globetrottingnurseIt was towards the end of April and Marcy and I were both between travel nursing assignments. We wanted to do something for Cinco de Mayo, and we could not agree on a location. We were about to give up, when after a late-night session of Pinterest and Google flight searches, I made the executive decision to fly to Honduras. I sent Marcy a WhatsApp message, and the rest, as they say, is history. So, join us on our 10-day journey through three Central American countries with little to no planning and only two carry-ons.
Honduras, Days 1-5
Pre-Arrival
Before leaving the United States, you must complete two online forms within 48 hours of your arrival. If you are vaccinated, you must have finished your vaccination course 14 days before your arrival or have a negative Covid test within 72 hours. You will also need a passport with two blank pages and a validity date of at least six months.
Our goal was to fly with Avianca, which is the second oldest airline. After missing our flight and receiving terrible customer service at the terminal counter, we booked a last-minute flight with American Airlines, from Miami to San Pedro Sula landing two hours later.
Currency
Honduran Lempira, which at the time the conversion rate was 1 USD to 25 Honduran Lempiras.
Lodging
Mainland
We stayed at the Hyatt Centric San Pedro in San Pedro Sula for our first night. This hotel is about twenty minutes by taxi from the airport and provided an excellent start to our time in Honduras. We reserved a tastefully decorated double room. The hotel has a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a bar that serves coffee and cocktails in the lobby. Because we were eligible World of Hyatt members, our breakfast was complimentary. There is also a small market for grab-and-go items. The hotel was approximately $165 USD per night.
The next night we crossed the street to the Hilton Princess which is also in the city. The rooms were dated, but the location on the mainland was excellent. They have a restaurant where you can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The freshly prepared breakfast cost us $15 USD. They have a pub that serves drinks in the evening after 5 p.m. A double room cost $160 per night.
Roatán
We arrived at the beautiful Naboo Resort & Dive Center 20 minutes after landing in Roatán, thanks to the hotel’s free airport shuttle. Naboo is a super cute boutique hotel in West Bay Roatán, the island’s most touristy area. We were greeted with a drink before being shown to our beach-themed room. Meals and the bar are located outside near the pool area. Breakfast was adequate, and I did get to try a Honduran breakfast. We had our Covid PCR done at the hotel for $35 USD and received our results in less than 24 hours. The cost of our deluxe King room was $120 per night.
The Paradise Beach Hotel is located one street down. This hotel has its own beach with great photo opportunities, and you can find locals for a variety of services such as hair braiding, pineapple cocktails, and handmade hats. The beachfront restaurant at the resort serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My octopus was perfect, but my friend ordered guacamole as an appetizer and received a flavorless guacamole paste. The rooms were dated, with a small bathroom and a shower that reminded me of a cruise ship. Pre-booking is required for this hotel’s free airport shuttle. A double room cost about $180 per night.
Food
We arrived at our hotel quite late and very hungry because our landing time had changed. Power Chicken was directly across the road from our hotels, making it the ideal food stop. With all of the food options, it reminded us of a KFC, but the flavors were actually finger licking good, did you catch that?
We walked to Celeste’s in West Bay, Roatán, which has some of the best ceviche I’ve ever had! There we ate one of the country’s national dishes, baleadas, which is composed of a flour tortilla, filled with mashed refried beans, crema, and crumbled queso duro. They had a range of options including lobster, shrimp, the original, and more; we tried the jerk chicken version. The cats were lurking, so thank goodness, the drinks were strong.
Sights
Copán Ruinas is a 3-hour drive from San Pedro Sula, but there is an airport if you prefer a shorter trip. We used a guide to learn about Mayan culture at the ruins, and we even saw the Macaw birds, which are lifelong lovers.
Transportation
We took taxis throughout the country and flew with CM Airlines from San Pedro Sula to Roatán and back. The flight was only about an hour long. A one-way ticket cost approximately $140 USD.
You can also take a ferry from the mainland to Roatán. You would have to travel about 3 hours from San Pedro to La Ceiba, then take a one-hour ferry to the island.
Another mode of transportation is to utilize the bus system.
Must-haves
- Bug spray for the unknown beach bugs
- Sunscreen, it got sooo hot
There were many things that we were unable to see, therefore we will return to visit more of what the country has to offer. We were mini-celebrities in Honduras where pictures were requested WITH the locals from Copán to Roatán, I even had to hold a baby!
Guatemala, Days 5-8
After considering flights from Honduras or Roatán to Guatemala or El Salvador from various perspectives. We decided that flying to Guatemala would be the best next option because flying back to the United States from El Salvador would be the most cost-effective. Making Guatemala the second leg of our journey. After an hour and a half flight with CM Airlines, we arrived at the beautiful Guatemalan airport.
Pre-Arrival
You will need a passport with at least six months of validity and two blank pages before traveling to Guatemala. For any Covid documentation, you must have completed your vaccination course at least two weeks before entry or have a negative Covid test no more than three days before arrival. We did see testing options for $25 USD at the airport.
Currency
Guatemalan Quetzals, which at the time was 1 USD to about 8 Guatemalan Quetzals.
Lodging
Guatemala City is divided into approximately 25 Zones or Zonas. In Guatemala City, we stayed at the Hyatt Centric, which is located in Zona 10. We paid $10 USD for a taxi at the airport and arrived at our hotel about 20 minutes later. Rudy greeted us promptly and took excellent care of us. He made excellent recommendations and even brought up a stomach-settling drink for my friend. Please keep an eye out for him when you come to visit.
Our room was spacious and clean, and it overlooked the atrium. There is a restaurant on-site that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The hotel is close to numerous shops and restaurants. This hotel has two bars: one in the lobby and one on the roof, Zielo, which serves cocktails, food, and has a great vibe. If you go up one more level, you will reach the rooftop pool, which has stunning views of Guatemala City. The music by the pool is up to the user’s discretion. A double twin room cost $145 USD per night. The beds were more of a full size than a twin size.
Food
Our hotel recommended Hacienda Real to us. The restaurant provided a free shuttle to and from our hotel, and the food was excellent.
Sights
One of the things that we had to check off was the beautiful picture standing on the hands overlooking the beautiful landscape. In Antigua, there are numerous options for the famous hands!
The most picturesque option is in Hobbitenango. Due to the quality of the walkway, we were told we would need walking shoes. This was approximately $7 USD.
Altamira has a variety of structures for pictures and has easier walkways. We chose Altamira because we lacked the appropriate shoes. Plan to go earlier in the day because of the fog. This was less than $5 USD. Both locations were about an hour out from Guatemala City in the city of Antigua.
Transportation
In Guatemala, we mostly used taxis, but they also have Uber, Tuk-tuks, and buses for other modes of transportation.
Must-haves
- Shoes for outdoor activities
- Bug spray
- Light jacket during the month of May
Guatemala is a beautiful country full of color and amazing hospitality making it easy to come back to.
El Salvador, Days 8-11
We arrived in El Salvador 45 minutes after boarding our Volaris Airlines flight. This airline was spotless and had air conditioning!! A one-way ticket from Guatemala to El Salvador cost us $140 USD.
Pre-Arrival
All that is required to visit this lovely country is a valid passport with at least one blank page and a tourist card for stays of less than 90 days, which can be purchased at the airport for $12 USD. Covid 19 documentation is no longer required in the country.
Currency
USD, the country has been using US dollars since 2001.
Lodging
The Hyatt Centric San Salvador is located in Antigua Cuscatlán, about 45 minutes from the airport. The hotel is situated between a number of shopping centers and restaurants. We found this area to be extremely touristy, with few local food options. We were even directed to a fantastic Italian restaurant, but once we crossed the street to find it, we realized they were directing us to Olive Garden. The hotel had chic rooms with water issues during our stay, but they were gracious and accommodating by extending our check-out time and providing us with free breakfast. They have an on-site restaurant serving breakfast and dinner, as well as two bars, one of which is located by the pool. There is also a coffee and pupusa station open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A double room cost $180 USD per night.
Hotel Los Farallones is located in the La Libertad neighborhood, about 45 minutes west of the airport, and features a private beach and two pools. The rooms were old, and we even had visitors from the insect family. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available on-site. During check-in, we were given a breakfast voucher. This hotel offers covid testing, but it is expensive and disorganized. Thanks to Raul, our previous taxi driver, we found a rapid testing site on the way to the airport for $40 USD. For two nights, we paid $275.
The NAWi Beach House is approximately two hours from the airport. During our day pass, we caught a glimpse of this beauty. That sneak peek provided us with fantastic vibes, food, and drinks.
Transportation
In El Salvador, we generally utilized taxis and Uber, but we discovered that hiring a personal driver is the best option. During our stay, we met a few drivers who proved to be invaluable resources. Tuk-tuk/moto taxis and buses are also available in the country.
Sights
The Picnic Steak House restaurant features the Instagram-famous El Salvador slide. It was about a twenty-minute drive from our San Salvador hotel. For $5 USD, the colorful slide lasted about two minutes. Make sure you’re ready for the final hard stop. You can also visit El Boquerón Volcano, which is only about 10 minutes away.
We needed a relaxing beach day, so we reached out to the NAWi Beach House via Instagram and reserved a day pass for $70 USD. The beach house is located near El Zonte, about two hours from the airport. We had a fantastic time, scorching our feet in the black sand, eating delicious food, and sipping delicious drinks. A beachfront day bed, a welcome drink, and a horseback riding session were all included in our day pass. We rode the horses along the beach as the sun began to set; my horse, Espirito, was stunning.
Food
After visiting Belize in 2017, we were on the lookout for pupusas, one of the El Salvador’s national dishes. This is when we discovered that they are not served all day, but only in the early morning or late afternoon. We were finally able to persuade a chef at Relajo in Zona Rosa to make us an early batch. We ate delicious food and drank delicious beverages.
Must-haves
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen
We did not have the best experience while visiting El Salvador, but it certainly is a beautiful country.
Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador each provided their own taste of Central America, if we hadn’t run out of clothes, we would have included Nicaragua. Despite the fact that we had little to no planning, this trip was an incredible experience. We met people along the way and discovered new aspects of ourselves.
Would you ever book a last minute trip with little to no planning?
“Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets”
~ Oscar Wilde
