The Gringo Trail (Central America): Dan’s Deep Dive into Latin America’s underrated Continent
If you are planning a trip to Central America any time soon, you’re in the right place.
My name is Dan, and not so long ago, I was on a mission to look for not only the cheapest way, but the most effective way to travel to Central America and beyond.
But not just that, during the same time, I took on the role of a cultural traveler.
I did solo travel in Central America to experience life in Latin America and become part of the culture, and in this personal post, I’d like to share with you some of what happened.
The Gringo Trail: Central America Backpacking route
After two of my best friends passed away under two completely unique set of circumstances, I began to question my life’s purpose and the meaning of my name.
I read a book (or two) and realized I needed to start living more dangerously.
I’d ask myself questions like:
- Am I happy with my current situation?
- Am I living my truth?
- Who do I want to be?
I must mention that before I started this Central America backpacking route, I set out to learn from my adventures and not to travel for the sake of it. It had to have meaning!
My wish is that you can learn something from this guide on how I found the best way to travel to Central America. For me, planning this trip helped me to decided how I was going to make a big change in my life and that would see me travel non-stop for 10+ years.
Let’s dive into how this journey unfolded.
After traveling to North America (east coast) to visit some family, I headed over to the west and I became inspired by the Latin culture I saw in the streets of East LA. I began to ask myself if it would be possible to travel as far as Central America.
My idea was to travel from Tijuana in Mexico with a stop in Chiapas to Panama by land.
In the end, this plan was no feasible for me with the time I had on the west coast of the United States. I returned home with a sparkle in my eye.
What I needed was some good advice to get started backpacking and speaking the language. Bear in mind, I couldn’t speak Spanish, and I had no clue how to start.
I looked at other blogs, back then, there weren’t many good travel blogs but I came across immersion courses and ended up doing a homestay in Guatemala along the way.
Are you new to travel or looking at how to get started backpacking today?
Keep reading below as this post may inspire you if you are thinking about backpacking Latin America for the first time. Or, just looking for a valid reason to travel.
Backpacking Central America: What Inspired Me…
I remember being overly inspired by the neighborhoods I visited in Los Angeles, especially Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles, where I stayed.
Then it was there I had my first taste of Mexican culture and… I loved it, although my idea to backpack Latin America at that point was a very ambitious one.
All I took was an inspirational book cover design I saw, then later picked up at a one-dollar bookstore in Long Beach. That I think was my call to action because it got me started with backpacking Central America, which has been a prequel to my South American trips.
From the outset, encountering a new culture seems complicated, for example:
- Language
- Food
- Customs
- Time zones
However, what I learned is that the patterns are usually reminiscent of our lives back home in some way. Each and every culture has its unique way of being.
In school, I’d been taught that the way other countries do things is dangerous because their way is different. But I questioned this since I’d traveled to many places as a child.
Central America Travel Planning
While planning my trip to Central America, the idea of visiting Latin countries was still foreign to me. I learned that I can still travel and run my basic routines and rituals.
The rest, I believed, would just be a case of adapting. Learning Spanish was one of the hardest challenges, but, I was learning more about myself through this new environment.
Fascinated by this idea, which stemmed from my short stay in East Los Angeles, I bought a journal similar to this and began to look for the cheapest way to get to Central America.
I became infected by the language I heard in the streets. The way people sung as they talked. How some words rhymed and everyone seemed to be smiling when together. I wanted to go deeper, so I began writing down words and phrases in Spanish.
I even started practicing the Spanish language, only at a very basic level, by trying to order food from local street vendors and quizzing Americans I met about Latin Culture.
This new Latin Culture, as it were, inspired me with new insight for living. I even decided to create a travel blog called Layer Culture to write about some of my experiences.
With half a blog online and a few guidebooks later, I decided to go on what I called back then, a trip of growth to fulfil my ‘so called desire’ of traveling to Latin America.
I also bought a guidebook about living abroad in Nicaragua in the same dollar store. After speed reading through it, I became obsessed with a place called Ometepe Island.
Not considering the size of the continent, or how much of an inexperienced backpacker I was; my ambitious plan was to go backpack Nicaragua before I got to South America.
Where To Stay In Central America
There are some great places to stay in Central America as far as accommodation goes, you can stay in some of the most well-preserved buildings in places like Antigua in Guatemala, Granada in Nicaragua or even Santa Ana in El Salvador for example.
Despite my cultural travels all over Latin America, I’ve stayed in my fair share of party hostels and I recommend that as visitor that you try them out, at least once.
Some of my favorite hostels in Central America are:
In some of the busier backpacker hubs such as Antigua, Guatemala, you’ll be better booking accommodation in advance to secure a bed in the best hostels.
If you have specific preferences it can get fully booked during certain times of the year. Like in March/April time when all the Semana Santa preparations begin.
Then if weather is a major concern for you I suggest you see this guide on the best time visit Central America for some ideas on what climate to expect in each country.
Travel To Central America: Prequel
However, before all that, one evening, while staying in LA, I met a young Australian man while I was walking along Hollywood Boulevard with a friendly group of travelers.
He told me he was about to embark his third backpacking South America trip.
Next, he told me how it would last 18 months. I was blown away and envious at the same time. All I could help but think was, how could anyone travel for so long?
This was the perfect opportunity to ask him questions about backpacking around Latin America because he’d done it more than once already. It was like a walking Q&A.
Thanks to him, before I had committed to anything, he’d already sold me on some legit reasons why I should check out Central America before I head further down south.
Got travel insurance for Central America?
Central America Backpacking route
From that moment, I began to envision an ambitious one-month backpacking route all by myself (by that I mean solo). But, through Central America, not South America.
I can’t remember his name. All I know is he traveled from Australia to South America so he could dabble with cocaine. He was what they call a Narco-Tourist. That was his purpose.
He mentioned how his coke habit was exceedingly expensive in his home country.
Anyway, he advised that if I’d never been to Latin America before, it’d be wise to start by backpacking Guatemala or one of the other nearby countries in Central America.
He was right. And, I’m glad I went to Central America first!
This is the main insight I’m here to share with you today: Before you start to plan your South American itinerary be sure to work out your Central America itinerary first.
Why???
I’ll share exactly why below…
3 Reasons To Visit Central America
I’ll give you the three pieces of advice he gave me (that changed the course of my life).
How did it change my plans? Well, I ended up traveling to Mexico and backpacked right through the best countries in Central America on a dedicated mission to learn Spanish.
Remember how I said that I didn’t have time on my initial trip to go and visit my family in the United States? Well, below are the three seeds of wisdom that took me back to California a year later to embark on a trip from Mexico to Guatemala to Costa Rica.
1. Central America Is Cheaper
After now backpacking South America, I can vouch that Central America was much cheaper. But this comes with a price.
Sometimes, you can feel you lack certain pleasantries that you may be used to at home.
If you are on a tight travel budget, and you have no other choice but to hold back on spending, Central America will be your best friend.
Especially if you’re time poor and like the idea of traveling cheaply via land. Because you could potentially see all seven countries in a very short space of time.
There is no one best time to visit Central America but I did find travel in Costa Rica to be expensive when comparing to Nicaragua. But still, Costa Rica is one of the most unique countries in Central America and worth every cent when you think about it.
2. Spanish Is Easy To Pick Up
There are many reasons to learn Spanish when you think about it, and Guatemala, for me, was one of the best countries in Latin America to start. Why Guatemala? I hear you ask…
Because, in Guatemala, you have the benefit of practicing in more rural areas where people are very open to conversation. I did a homestay in Guatemala which gave me a solid foundation for all my future backpacking trips in and around Latin America.
Guatemala is also one of the cheapest places to get full immersion with the help of one of the many Spanish schools.
Not to mention Guatemala has some of the best coffee in the world if you’re into that! You can drink tasty coffee here for less than $1.
3. Easy To Meet Locals And Other Travelers
One thing I loved about Central America was how easy it was to meet other people who were like me. Completly new to Latin America and open to exploring new places.
It’s common to begin in Mexico by traveling from Cancun to Bacalar then either starting in Belize (or even Costa Rica) and make your way down (or up) through the region.
The number of times that I noticed the accent or dialect, not to mention, the look of the people change: intrigued me to talk to more locals.
If you’re doing solo travel in Costa Rica or Panama, then you can end up meeting a faithful travel buddy who can travel with you right until the tip of South America.
Backpacking Central America Is A Breeze (Bonus insight)
That’s how I feel about it all in hindsight. If you want to hit up more countries and like seeing more in a much shorter space of time, you’ll get what I mean.
The purpose of my Central America travel route was to travel by land. Why? Because it is so easy to move around and it was a way for me to learn about myself along the way.
If you start flying between countries within Central America, it can get quite expensive. Especially if you’re on a budget.
I prefer slow travel these days, but if you’re starting out like I was, Central America is perfect for border-hopping and experiencing different countries.
For example, Guatemala or even Nicaragua is great for this. Nicaragua especially since it is know as the cheapest country in Central America so perfect if you’re on a budget.
Central America Travel Tips
Below I have listed a few practical travel tips for anyone traveling through Central America that you may be able to benefit from. I will update this list sometime in the near future.
Things to remember for your Central America travel route:
- Carry your Passport + A photocopy
- Sun Screen (or at least a sun hat for protection)
- A sturdy pair of hiking shoes
- Vegan and Vegetarian food options are available
- The lightest rain jacket you can find
If you already have your bag half packed or just need some inspiration, take a look at this Central America Packing list for more ideas on what you might want to carry with you.
There are still many off-the-beaten-track places in Central America that I have not fully explored. If it is your first time in this region, I recommend starting with the most basic Central America backpacking routes and see how you go.
For Vegans, ready-made foods can be difficult to find! When it comes to cooked meals, you’ll find white rice, beans, and plantain in most places without any issue. So, just prepare for that to be your staple.
Anything extra, well, is an added bonus.
You’ll find an abundance of fruits in Central America, however, unlike the exotic fruits found in biodiverse countries like Colombia all year round, in this region: you may have to wait for them to be in season.
The Gringo Trail (Central America) Dan’s Deep Dive
These insights from my Central America travel route (or itinerary) that I had planned for myself, were a stepping stone for me personally to prepare for South America.
If you’re thinking about backpacking South America without visiting Central America first, then I invite you to at least consider it as part of your Latin America strategy.
See this backpacking Central America budget guide for tips on how to save money.
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