suit, transport — shop around, prices are negotiable). Afternoon: climb to the roof of León Cathedral (whitewashed, ~£2), visit the Ortiz Gurdian art foundation (~£3), and take a free tip-based walking tour or a dusk trip to see lava at Masaya (if open).

🚌Tour transport, ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, León

• →Cerro Negro volcano boarding (~£28)
• →León Cathedral rooftop
• →Art museum/free walking tour

Bus to the Laguna de Apoyo viewpoint for a plunge into the crater lake (~£10 day access at a lagoon hostel), then local buses to Masaya artisan market (~£1) and on to Granada (~£1). Granada's colonial core is walkable: check into a hostel near Parque Central, wander La Calzada and the lakeshore at sunset.

🚌Local buses, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Granada

• →Laguna de Apoyo swim
• →Masaya artisan market
• →Granada orientation walk

Breakfast at Café de las Sonrisas (a deaf-run social enterprise), then take a shared boat tour of the islets (~£10-15) to see the fortress island and monkey islands, or rent a kayak (~£8). Afternoon: Convento y Museo San Francisco (~£3) and a sloth-spotting walk of the malecón. Climb the church tower for the rooftop view at golden hour.

🚌Walking/boat, ~£12

🛏Hostel dorm, Granada

• →Café de las Sonrisas breakfast
• →Islets boat tour
• →Convento San Francisco

Long transit day: bus to Rivas/Peñas Blancas border crossing, then buses to Liberia and on to Monteverde via a shared shuttle for the last stretch (~£25-35 total, 9-10 hrs). Alternatively book a direct shuttle Granada–Monteverde (~£45). Arrive into the cool cloud forest and check into a Santa Elena hostel. Pack layers — nights are cold.

🚌Buses + shuttle, ~£32

🛏Hostel dorm, Santa Elena/Monteverde

• →Border crossing & Santa Elena orientation walk

Breakfast at a women's cooperative café (Café Monteverde or the Santa Elena co-op). Book ziplining (Selvatura or Extremo, ~£40-50) or a coffee/chocolate co-op tour (~£25). At dusk, join a guided night walk (~£20) for kinkajous, glass frogs and sleeping sloths — bookable through any Santa Elena office or GetYourGuide.

🚌Walking/local bus, ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Santa Elena/Monteverde

• →Zipline canopy tour (~£45)
• →Coffee/chocolate co-op tour (optional)
• →Night walk (~£20)

Morning self-guided walk or guided hike in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (~£18 entry, reserve bus from Santa Elena). Then take a jeep–boat–jeep (taxi-boat-taxi) crossing of Lake Arenal to La Fortuna (~£20-25, sold as a single ticket in Santa Elena) with views of Arenal volcano. Evening: free hot springs on the river and orientation around La Fortuna.

🚌Reserve bus + taxi-boat-taxi, ~£25

🛏Hostel dorm, La Fortuna

• →Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve walk
• →Lake Arenal boat crossing
• →La Fortuna orientation walk

Pick two: a walk to La Fortuna Waterfall (~£12 entry, 500 steps), the Mistico hanging bridges (~£22-28 with transport), a self-guided hike on the 1968 lava trails (~£10), or cheap river hot springs by taxi (~£8). Optional Caño Negro boat safari for wildlife (~£40). Evening: sodas (local eateries) for cheap casados.

🚌Taxi/bus, ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, La Fortuna

• →La Fortuna Waterfall
• →Mistico hanging bridges (optional)
• →1968 lava trails
• →River hot springs

Morning tortilla-making class with a local family in La Fortuna (~£20-25, often arranged through hostels or GetYourGuide), or a chocolate tour. Then the public bus to San José (~£5, 4 hrs). Check into a hostel in Barrio Amón or near the Mercado Central, visit the Gold Museum (~£12) and the outdoor Plaza de la Cultura craft market, and take a farewell dinner at the Mercado Central sodas.

🚌Public bus, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, San José

• →Tortilla-making class (~£22)
• →Gold Museum
• →Plaza de la Cultura market
• →Farewell dinner

Breakfast at a coffee roaster in Barrio Escalante, a last walk through the Morazán Park or the Central Market, then a local bus or shared shuttle to Juan Santamaría airport (~£1-8) for your flight out. If you have a spare day, the Poás volcano or La Paz waterfall are easy day trips — but this is where the self-launched route ends.

🚌Local bus to airport, ~£2

🛏—

• →Barrio Escalante coffee
• →Central Market visit
• →Airport transfer