I spent nearly 1 year backpacking through 10 insanely beautiful countries: Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Phew! In all honesty, I feel like I could still be living that simple, adventurous life…taking long bus rides, eating street food, sleeping in bunk beds, and meeting crazy interesting people from all over the globe…but it has run its course (for now).
From the beaches in Colombia to the volcanoes in Guatemala, here are some of my favorite spots in Latin America. Let me know if you agree or disagree, and enjoy!
Best beach: Cabo San Juan (Tayrona Park), Colombia // Runner up: Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
I visited countless beaches, so it’s hard to pick just one. The most memorable was inside of Tayrona Park, Colombia. You can only enter and exit this beach on foot (or by horse), and camping is encouraged. It’s small, serene, and surrounded by coconut-bearing palm trees. Local vendors hike in to sell empanadas and helados (ice cream) each day, and there’s a restaurant nearby if you want prepared food or cerveza. Bonus: you’ll experience the most amazing sunrise ever. Waking up before dawn just feels natural here.
The 10k stretch of jungle beaches in Puerto Viejo is perfection. There are hikes to viewpoints, expats meeting up for volleyball matches, surf lessons, yoga sessions, and fresh coconuts. If you’re lucky, you might catch a sloth sighting or two. It’s less touristy on this side of Costa Rica (the Caribbean), so as an added bonus, you won’t see any high rises. A “nice” Airbnb might even feel a bit rural, depending on what sort of accommodations you’re accustomed to.
Best water: Isla Holbox, Mexico
The ocean is incredibly calm for wading and swimming (but terrible for surfing), and there is a sandbank you can walk on for miles. The water never seems to get too deep, and the temperature is perrrrfect. What else can I say? I’ll let this photograph speak for itself. (Ps. There are pink flamingos here too!)
Best value: Nicaragua
This country will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my second visit, and this time I got to know it on a budget. I swam in crater lakes, hiked volcanoes, and visited the stunning cathedral posted below, all for a fraction of what I’d pay in Panama or Costa Rica. It you’re up for a lot of beans, rice, and plantains, you can easily live on $15/day. Plus, the “chicken buses” (local transport) are super fun to get around in. I like to see how each bus driver decks out the interior. (Read my full post on Nicaragua here!)
Most exotic: Punta Gallinas, Colombia
Rolling sand dunes meet the Caribbean Sea in this remote, windy location. The northernmost point of South America and very close to Venezuela, Punta Gallinas embodies peace and beauty. It’s only accessible by lancha (speed boat), and that is after driving for hours through a very large dessert. With all the effort required to get here, you’ll have Mother Nature all to yourself, except for the indigenous Wayuu who inhabit the space.
Fun in the sand dunes!
Most off the grid: Bahía Solano, Colombia
Not family vacation friendly, but definitely for the adventurous traveler, Bahía Solano can only be accessed by boat or tiny plane. (Are you sensing a theme here?) I arrived via a 21 hour cargo ship. Yes, a cargo ship. There were insane thunderstorms. The entire town flooded. The bridge connecting us to the airport and port collapsed, and no one got in or out for an entire day. BUT, it was magical. I’ve never been anywhere like it…and there were hardly any tourists there, just how I like it.
I feel a storm a comin’
Most postcard moments: San Blas Islands, Panama
Every day I felt like I was living in a real life screensaver. I have never seen islands so pure, so tiny, so perfect. Most of the 300+ islands are uninhabited, but the “larger ones” are populated by the Kunas. I paid for a tour with San Blas Adventures to see as many spots as possible, sleep on the islands, and meet the locals. You can also sail from Colombia to Panama if that is more your style. Either way, expect fresh seafood and dazzling sunsets on the daily.
We actually went to this teeny, tiny island!
Best food: Mexico
Specifically, Mexico City. From street cart tacos to white tablecloth lunches, there is something for every taste and budget. I am personally still drooling over the seafood tacos at Contramar. For a scene, check out Mercado Roma for a variety of eats and drinks. (Do you recognize this spot from The Bachelor with Ben Higgens?)
Mercado Roma
Tastiest beer: D&D Brewery, Honduras
Honduras is a country that I was afraid to visit. The media really got in my head, and a lot of backpackers were skipping it. I, on the other hand, did not want to skip any country on my route, so I decided to give it a try. After visiting the Copan Ruins, I went inland to Lake Yojoa and stayed at the D&D Brewery. Oh. My. Gosh. It was the first time I had real beer off the tap in months! I had pints. I had flights. I enjoyed the beer while still experiencing the sights. The brewery is run by someone originally from the states, and all the employees were Honduran.
Best dancing: Cali, Colombia
I have never seen better salsa dancers in my life! Everyone is jaw-dropping good. The speed. The passion. Ahhh. I took private lessons at a salsa school, went to small clubs, and even saw the spectacular Delirio show that is put on once a month. If you have a passion for dance, shake your hips over to Cali ASAP, and grab tickets to this show while you’re at it!
Best party: Sunday Funday, San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
This pool crawl lasts all day and all night. I almost didn’t go because I’m 33, and it sounded like something I would have enjoyed at 23 (maximum). I decided to bite the bullet, and you know what? It was pretty fun! Disfruta and ready more about Sunday Funday here.
Best snorkeling: Belize
While this country wasn’t my favorite (it’s super touristy), I got to swim in caves and experience some of the best snorkeling of my life! The Great Mayan Reef extends from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico down to Honduras and is home to all sorts of wildlife. I saw reef sharks, manatees/sea cows, sting rays, eels, sea turtles, and all sorts of fishies! Next time I want to swim with the whale sharks.
Best trek: Quilatoa Loop, Ecuador
The Quilotoa Loop is a trail that weaves through remote Andean villages and finishes with a breathtaking view of the Quilotoa crater lake. Go with a group so you don’t get lost! The trek can be done in 3-5 days, all of it between 9,000 and 13,000 feet, and you won’t run into many people along the way. Bliss.
Best hike (overnight or day trip): Acatengango Volcano, Guatemala
It’s steep. It’s hot. It’s also freeeezing cold (literally) when you camp near the summit. But it’s all worth it to see the neighboring Fuego volcano erupting right in front of you! Have you ever seen lava shoot out of a volcano? EPIC.
Biggest surprise: El Salvador
San Salvador was once considered the most dangerous city in the world, so I was skeptical (ah hem terrified) to visit the capital, let alone the entire country. It turns out that my fear was wayyyy off base. I met the friendliest people and had a great experience all around! I sort of hitchhiked from the border of Honduras to get to the capital, and I ended up becoming good friends with the driver and his wife. They ended up showing me all around their beautiful country for an entire week! Meeting the locals is the best way to get to know a spot (but you don’t have to hitchhike to do it. That was totally unintentional, and I was with 2 strong men.)
Best anthem: “Duele El Corazon” by Enrique Iglesias // Runner up: “Shaky Shaky” by Daddy Yankee
Yes, it’s terrible, but I love love love reggaeton. (Btw, if you love the Justin Beiber remix of “Despacito” then you do too!) I taught myself all the words to Enrique’s hit on a long bus ride in Ecuador, and it has been stuck in my head ever since.
Si te vas, yo tambien me voyyyyyy
Well, there you have it! A roundup of some of my favorite spaces and places from my #wanderingdawn adventures!
What are your favorite spots in Latin America, or elsewhere?
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Love love love this! You beautifully captured the highlights of your trip and sprinkled in some of your everyday adventures as well. I need to visit all of these places asap!!!
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Thank you! It was so incredibly hard to narrow it down…I saw so much!
Awesome! Thanks for all the wonderful tips! I’m looking for somewhere to call home for a few months (or a few somewheres) and I’m so tempted by central america. Never been there but it looks incredible.
I think you will love Central America for a few months! It’s affordable, and you can find some spots with pretty good wifi. 🙂 Lmk where you end up!
Wow, looks like an amazing trip! I love love love Isla Holbox — it alone inspired a trip to Mexico for me. What time of year did you go? I was in January and the water wasn’t quite as clear, so I’m wondering when I should plan for my next trip. 🙂
I went to Holbox early May. I had wonderful weather (not rainy season!) and it was before the whale shark sightings which brings a lot of tourists during high season (June-Sept). If you want to see the whale sharks, consider going during those months. If not, I think April or May would be perfect!
Wow, I guess South and Middle America will be my next destination. I’ve only visited Mexico and Peru and loved it. This list gives me some ideas to add to my bucket list. I’d love to explore Colombia!
Colombia is one of my favorite countries! I still have to check out Peru. I’ve heard incredible things.
I love this post! South America is on my bucket list and I am definitely saving this for my future plans! Isla Holbox looks so dreamy and my kind of beach. Is Nicaragua where the beautiful white buildings are? That looks stunning! Thank you for sharing all your favourite spots!
Holbox is one of my FAVORITE places of all time. Definitely check it out! The white building is the rooftop of a cathedral in Leon, Nicaragua. It’s so beautiful!
Best party Sunday Funday YES! Best value yeah totally Nicaragua but I thought Colombia and Mexico were equally as good value. Best food Mexico – my boyfriend would 100% agree but difficult being a veggie and occasionally had to just eat meat. Biggest surprise El Salvador completely agree. I love everything about this post because it really reminds me of my backpacking trip in Latin America and I can tell we had a lot of similar experiences. We can now spend the way of our lives talkin about the wonders of Latin America. I can’t wait to go back! Sharing on twitter thanks for brightening up my day!
Yes! I’m glad we shared such positive similar experiences! Mexico and Colombia were also great value – totally agree! I’m a pescatarian so I ended up eating a lot more seafood than I normally would in Mexico to compensate. It’s definitely hard to be a veggie there.
I love how you organise this article with the different categories. It really inspires me to travel to every place! South and Central America are destinations I would love to visit one day and I realise how much wonderful stuff there is to see and do that it would take me years to cover it all. Fabulous photos!
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Thank you! I agree – you can spend sooo much time experiencing all the beauty that Latin America has to offer. I hope you get to go one day! I can’t wait to go back. 🙂
This post is really selling Latin America for me – not that I needed extra convincing! One of my best friends travelled through South America and loved it, and I’ve been obssessed with Nicaragua from afar for years. Visiting this area of the world is definitely on my bucket list of things to do before I die 🙂
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I can’t wait to hear about your experiences when you finally go! Nicaragua is definitely worth obsessing over!
I loved this list!!!! Ok now I wanna go to Nicaragua It looks absolutely amazing), Mexico, Ecuador, and Panama. Oh and yes I understand you about reggaeton. It’s my guilty pleasure 😛
Nicaragua is so wonderful, and I barely scratched the surface telling you all the reasons why! (I have a totally separate post on Nica if you want to check it out.) Haha reggaeton is the best! 😉 https://wanderingdawn.com/why-you-need-to-go-to-nicaragua-right-now/
I love reading about your favorite spots! Makes it seem less overwhelming as a region as a whole!
Thank you so much Lindsey! Happy it helped 🙂
You must have been in Latin America at a similar time to me because the shaky shaky song was the soundtrack of my trip haha ! (Such an awful but catchy tune!).
I agree with most of them except I’ve not been to Colombia so cannot comment on those. For me the best water was the San Blas though with Mexico as a close runner up !
Haha Shaky Shaky is the song that will never die! San Blas had incredible water as well!!
LOVE this! I have been to a lot of these places so it was nice to read what you thought of them too. I actually met my husband on a 4 day tour of the San Blas islands! I’m kicking myself I missed Punta Gallinas, Colombia – it sounds incredible, and I’ve still yet to make it to Nicaragua! I only hear wonderful things about that country. Great post x
Aw that is such an incredible place to meet a future hubby! Love that! You two will have to go back and check out Nicaragua one day 🙂
That photo from Isla Holbox is amazing. I’m totally with you on Mexican food, and glad to see Honduras on this list — it’s my favorite country in the region. What a great collection of memories, thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I only visited 2 spots in Honduras, but I would definitely go back for more! I loved the people and the country.
I’ve not made it to Central America yet but I would love to, and you’ve just given me serious travel envy! Some great locations here – can’t wait to see some of them for myself.
Thanks! I hope you get a chance to check it out one day! It’s a beautiful region
We spent 6 months in Latin America this year and I LOVE this post! You hit so many of our faves 🙂 Also, yes omg I love both of those songs and also reggaeton in general is totally my JAM after this trip. For us it was those 2 songs plus Bicicleta by Shakira. Love!
Thank you so much! I love Latin America with all of my heart. Bicicleta is another hit for sure! 😉
Super helpful post! I’m planning to visit some of those countries too and i’ll keep your favorites in mind!
Especially your experience in El Salvador seems amazing… Gonna read some more posts on some counties on your blog!
I’m glad you’ve found this to be helpful! Lmk if you have any questions! I could go on and gush about El Salvador for days 🙂
Most Belizeans are scared to venture beyond the borders and explore our Latin American neighbors. We prefer to visit North America, Europe or the Caribbean where we feel more comfortable. I have decided to do the unthinkable Belizean thing and explore Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. I am so terrified of visiting El Salvador though! I am a female traveling alone and with so many Salvadorans escaping their country to find peace in Belize, I feel like a crazy person going over there.
That’s interesting. I didn’t know that about people from Belize. I wish you only the best of luck on your upcoming travels! I loved those three countries. There is so much nature, adventure, and culture to explore. From one “crazy” girl to another, enjoy your trip!
You photos are so beautiful, they hardly look real. They look more like paintings, especially the sunset and ocean! The Delirio show and Sunday Funday look like an absolutely blast. Such a comprehensive read on activities for this region!
Thank you so much! I was in ridiculously photogenic places & couldn’t stop snapping away!
How amazing you are! An incredible adventure and such amazing photos as well! I think I definitely need to visit the real Mexico and also learn to swim… Oh life skills! Keep the adventure alive ❤️ (ps. Vulcan Acatenango. Unforgettable.)
Aw you are so sweet! Let’s keep the dream alive! (And get you some swim lessons! 😉
I absolutely loved reading this post! It looks like you had the best time and it’s awesome that you went to the “unsafe” countries and everything was fine! I have travelled South America a lot but still dreaming about Central America, especially Mexico. I thought I got off the beaten track but you went about as remote as possible I think haha! Thanks for putting this list together. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I love getting off the beaten path 🙂