JessieMJ

Hi everyone,

We are getting married at the end of the year and now it's time to plan our honeymoon!

We have 3 weeks off work and are hoping to travel in Central America. From our initial research we've come up with an ideal rough itinerary - this would be starting in Cancun/Playa del Carmen, travelling to Belize and then into Guatemala and ending in Antigua.

I wondered if anyone could let me know if this is doable in our time frame? Even though it's our honeymoon we aren't really lie around on the beach all day type people - we much prefer seeing new sights and a bit of adventure.

Thanks for your help!

Katie_Valk

Yes, that'll work fine. I would use MX for resting and be active and see the sites and attractions in BZ and GUA.

hopefulist

It's quite a lot of ground to cover in 3 weeks but doable if you pick and choose. Try to pack really light and average at least 3 nights per stop. My favorite spot in Guatemala is Lake Atitlán - great place for outdoor pursuits, beautiful views, and cultural color and there are lodging options from incredible cheap to live like a local to luxurious/romantic.

My photos with blog, travelogue, and review links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there. Congratulations and have a great trip, whatever you decide!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

JessieMJ

Thanks for your reply - I'm glad that it seems doable! I think we'll try and aim for 3 nights in each place.

I wondered how most people travel between destinations? I have friends who have taken buses but not sure if they are safe/frequent?

Lastly, does anyone have any recommendations for nice lodges/hotels in any of these areas? I saw on a post about Belize a while ago a jungle lodge that looked amazing and was very highly recommended but I can't remember the name!

We are thinking in Mexico we will splash out a little more than usual and stay at a nice resort so recommendations for that would be gratefully received!

hopefulist

Depending on where you're planning to stay, there are long range buses on some routes, local 'chicken' buses, share shuttles (mainly in Guatemala) and private drivers. Lots of great info here:
www.belizebus.wordpress.com

Re: lodging, what is your budget per night? It makes a big difference in what we recommend.

NWS_Guatemala

I agree with hopefulist, budget is crucial to how you'll travel and what can be accomplished in "x" amount of time. If you make it to Flores (near Tikal), there are a couple larger bus lines that can get you to Guatemala City (which is about 45 away from Antigua) in a relatively short amount of time for about $15-20 USD per person. However there's a lot to see in between Flores and Guatemala City like Semuc Chempey and the Rio Dulce. I'd also suggest leaving plenty of time for tail-end of your journey as there's a ton of things to see and do both in Antigua and Lake Atitlan (which is located just 2 hours to the west of Antigua). One more recommendation; if ya'll are the adventurous type, this may be a decent option while you're in the Antigua area... http://www.newworldsafari.com/

JessieMJ

Hi all, thanks so much for your help!

We are looking for a mix of nice 4-5 star hotels and some cheaper basic but clean accommodation.

We have come up with a basic itinerary, with flights in and out of Cancun. Thinking of staying in a nice hotel to relax in Playa del Carmen, then: Caye Caulker - San Ignacio - Tikal - Flores - Rio Dulce - Antigua (although now looking to add Lake Atitlan, thanks NWS!!)

The problem I'm having though is working out how to get back to Cancun from Antigua - can't find any direct flights. Any other suggestions?

JeanH

I'd fly home from Guatemala City, rather than heading back to Cancun.

JessieMJ

Hi JeanH - our (much) cheaper international flights are return from Cancun unfortunately, otherwise we could fly home from Guatemala City...

hopefulist

No flights from Antigua and I don't think there are any direct flights between Guatemala City and Cancún. I think the combination flights will likely cost more than you saved by flying home from Cancún, unfortunately. You could bus part way - maybe a night bus to Flores and/or an express bus from there to Belize City and/or a night bus to Cancún to save money? Or see how much changing your flights would cost and weigh that against the cost in time, tedium, and $$ of the trip back to Cancún.

I would prioritize Lake Atitlán, frankly. You could do away with the Flores night imo and the Rio Dulce area if you need to grab time from someplace on your list.

JessieMJ

Hi everyone, we have booked flights and were hoping we could get some feedback on our (very) rough first itinerary!

Here's what we have come up with so far:

Day 1: arrive to Cancun at 6.30pm, transfer to hotel in Playa del Carmen
Day 2: Playa del Carmen
Day 3: Playa del Carmen (Chichen Itza tour)
Day 4: Playa del Carmen, leave for Tulum
Day 5: Tulum
Day 6: Tulum
Day 7: Travel from Tulum to Caye Caulker
Day 8: Caye Caulker
Day 9: Caye Caulker, leave for San Ignacio area (hoping to stay at Chaa Creek)
Day 10: San Ignacio area
Day 11: San Ignacio area - day trip to Tikal
Day 12: San Ignacio area
Day 13: San Ignacio to Rio Dulce
Day 14: Rio Dulce to Antigua
Day 15: Antigua
Day 16: Antigua
Day 17: Antigua, night flight to Mexico City
Day 18: Mexico City
Day 19: Mexico City
Day 20: Mexico City
Day 21: Mexico City, leave 6am

Any feedback? I'm a little unsure about the San Ignacio time. Those days coincide with Christmas so thought it would be best to stay in one place rather than try to travel to Tikal and Flores - but if you think I'm missing out on those places please let me know!

I would also love any recommendations for top sights to see in each place!


Thanks

hopefulist

You would save yourself a ton of time on the road by heading from San Ignacio to Tikal for a night or 2 in the park, then flying to Guatemala City and heading to Antigua, leaving out Rio Dulce. I would also leave out time on the beach in México or somewhere else in order to have at least 3 nights on Lake Atitlán - can't imagine visiting Guatemala and missing what for many of us is the very best part.

suze

I'm wondering why you added the Mexico City stop for 4 days at the end of the trip? Such an intense urban area and seems so different from the rest of your itinerary.

JessieMJ

Thank you both.

We will rejig our days and try and allow for time in Lake Atitlan, looking at flights now to cut out the two days of travel from San Ignacio to Antigua. I had tried to give us as much beach time at the start of the itinerary as possible because we want to have a little bit of relaxing - it is our honeymoon after all!

suze - we added the Mexico City stop because it's a city we wanted to visit and made much more sense to stop there rather than try and get back to cancun. Because we're coming from the southern hemisphere there were limited places we could get connecting flights to/from.

Rohelio

Tulum is about 40 minutes south of Playa and not a whole lot to do there except enjoy the incredible beach and waters. Are you in a cabana on the beach or in town which is several miles from the beach? You posted almost 4 days in Tulum which is great for relaxing but seeing as you mentioned that you are not the lay around on the beach type, you might want to consider less time in the area. As for the Tulum ruins, you might consider an interpreter as all the buildings are off limits and you must follow the roped off paths... you should be there about2 hours max. IMO you would be better off spending an extra day in Playa where there is soooo much more to see and do.

hopefulist

I totally understand having time on the beach to relax but I think I'd just choose 1 spot instead of having to pack up and move on. We preferred Tulúm to Playa del Carmen. We stayed on the south edge of town - nice locals restaurants and close to good fruit and vegetable stands. The beach is indeed gorgeous and it's a good base for both the Tulúm and Cobá Maya sites, although I highly recommend arriving just as they open. We had a rental car for a few days because my husband was using it to head to flyfishing sites to the south. We loved snorkeling with sea turtles in Akumal and in area cenotes and I spent a few days diving.

Unless you're a real Maya site junky you could bag Chichén Itzá if you don't stay in PDC; I know it's an important site but it's way down near the bottom in terms of favorites of the 20+ sites I've visited. Adding Yaxhá in near Tikal would more than make up for it imo.

You might also want to consider a visit to the Jungle Place spider monkey place - we had a great experience there about 5 years ago.
http://thejungleplace.com/

I would highly recommend an overnight in the park for Tikal instead of doing a day trip from San Ignacio; you might even want to cut out a SI night if you do that. Then you'd be just an hour from the Flores airport for a flight to GC. I also highly recommend trying to book a tour with archaeologist/naturalist Roxy Ortiz - really amazing person, knowledgeable and fun.
www.tikalroxy.blogspot.com

JessieMJ

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for all your feedback - it helped so much with the planning. We have now finalised our itinerary and booked all our accommodation.

This is our rough plan - I would love to know if you have any suggestions for good restaurants or if you would suggest any other day trips/activities.

Day 1 - arrive Playa del Carmen
Day 2 - Playa del Carmen
Day 3 - Playa del Carmen
Day 4 - Playa del Carmen, day trip to Chichen Itza
Day 5 - Tulum: snorkelling at Akumal Beach
Day 6 - travel from Tulum to Caye Caulker
Day 7 - Snorkelling on Belize Barrier Reef
Day 8 - Caye Caulker
Day 9 - Travel to San Ignacio
Day 10 - San Ignacio
Day 11 - ATM cave
Day 12 - Tikal park (overnight)
Day 13 - Tikal (morning), 8pm flight from Flores to Guatemala City
Day 14 - Antigua
Day 15 - Antigua
Day 16 - Antigua
Day 17 - Lake Atitlan
Day 18 - Lake Atitlan
Day 19 - Lake Atitlan, travel to Guatemala City for 6pm flight to Mexico City
Day 20 - Mexico City
Day 21 - Mexico City
Day 22 - Mexico City
Day 23 - Fly home

Thanks!

hopefulist

Sounds like a wonderful trip! Congratulations and best wishes!