Basic Central America: Self-Launched Guatemala to Costa Rica

Fly into Guatemala City (La Aurora, GUA) and take a shared tourist shuttle to Antigua (~1 hr, £8-12, book at the airport desk or via your hostel). Antigua is a compact colonial grid of cobbled streets, ruined churches and volcano views — walk it in an afternoon. Sort your Honduras pre-registration form online tonight (needed before crossing at El Florido) and buy a shuttle ticket to Copán Ruinas for tomorrow morning.

🚌Airport shared shuttle Guatemala City to Antigua, ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm in Antigua, £10-14/night (e.g. central hostels around 2a Avenida)

• →Orientation walk around Parque Central, La Merced and the Santa Catalina arch
• →Sunset from Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint (free)
• →Book Copán Ruinas shuttle and complete Honduras pre-check form

Take a morning tourist shuttle from Antigua to Copán Ruinas (~5-6 hrs with border stop at El Florido, £22-28). Border formalities are straightforward if your Honduras form is done — expect a small entry fee (~$3). Copán Ruinas is a low-key coffee-country town with a pretty plaza; the evening is for food and a cold Salva Vida.

🚌Tourist shuttle Antigua-Copán Ruinas, ~£25 (includes border assistance)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel private/dorm in Copán Ruinas, £10-15/night

• →Border crossing at El Florido
• →Evening stroll around Copán Ruinas central plaza

Walk 1 km out of town to the Copán archaeological site — the finest Maya sculpture in the region and a UNESCO site. Entry is about $15-20 plus an optional tunnel ticket; go early to beat the heat. In the afternoon, take a local colectivo or tuk-tuk to Luna Jaguar hot springs (£10-12 entrance plus transport) for a soak in jungle pools. Book tomorrow's onward shuttle to Suchitoto tonight.

🚌Walking, tuk-tuk and colectivo to Luna Jaguar, ~£6

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Copán Ruinas, £10-15/night

• →Copán Maya ruins and stelae (£15-20 entry)
• →Luna Jaguar hot springs (£10-12)
• →Optional Macaw Mountain bird park (£8)

A long but scenic travel day: shuttle from Copán across the Guatemala corner and into El Salvador, finishing in the whitewashed colonial town of Suchitoto (~6-7 hrs, £28-35). The route passes through El Florido again and the El Salvador border at La Hachadura/El Amatillo depending on operator — confirm at booking. Arrive tired, then eat pupusas at a comedor on the plaza (£2-3 for a plate).

🚌Cross-border shuttle Copán Ruinas-Suchitoto, ~£32

🛏Guesthouse in Suchitoto, £12-18/night

• →Colonial Suchitoto orientation walk
• →Pupusa dinner on the plaza

Morning free for Suchitoto — the Iglesia Santa Lucía, the lake viewpoint over Lago Suchitlán, and the craft market. Then take a local bus via San Salvador (ruta 123 to the capital terminal, then a coastal bus or shuttle) to the surf towns of La Libertad / El Tunco (~3-4 hrs, £5-8). Catch sunset on the black-sand beach.

🚌Local buses via San Salvador, ~£6

🛏Beach hostel dorm in El Tunco, £10-15/night

• →Iglesia Santa Lucía and Lago Suchitlán viewpoint
• →Craft market browsing
• →Sunset at El Tunco beach

Free day on the coast. Book a surf lesson through any hostel or surf school on the beach (£25-40 for 1.5-2 hrs with board). Alternatively, take a local bus/tuk-tuk to Tamanique waterfalls for a guided scramble and swim (~£15-20 including guide and transport), or just eat ceviche at the La Libertad fish market and relax. Confirm tomorrow's onward travel to Nicaragua — the classic DIY route is bus to La Unión, then a boat across the Gulf of Fonseca.

🚌Local buses and tuk-tuks, ~£5

🛏Beach hostel dorm in El Tunco, £10-15/night

• →Surf lesson (£25-40)
• →Tamanique waterfalls hike (£15-20)
• →Ceviche at La Libertad fish market

Cross by land and sea: bus from El Tunco/La Libertad to La Unión (~2 hrs, £2), then the fast passenger boat across the Gulf of Fonseca to Potosí, Nicaragua (~1 hr, £10-15, check the day's departure times — often early morning), then bus via Chinandega to León (~2-3 hrs, £3-5). Border exit/entry fees apply (El Salvador exit ~$10-12, Nicaragua entry small fee; some nationalities including Australian and NZ passport holders need a visa — check before booking). Arrive in colonial León for an evening wander past the cathedral.

🚌Bus + ferry (La Unión-Potosí) + local bus, ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm in León, £9-14/night

• →La Unión-Potosí ferry crossing the Gulf of Fonseca
• →Evening orientation walk in León
• →Optional rooftop sunset with volcano views

Morning to explore León — the cathedral roof (small fee, great volcano views), the Sandinista murals, and a chocolate or coffee stop. Then take a comfortable minibus or local bus to Granada (~2.5 hrs, £4-7). Granada's candy-coloured colonial streets are best seen on foot; do your own orientation walk around Parque Central, the cathedral and the Calle La Calzada evening strip.

🚌Minibus León-Granada, ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse in Granada, £10-16/night

• →León cathedral rooftop
• →Colonial walk in Granada
• →Evening on Calle La Calzada

Pick your own adventure. Popular self-bookable options: sunset or night tour to Masaya Volcano (£28-32 including transport, book via any Granada tour agency), a half-day to Laguna de Apoyo for swimming and kayaking (£22-28 including transport and day-pass), or kayak the Isletas on Lake Nicaragua (£15-20). Also visit Café de las Sonrisas, the deaf-run social enterprise café the operator visits, for breakfast or coffee — worth it.

🚌Tour vans or local buses, ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse in Granada, £10-16/night

• →Masaya Volcano sunset tour (£28-32)
• →Laguna de Apoyo swim (£22-28)
• →Isletas kayaking (£15-20)
• →Café de las Sonrisas breakfast

Bus from Granada to San Jorge port near Rivas (~2 hrs, £2-3), then the ferry across Lake Nicaragua to Moyogalpa on Ometepe (~1 hr, £3-5; also a slower car ferry). On the island, stay in a small family-run hospedaje or a community guesthouse — Moyogalpa and Balgüe both have good options (£10-15/bed). Rent a scooter or bicycle and settle in. Dinner with your hosts is the highlight: home-cooked gallo pinto and plantains.

🚌Local bus + ferry San Jorge-Moyogalpa, ~£7

🛏Family-run hospedaje / community guesthouse on Ometepe, £10-15/night (often includes simple dinner)

• →Lake Nicaragua ferry crossing
• →Scooter or bike rental on Ometepe (~£8-12/day)
• →Sunset at Charco Verde or Playa Santo Domingo

A full day on the island. Climb Volcán Concepción with a local guide (6-8 hrs, £30-40 including guide) — it's steep and hot, so start at 5-6am. Or take the easier, muddier Volcán Maderas hike to the crater lagoon (£25-35 with guide). Alternatives: Ojo de Agua spring-fed pools (£3-5), the petroglyphs at Finca El Porvenir or Museo El Ceibo (£5-10), or a kayak and swim at Charco Verde. Eat at a local comedor in the evening.

🚌Scooter/bike rental or island buses, ~£6

🛏Family-run hospedaje / community guesthouse on Ometepe, £10-15/night

• →Volcán Concepción hike with local guide (£30-40)
• →Or Volcán Maderas crater hike (£25-35)
• →Ojo de Agua swimming hole (£3-5)
• →Petroglyphs visit (£5-10)

A big travel day. Ferry back to San Jorge from Moyogalpa (£3-5), bus to Rivas, then onwards to the Peñas Blancas border crossing into Costa Rica. The most comfortable DIY option is a shuttle from Rivas/Liberia or a bus to Liberia then a shared van up to Monteverde — total ~7-9 hrs, £20-30. Crossing into Costa Rica is free for most nationalities. Monteverde sits at 1,400 m — bring a fleece; it's genuinely cool and damp up there.

🚌Ferry + buses + shared van via Peñas Blancas, ~£25

🛏Hostel in Santa Elena / Monteverde, £12-18/night

• →Peñas Blancas border crossing into Costa Rica
• →Evening in Santa Elena village

Do the cloud forest properly. Book the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (entry ~£18-22, timed slots) or Santa Elena Reserve (~£14-18) and walk the trails early for birds and quetzals. In the afternoon, do a self-guided Sky Walk over the suspension bridges (~£28-35) or book a zipline at one of the canopy operators (£30-40). Coffee plantation tours (~£20-28) are a good rainy-afternoon fallback. Book your onward shuttle to La Fortuna tonight.

🚌Local bus/taxi to reserve entrances, ~£5

🛏Hostel in Santa Elena / Monteverde, £12-18/night

• →Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve entry (£18-22)
• →Sky Walk suspension bridges (£28-35)
• →Ziplining (£30-40)
• →Coffee plantation tour (£20-28)

Take the jeep-boat-jeep (van-boat-van) transfer across Lake Arenal to La Fortuna — the classic budget-friendly route at ~£22-28 and 3.5-4 hrs, with volcano views on the water. Afternoon free: swim at La Fortuna Waterfall (£12-15 entry, stairs down and back) or soak in one of the free river hot springs near Tabacón. Town has plenty of cheap sodas for dinner.

🚌Jeep-boat-jeep Monteverde-La Fortuna, ~£25

🛏Hostel dorm in La Fortuna, £12-18/night

• →Lake Arenal boat crossing
• →La Fortuna Waterfall swim (£12-15)
• →Free river hot springs

The adventure day. Self-book one big activity: the canyoning/waterfall rappelling combo (£65-85 with a reputable operator — the equivalent of the operator's Adrenaline Bundle), Sarapiquí or Balsa river rafting class III-IV (£55-75), or the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge boat tour (£35-50, best in wet season for birds). If you'd rather save money, hike the 1968 lava trails in Arenal Volcano National Park (£10-12) and spend the afternoon at the free hot springs.

🚌Operator pickup included in most tours

🛏Hostel dorm in La Fortuna, £12-18/night

• →Canyoning and waterfall rappelling (£65-85)
• →Or whitewater rafting (£55-75)
• →Or Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge boat tour (£35-50)
• →Arenal Volcano 1968 lava trail (£10-12)

Public bus from La Fortuna to San José (~4 hrs, £5-7, several departures daily via Ciudad Quesada) or a shared shuttle (~£18). Spend the afternoon in San José: the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (£11), the National Museum in the old barracks, and the Mercado Central for a casado lunch. Stay near the centre or Barrio Amón for easy airport access.

🚌Public bus La Fortuna-San José, ~£6

🛏Hostel in San José (Barrio Amón / city centre), £12-18/night

• →Pre-Columbian Gold Museum (£11)
• →Mercado Central food stalls
• →Barrio Amón and Barrio Escalante walk

Fly home from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). An official taxi from the centre is ~£18-22; the public TUASA bus from the centre costs ~£1 and takes 40-50 mins. If your flight is late, use the morning for the Jade Museum or a coffee roaster in Barrio Escalante.

🚌Airport taxi or TUASA bus, £1-22

🛏—

• →Optional Jade Museum or coffee roaster visit before departure