Central America & Costa Rica, 30 Days

Airport pickup and transfer to Playa del Carmen. The group meets for a welcome dinner at about 7pm.

A local guide takes you through Chichén Itzá, from El Castillo to the Platform of the Skulls, then you swim in the underground pool at Chukum cenote.

Ferry over to Cozumel for a day at a beach club: swim, snorkel, kayak or do nothing. Back to Playa for the night.

Drive south to Bacalar and take a boat across the Lagoon of Seven Colours, stopping to swim.

Cross the border into Belize and ferry out to Caye Caulker, a small island where the hotel is a minute from the water. Sunset on the west side of the island.

A boat trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve to snorkel the barrier reef among rays and tropical fish. Manatees turn up in season.

Swim at the Split, hire a paddleboard or claim a hammock. The day is yours.

Stop at a Mayan village to cook lunch with a local family, then cross into Guatemala and check in on the island town of Flores.

Explore Tikal with local guides, including the Lost World pyramid and the Temple of the Great Jaguar, then dinner by the lake.

A long drive south, broken by a tour of the Candelaria Caves, a system the Maya held sacred. Overnight in Cobán in the central highlands.

4x4s up into the mountains and a short jungle walk to Semuc Champey's turquoise limestone pools, with a couple of hours to swim. Lunch at a Mayan family home.

Stop at Chichicastenango for its market, then on to Panajachel on the shore of Lake Atitlán, with volcanoes on the skyline.

Boat across the lake via San Marcos to San Juan, where you stay in small groups with Mayan families and share dinner.

A pre-dawn hike up Mayan Face (Indian Nose) for sunrise over the lake, hot cocoa at the top and breakfast with local families, then the drive to Antigua.

A briefing for tomorrow's climb, a walking tour of Antigua's churches and squares, then free time in the markets.

Climb Acatenango with local guides, up to seven hours through forest and loose rock, to cabins near the summit. After dark, watch Fuego erupt across the valley. Not hiking? Stay in Antigua with a chocolate-making session instead.

An early push to the summit for views over Fuego and the highlands, then down to Antigua for a last dinner in Guatemala.

An included flight to San José. Free time for a museum if the flight lands early, then dinner out, where travellers starting the Costa Rica leg may join you.

A walking tour of San José, then the drive into the lowlands of Sarapiquí via the Pierella butterfly garden.

White-water rafting through rainforest with lunch included, a leaf-cutter ant tour, then a guided night walk looking for frogs and reptiles.

Visit an organic family farm and stay for a home-cooked lunch and local coffee, then on to La Fortuna under Arenal volcano.

Walk the hanging bridges through the rainforest canopy, then soak in natural hot springs.

Swim below a jungle waterfall. The afternoon is free, with ziplining as an optional extra.

Head to Samara on the Pacific coast for an afternoon on the beach.

A surf lesson with local coaches in the morning and a salsa class later on.

A trip up the Guanacaste coast to a quieter beach for swimming and time off.

Drive south to a glamping site in Quepos, near Manuel Antonio.

Walk the park's rainforest trails down to its beaches, looking for sloths and monkeys on the way.

Learn how cacao is grown and made into chocolate, with tastings, on the way back to San José for a farewell dinner.

Check out and fly home or travel on.