This holiday visits the places ticked below. You can design your own itinerary by adding destinations. Select the destinations you would like and click the red button to see full details of the holiday you have chosen.
All Costa Rica holidays include visits to San Jose, Tortuguero, Arenal and Monteverde.All Guatemala holidays include visits to Tikal, Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango.
This 18 day holiday combines a visit to the magical ruins of Tikal, the beautiful and colourful highland towns of Antigua and Lake Atitlan, the Costa Rican capital San Jose, the fantastic jungle of Tortuguero, the beautiful cloud forest of Monteverde, and the active Arenal volcano.
Antigua is a beautiful colonial town in the Guatemalan highlands. Founded by the Spanish in 1543 and now a UNESCO world heritage site, its colonial architecture is some of the most impressive in all of Latin America. Explore its picturesque and cobbled streets in the shadow of the surrounding volcanoes.
Lake Atitlan, in central Guatemala, is one of the highlights of Guatemala. The lake is surrounded by volcanoes and 12 small traditional towns. In many of the towns, they are fiercely proud of the traditional culture, and local dress is still worn. On route to Lake Atitlan is the famous market town of Chichicastenango, which hosts a twice weekly market (Thursdays and Sundays). The market is one of the most colourful and interesting in all of Latin America
Tikal is arguably the most impressive of all the Maya sites. The ruins are set in the low lying jungle of northern Guatemala, giving them a spectacular setting. A tour of Tikal is one of the highlights of a visit to Guatemala. Several of the pyramids and temples rise above the jungle, and views from the top are spectacular. The national park is also home to huge number of flora and fauna, and it is common to see spider and howler monkeys in the jungle around the ruins. Nearby is the less visited Maya site of Yaxha. Yaxha was an important site during the Maya Classic Period, and was occupied from 600BC-900AD. Today the site does not attract many visitors, however, the views from the tops of the temples and pyramids are stunning.
San Jose, is the capital of Costa Rica, and is a bustling and lively city. The main attractions are located in the centre of the city, and there are several excellent museums. There are several nearby attractions including the Poas Volcano and many coffee plantations.
Tortuguero, located on the Caribbean coast, is a beautiful national park famous for being a nesting site for four of the world’s eight sea turtles. Tortuguero is also the habitat for an abundance of other wildlife, and it is possible to see caiman, spider and howler monkeys, sloths, as well as a variety of birds. There is a possibility of seeing turtles nesting between March and November.
Arenal is famous for the active and picture perfect volcano. The volcano erupted in 1968, and since then the volcano has been erupting almost daily, and it’s not uncommon to see plumes of smoke rising from its crater. Although since 2010 the volcano has been less active. Due to the area’s volcanic activity, there are several excellent hot springs in the region.
Monteverde is a beautiful cloud forest located 1,500m above sea level in central Costa Rica. The region is rich in diversity with over 2500 species of plant, 100 species of mammal, 120 amphibian and reptile species and more than 400 bird species. It is possible to explore the canopy of the cloud forest via a network of suspension bridges, or you can enjoy a walk along trails in the Monteverde private reserve.