17 Days in Central America with G Adventures

After traveling to Europe and Africa in the summer of 2023, my next destination was a region that was closer to home. I decided to book a group tour through Central America that would take me to a part of the world I hadn’t yet seen.

The Tour

I booked the tour with G Adventures, who I had previously used to travel through Africa. The company offers many Central American tours ranging from 4 to 45 days. I settled on a 17-day tour that would start in Guatemala and end in Costa Rica. The company has tours for all ages, but I chose one that was specifically for 18-to-39 year olds. I was one of the older ones but still got along well with everyone. We had 18 members in our group which made our excursions and dinners really lively.

G Adventures tours are combo tours, which means that different, shorter tours are combined to create one long one. When I joined the group in Guatemala, some people had started their journey in Mexico and had already been traveling together for 15 days. Most of the group was new, however, so I didn’t feel too out of place. Our group then stayed together until the end of the journey.

Honduran hot springs

Granada, Nicaragua

The Route

Our tour started in Antigua, Guatemala and ended in San José, Costa Rica. During the 17 days we visited Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. We had a few long travel days, but since the places we visited are geographically close together, we were able to spend quite a bit of time enjoying each destination. Throughout the tour we visited ancient ruins, beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes, and more. I thought there was a good blend of relaxation and more adventurous activities.

From Antigua, Guatemala to San José, Costa Rica

G Adventures only hires local guides, and our tour guide was from Nicaragua. Her family had moved to Australia when she was a child, but she returned to Nicaragua as an adult so that she could learn more about her culture. She loved it so much that she ended up staying! It was nice to learn about the customs and culture of each country from a local. It was also nice to have a guide that was fluent in Spanish, as only myself and two other group members knew the language. We visited a few places where the locals didn’t speak any English, so this was a useful skill to have!

The Lodging

We mostly stayed in basic hotels throughout the tour, and all of the accommodation was included in the tour price. I extended my stays before and after the tour as part of my booking, so I didn’t have to worry about arranging my own lodging at any point. Our hotels were simple, but each room had private bathrooms and air conditioning which were the main things I cared about. We did have to share our rooms with one other group member of the same gender; we rotated each night so that we had different roommates each time.

There were a few nights that we stayed in hostels instead of hotels, but the hostels they put us in were pretty nice. When we traveled to Ometepe Island in Nicaragua, we stayed at a homestay for two nights. There was no air conditioning, and one of the nights there was a power outage so we didn’t even have a fan to use. It was a miserable night; however, we were staying with local families in their homes which made it a unique experience. My family didn’t speak any English, so I had to put my Spanish skills to the test (I was a bit rusty, but it was better than nothing!). The families also cooked us dinner and were happy to have us in their homes, so the hot nights were a small price to pay.

Ometepe Island

The Transportation

We used private vehicles for a majority of our transportation from place to place. This was a nice way to travel as we could relax and not have to worry about keeping watch over our belongings. We did take a public ferry to get to Ometepe Island which was a relaxing journey. Overall, the transport went smoothly and was reliable and quick.

The Excursions

Unlike my Africa tour, most of the excursions on this Central America trip were not included in the tour price. All of the activities were, however, organized by our guide, so all we had to do was give her money for anything we wanted to participate in. Our meals were also not included; the average price per meal was around $10 USD. We generally had simple breakfasts and lunches and then ate dinner as a group at restaurants that our guide selected. We could eat meals on our own if we wanted, although I took advantage of our guide’s local knowledge and ate with the group at the places she suggested. She taught us about the local cuisine and we had some really amazing meals!

Ordering dinner at a local restaurant

Some group members (such as myself) participated in almost all of the excursions, while others were content to just explore the city or spend their days relaxing. It was nice that we had the choice to do whatever we wanted throughout the tour. Some of my favorite adventures were volcano boarding on an active volcano, seeing lava bubbling in the Earth at Masaya Volcano, rappelling down waterfalls, surfing, and going whitewater rafting. We spent some time observing wildlife as well (we even got to see a rare sloth!). I also enjoyed evenings getting to know my group members.

Rappelling down a Costa Rican waterfall

The incredible Masaya Volcano

Our last dinner as a group

Overall, the tour was a great introduction to Central America! Despite some negative stereotypes that we often hear about, I felt safe the entire time. It was nice to have other people to travel with, and I still keep in touch with some of the group members today. I would recommend this tour to anyone that loves adventure and wants to experience Central American culture firsthand.