PILGRIMAGE THROUGH THE COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL AMERICA

ITINERARY

Day 1

Arrival to Panama City. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 2

Breakfast. Visit of Panama City, old town, Cathedral. Transfer to the Panama Canal to get to know the history and functioning of this masterpiece of engineering. Return to the city of Panama - early dinner. Transfer to the airport and departure to San Jose. Arrival to the capital of Costa Rica. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. Holy Mass.

Day 3

Breakfast. Transfer to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Angels in Cartago, the patroness of Costa Rica. Free time to take a walk and make a prayer. Continue to the majestic Poas volcano. Stroll around the crater. Visit the la Paz Park, where you can admire the magnificent tropical vegetation, the waterfalls, the giant butterflies and the smallest birds in the world, hummingbirds. Early dinner. Transfer and accommodation near the active Arenal volcano. Holy Mass. Admiring of the fiery lava fountains in the night.

Day 4

Breakfast. Travel across the bridges hanging over the green vault, admiring the tropical vegetation while walking over the crowns of palm trees and other typical trees of the equatorial zone. Transfer to the border with Nicaragua. After an unusual border check, where a machine draws, who's baggage will be checked. Arrival to the pearl of the colonial architecture the city of Granada (on the UNESCO list). In the afternoon, walk through the colonial center of the city, visiting the church of La Merced, the monastery of Saint Francis, (where the Colonial Museum is currently located), the house of the Zamora family. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 5

Breakfast. Transfer to the Volcano Masaya National Park, to admire the cosmic landscape of this place and the active volcanic crater itself. Transfer to the market of artistic products. At the end of the day, a short tour of the capital of the country - the city of Managua: Cathedral, Hill of Dictators. Transfer to the airport and to take a flight to the city of Guatemala. Dinner and overnight. Holy Mass.

Day 6

Breakfast. Panoramic guided tour of the city center of Guatemala. Transfer to Panajachel. On the way, visit the fruit market in Solola. Enjoy the breathtaking view of Lake Atitlan surrounded by three volcanoes. Boat riding through the lake to Santiago Atitlan, to the local colonial church and the home of the local syncretic deity Maximon. Dinner and overnight in Panajachel. 

Day 7

Breakfast. Transfer to the famous Indian market in Chichicastenango (Thursday, Sunday), meeting with the indigenous people, its art, and customs. Free time for shopping of colorful Maya products. In the early afternoon, ride to Antigua Guatemala. Walk through the former colonial capital of Guatemala, Plaza de Armas, Cathedral, Franciscan Monastery with the tomb of Saint Peter Betancourt. Holy Mass. Dinner and overnight in Antigua Guatemala.  

Day 8

Breakfast. Early morning  travel to the border with Honduras. After crossing the border, visit one of the most interesting Mayan architectural complexes with the famous hieroglyphs on its facade, the Copan pyramid. Holy Mass. Dinner and overnight in Copan. 

Day 9

Breakfast. Transfer to Livingstone, a settlement inhabited by the black-creole population. On the way, visit the pre-Columbian center, where were discovered the largest exposed stone monuments (steles), Quirigua. Dinner and overnight in Livingstone, which can only be reached by boat.

Day 10

Breakfast. In the morning a short walk through the Livingstone settlement, which until today is steeped in Garifuna traditions (culture created by black slaves brought from the Caribbean Islands).  In the early afternoon, boat ride down the Rio Dulce, in the magnificent scenery of the Guatemalan jungle to a place of re-encounter with civilization. Transfer to the small island of Flores. Dinner and overnight. Holy Mass. 

Day 11

Breakfast. Transfer to Tikal, visit the impressive Mayan pyramids located in the heart of the jungle, the Jaguars temple, the Temple of Masks, and the powerful palace complexes, among others. Transfer to dinner and overnight to Flores. Holy Mass.  

Day 12

Breakfast. Drive through Belize to Mexico. On the way, visit of the Xunantunich pre-Columbian center, located far from the tourist routes, where the pyramids have impressive views of the Belizean plains. Transfer to Chetumal, Mexico. Dinner and overnight. 

Day 13

Breakfast. Transfer to Cancun or Playa del Carmen. On the way, visit Tulum and Coba, two of the most attractive archaeological zones in Yucatan. Overnight in Cancun / Playa del Carmen. Hotel all inclusive. 

Day 14

Free time. Optional excursion to visit one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World the Mayan ruins in Chichen-Itza (about 60 USD) or the Isle of Women (about 80 USD). 

Day 15

Free time. In the afternoon transfer to the airport to take flight home.