Nicaragua, Honduras and Salvador in one voyage


Trip description

This route proposal covers the main tourist attractions of the three countries from the Pacific to the Atlantic, drawing a large loop. It is possible to do it in public transport (bus and/or plane) as well as rental car for certain sections. In the example below, the stay begins and ends in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Note that it would be possible to do the same from San Salvador, San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa.

Day 1: Road to Las Peñitas

Day 2: Excursion nature

Day 3: Visit to León

Day 4: Local alcohol production

Day 5: Crossing to El Salvador

Day 6: Little paradise on earth

Day 7: Production of cocoa

Day 8: Discovery of the capital

Day 9: On the road of flowers

Day 10: Excursion on heights

Day 11: Hiking in the forest

Day 12: Metapán and its surroundings

Day 13: Mayan remains

Day 14: Discovery of local coffee productions

Day 15: Day ornithology

Day 16: Stopover in the first colonial village of Honduras

Day 17: Local shopping around La Esperanza

Day 18: Wilderness

Day 19: Day ornithology

Day 20: Balade in mangroves

Day 21: White sand beach

Day 22: Adventure Day

Day 23: Fauna, flora, and beautiful landscapes

Day 24: Islas de la Bahia

Day 25: Quiet day in Guanaja

Day 26: Observation of the seabed

Day 27: Cape Town in Tegucigalpa

Day 28: High cliffs and deep gorges

Day 29: Colonial cities

Day 30: Road to the capital of the Caribbean coast

Day 31: Fine sandy beaches and turquoise waters

Day 32: Second day on Les Perlas

Day 33: Cap on paradise

Day 34: Relaxing and celebrating

Day 35: Discovery of the seabed

Day 36: Return to unspoiled nature

Day 37: Day idleness

Day 38: Road to San Carlos

Day 39: The Solentiname Archipelago

Day 40: The Rio San Juan

Day 41: Transfer to Granada

Day 42: Visit of the city

Day 43: Around Granada

Day 44: Island of Ometepe

Day 45: Beaches of fine sand and green landscapes

Day 46: Excursion and various activities

Day 47: South Pacific

Day 48: Rest on the beaches

Day 49: Underwater diving

Day 50: Back to reality

Day 51: The time of return rang!

Day 1 : Road to Las Peñitas

Day1 : Road to Las Peñitas ©Florie THIELIN


Just arrived in Managua, no dead time, go to the beach of Las Peñitas next to León (within 2 hours drive) where you can rest and recover from the time lag in the gentle sound of the waves.




Day 2 : Excursion nature



From Las Peñitas you can leave for the day to discover the nature reserve on Juan Venado Island.




Day 3 : Visit to León

Day3 : Visit to León ©mundosemfim - Shutterstock.com


Visit the beautiful colonial city of León, dominated by volcanoes in the surrounding area.




Day 4 : Local alcohol production



Visit of the Flor de Caña rum distillery in Chichigalpa.




Day 5 : Crossing to El Salvador



Take a boat from Potosi to La Union to cross the Gulf of Fonseca and travel to El Salvador. Admire the beauty of the landscape composed of small volcanic islets. If there is no boat on the date that suits you, minibuses also provide travel, usually by night, from León.




Day 6 : Little paradise on earth

Day6 : Little paradise on earth ©JICA El Salvador


Experience amazing sunrises and sunsets in Jiquilisco Bay. Observation of wild fauna and flora (typical of mangroves), as well as monkeys.




Day 7 : Production of cocoa



Go on excursions to visit a bio-cocoa plantation.




Day 8 : Discovery of the capital

Day8 : Discovery of the capital ©mtcurado


Take a guided tour of San Salvador for a good introduction to the country's history. During your stay in the capital, stay in the adjacent town of Day Cuscatlán. If you are an amateur of archaeology, visit the Maya Archéologique archaeological site of Cerén, the "Pompei d'Amérique".




Day 9 : On the road of flowers

Day9 : On the road of flowers ©Florie THIELIN


Go to the pretty village of Concepción de Ataco, which you can use as a base to visit the villages around the flower and volcano route




Day 10 : Excursion on heights

Day10 : Excursion on heights ©Salvadorean Tours


 Hiking enthusiasts can visit the Santa Ana volcano summit.




Day 11 : Hiking in the forest

Day11 : Hiking in the forest ©chrisontour84 - Shutterstock.com


The adventure awaits you in the Impossible National Park! You can camp there if you wish, only by reservation.




Day 12 : Metapán and its surroundings



Spend a night off the beaten track in the small colonial town of Metapán. You can also explore Montecristo National Park and the Guija lagoon




Day 13 : Mayan remains

Day13 : Mayan remains ©milosk50 - Shutterstock.com


Return to the capital, Tegucigalpa, to take the bus to Copán Ruinas. The Mayan ruins of Copán are part of the most beautiful archaeological sites in Central America.




Day 14 : Discovery of local coffee productions



Around Copán Ruinas many excursions are possible: take a coffee plantation for example.




Day 15 : Day ornithology

Day15 : Day ornithology ©holgs - iStockphoto.com


You can also visit Macaw Mountain, where you can watch many birds with vivid colours, between toucans, aras and parrots.




Day 16 : Stopover in the first colonial village of Honduras

Day16 : Stopover in the first colonial village of Honduras ©Florie THIELIN


Climb the road of the native Lencas, making a first stop in Gracias.




Day 17 : Local shopping around La Esperanza



Stop in La Esperanza, a city with strong Lencas traditions. Around the city, you can buy local crafts and textiles.




Day 18 : Wilderness



Visit the Cave winery and stay at the Bord lake level at the Peña Blancas village level.




Day 19 : Day ornithology



Check out birds on one of the surrounding national reserves or parks.




Day 20 : Balade in mangroves



You find beautiful beaches and mangroves... but this time on the Atlantic/Caribbean coast with a first stop in Tela.




Day 21 : White sand beach



Take a trip to Punta Sal.




Day 22 : Adventure Day

Day22 : Adventure Day ©Nicolas LHULLIER


Stay in one of the lodges on the banks of the Rio Cangrejal (right next to La Ceiba), the most adventurous can offer a descent from the river into rafting.




Day 23 : Fauna, flora, and beautiful landscapes

Day23 : Fauna, flora, and beautiful landscapes ©Nickolas warner - Shutterstock.com


Excursion to Pico Bonito National Park or a community tourism experience on the Îlots Cochinos islands.




Day 24 : Islas de la Bahia



The bay is made up of three islands. Start with Guanaja, the most savage of three. Perfect for diving in the lives of its people, very welcoming.




Day 25 : Quiet day in Guanaja



Take a day to relax on the beaches and discover the surroundings.




Day 26 : Observation of the seabed

Day26 : Observation of the seabed ©Angela N Perryman - Shutterstock.com


Then go to the island of Utila (more festive) or Roatan (more tranquil). Ferries travel back and forth almost every day from La Ceiba. Don't forget to explore the seabed, many diving spots are available.




Day 27 : Cape Town in Tegucigalpa

Day27 : Cape Town in Tegucigalpa ©Florie THIELIN


Take a bus or an airplane to make La Ceiba-Tegucigalpa.




Day 28 : High cliffs and deep gorges

Day28 : High cliffs and deep gorges ©François JANNE DOTHEE


Then join the north of Nicaragua by bus to visit the Somoto Canyon and take an aquatic hike.




Day 29 : Colonial cities



Visit the surroundings of small colonial towns, in the cool climate, of Estelí, Jinotega and/or Matagalpa.




Day 30 : Road to the capital of the Caribbean coast



Take a bus from Managua to El Rama then a boat for Bluefields or directly a plane from Managua to Bluefields.




Day 31 : Fine sandy beaches and turquoise waters



From Bluefields, take a group boat to Laguna de Perlas for an excursion on the Cayos Perlas and visits to indigenous villages.




Day 32 : Second day on Les Perlas



Enjoy the beach.




Day 33 : Cap on paradise

Day33 : Cap on paradise ©lanabyko


Go back to Bluefields to fly to Big Corn Island, paradise island in the middle of the Caribbean sea.




Day 34 : Relaxing and celebrating



On the island, possibility of making beautiful walks along the coast, spend very festive evenings on weekends




Day 35 : Discovery of the seabed



Take a day to make beautiful dives.




Day 36 : Return to unspoiled nature

Day36 : Return to unspoiled nature ©Riderfoot - Shutterstock.com


Take the boat this time to reach Little Corn Island, one of the quietest places in the country (not to say "the most peaceful"). No cars, no roads, no shoes, no stress. Perfect for relaxing! Take care of the days that march...




Day 37 : Day idleness



Relax on the beaches and walk on the island.




Day 38 : Road to San Carlos



From Bluefields, take a boat to El Rama in the early morning, then a bus to Managua, but stop along the way in Juigalpa and catch another bus to San Carlos where you will arrive in the evening. It is also possible to fly from the Corn Islands to Managua, then from Managua to San Carlos.




Day 39 : The Solentiname Archipelago



From San Carlos you can go to the islands of the Solentiname archipelago, to observe the abundant flora and fauna of the Los Guatuzos Nature Reserve.




Day 40 : The Rio San Juan

Day40 : The Rio San Juan ©rchphoto


Above all, do not miss to go back to the Rio San Juan, at least to El Castillo, and to the most adventurous, to San Juan del Norte (also called Greytown).




Day 41 : Transfer to Granada

Day41 : Transfer to Granada ©Inspired By Maps - Shutterstock.com


From San Juan del Norte you can take a return flight to San Carlos, Managua or Ometepe. Note that passing through the south of Lake Nicaragua is very complicated: if you do not choose the plane, you will have to take a bus from San Carlos in Managua or Granada (there are daily).




Day 42 : Visit of the city

Day42 : Visit of the city ©Riderfoot - Shutterstock.com


Spend a few days in the beautiful colonial town of Granada it has an active nightlife and many activities during the day.




Day 43 : Around Granada

Day43 : Around Granada ©Martin Ruel


Take the opportunity to visit the Masaya Volcano National Park. The Mombacho volcano, the Pueblos blancos or the Apoyo lagoon are also nearby.




Day 44 : Island of Ometepe

Day44 : Island of Ometepe ©Eweleena - Shutterstock.com


Leave the ocean to reach Lake Nicaragua by visiting the island of Ometepe. It is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. For a trip over time, stay on the most secluded part of the island, to Mérida.




Day 45 : Beaches of fine sand and green landscapes



Many discoveries await you like Santo Domingo (the most beautiful beach of the island), the magnificent sunset from Punta Jesús María, the legends of the Charco Verde lagoon and the many rural living scenes.




Day 46 : Excursion and various activities



Rest on the edge of the lake or the pelvis of the Ojo de Agua, climb on the volcano Maderas. Other fantastic sites include: archaeology, natural pools, kayaking, community tourism...




Day 47 : South Pacific

Day47 : South Pacific ©Milosz Maslanka - Shutterstock.com


Finish your trip with a small riding week or relax on the beaches of the South Pacific: around San Juan del Sur (more touristic) or on the beaches of the Zona Zona (more wild).




Day 48 : Rest on the beaches



On the agenda: nothing planned. Spend the day relaxing.




Day 49 : Underwater diving



You can take advantage of your last days of stay to snorkel and observe the treasures below sea level one last time.




Day 50 : Back to reality



Back to Managua, make your last purchases




Day 51 : The time of return rang!



Get ready to take off to return to France.




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