DESCRIPTION:

Central America's land mass may be smaller than France but it is packed with an enormous amount of biological and cultural diversity. In fact, with only one percent of the world's land mass area it boasts 10% of its species! Witness a tropical region with high mountains, variable climates, and long coastlines on two oceans. Wander through jungle to find Mayan pyramids that date back a millennium, explore the cobblestone streets of 16th-century colonial towns, and gaze up at volcanoes churning with lava and smoke. We travel by small boats while crossing from Costa Rica into Nicaragua and then into El Salvador. Visit picturesque villages, peruse local handicrafts, and smell the coffee-scented mountains. Discover the lands that poet Pablo Neruda called "the sweet waist of America."

CONSIDER:

This trip can also be undertaken in the spring or summer.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Optional extension to ancient Maya Copán in Honduras.