Why travel alone to Central America?
Central America is a fantastic destination for different types of travelers. But what makes it especially good for solo travelers?
Central America has a great backpacker scene. If you want to meet people on your travels, you will meet so many people in Central America. To date, I have maintained friendships with people I have met while watching the sunset on a wharf in Ometepe, Nicaragua; while lying in the pool of the hostel in El Tunco, El Salvador; while sailing on the coast of Belize for three days; and while drinking in a bar in San Pedro, Guatemala!
Central America is ideal for being active and learning new skills. If you want to become a certified diver, Utila and Roatán in Honduras are home to beautiful coral reefs and excellent diving schools. If you want to learn to surf, there are many surf camps on the Pacific coast, especially in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. If your taste is more inclined to dance, you can take salsa classes in the cities of the whole region. And if you’re into trekking, Central America is full of volcanoes to climb, tropical forests to explore, and tour operators to get you there.
Central America is ideal for learning Spanish. The best way to learn Spanish is through immersion while living with a family—and traveling alone can relieve you of the temptation to speak English with a companion. Some of the best diving programs can be found in Quetzaltenango (also known as Xela) in Guatemala. If it is too intense, you can take more relaxed lessons and stay in your own accommodation.
Central America has wonderful memories. You can take home a suitcase full of Mayan or Kuna textiles. Whether you’re looking for leather goods, jewelry, or artwork, Central America has so much to offer.
Central America is inexpensive. Belize and Costa Rica tend to be the most expensive countries, while Guatemala and Nicaragua tend to be the lowest. As always, cities, beaches, islands, and tourism hotspots tend to be much more expensive than small towns and rural areas.
And if you’re traveling from the U.S. or Canada, it can also be inexpensive to travel there. Unlike the inexpensive countries of Southeast Asia, if you visit from the US, you can get a very inexpensive flight. Very often, the lowest (although often limited in time) flights are on Spirit Airlines.
Central America is full of constant delicacies. From colorful chicken buses to exciting salsa clubs, from the joy of pupasas to the thrill of sandboarding on a volcano, from the beauty of Mayan textiles to the reflections of a glittering cave in Belize, Central America, you will always be amazed.
Is Central America good for solo travelers for the first time?
I believe that a Central American country is ideal for solo travelers for the first time: Costa Rica. Costa Rica has the most developed tourism scene of all Central American countries. For the first time, Costa Rica is aimed at backpackers as well as leisure travelers who just want to lie on the beach.
In Costa Rica, you will find five-star hotels and hostels, surf camps, and eco-lodges. It has everything, and they are very accustomed to dealing with novice tourists.
Another option is Belize. Belize is easy to navigate, has high-end resorts, and English is the language, so in some ways it makes an easy choice. However, street harassment in Belize is incessant, especially on the islands.
I wouldn’t send solo travelers to Belize for the first time unless she already has experience with street harassment (i.e., someone living in a big city would be much better than someone who has only lived in small towns).
As for the other Central American countries, I do not think they are ideal for solo travelers for the first time. I could make an exception for someone who speaks Spanish and already has extensive experience traveling with other people in Latin America.
