Excursion tour "Glimpses of Central America"

Walking tour of Antigua. Antigua Guatemala lies in the wide mountain valley of Panchoy, sandwiched between the cones of the Agua, Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes. The city was founded in 1543 as the third capital of Guatemala, and was called Santiago de Guatemala. All of Guatemala's first three capitals were named after St. James the Apostle or Santiago. And only after the severe Santa Marta earthquake occurred in 1773, the capital had to be moved to a new location in Guatemala City, and after 2 years people began to call the third capital Antigua Guatemala or ancient, old Guatemala. We start in the historical center of Antigua from the main square, visiting the main monuments of the city. Overnight at the Villa Colonial Hotel. (Meals: 3)

Just 67 km from Antigua, Guatemala is the most active and beautiful volcanic complex in Central America, Parque Pacaya. Its main crater reaches an altitude of 2,552 meters above sea level. From 1961 to March 2002, a total of 14 major eruptions and many other less intense ones were recorded. The park covers a total of 2,065 hectares. It is also home to the 35-hectare Laguna de Calderas, which was formed in an old crater and currently supplies drinking water to 11 villages and towns and 10,000 inhabitants. In fact, the Pacaya volcano is a “volcanic complex” that, according to Carlos Saper, is “the most interesting volcanic complex in Central America in terms of the number of eruptive cones, craters and changes that can be constantly observed.” We will begin our ascent from an altitude of 1,900 meters above sea level and rise to 2,300 m. After descent, transfer to Lake Atitlan. Overnight at the Villa Santa Catarina hotel. (Meals: 3)

Today we will look at the most interesting cities where the Tzutuhili Mayans still live on Lake Atitlan. And we'll start with San Juan. San Juan is the cleanest and tidiest town on the lake. There are many art galleries here, whose artists paint in the Naive or Primitivist style. There are many women's cooperatives in San Juan. You can visit a women's textile factory, see the hand weaving and natural dyeing processes, and meet a group of comadrons, or midwives, who grow different types of medicinal herbs for natural medicine. Traditional agriculture, fishing, weaving reed mats and the production of high-quality textiles are an integral part of the life of the local population. You definitely won’t find souvenirs from China here. And of course we will try very tasty coffee in one of the coffee shops. Afterwards, we will take a boat to the other side of the lake to the city of Santiago Atitlan. Santiago, founded in 1547 at the foot of the Toliman volcano, is the largest city with a population of 32 thousand people, 95% of whom are Maya Tzutujil. The local population lives by fishing, farming and making cayucos (local canoes). We will also look into the local Catholic church, where two religions merged - Catholicism and Mayan beliefs, and walk past the local city hall, where the city elders sit dressed in white striped shorts and birds embroidered on the bottom. The most real color. Let's return to Atitlan. Overnight at the Villa Santa Catarina hotel. (Meals: 3)

Today we will go to the largest Mayan highland market, Chichicastenango (Thursday or Sunday only). Chichicastenango was formerly called Chaviar and was an important trading city of the Kaqchikels long before the Spanish conquest. Surrounded by valleys and mountains that obscure the horizon, Chichicastenango can seem isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow, cobbled streets and red-tiled roofs are covered in fog, as they often are, it can feel like you're in some kind of fairy tale. Throngs of vendors and tourist groups flock to the country's largest highland market on Thursday and Sunday. If you can choose when to come, it is best to visit the market on a Sunday, as the market is much larger and the cofradias (religious brotherhoods) hold processions in and around St. Thomas Church. The Catholic patron of the city is St. Thomas, in his honor the Church of Santo Tomas was built in the city in 1540. Towards the local cemetery you will see another Catholic Church called Golgotha or Calvario. And what is a market without shopping, so take enough money with you to buy souvenirs. At the market you can pay with American dollars, and more recently with credit cards. The Chichicastenango market is famous mainly for its textiles and masks. Let's return to Guatemala. Overnight at the Barceló Guatemala City hotel. (Meals: 3)

Early flight to Flores. Tikal is 64 km from Flores, the beautiful capital of Petén, located on an island in Lake Petén Itza. Tikal, meaning “place where the voices of spirits are heard,” appears huge compared to other cities of the classical period—it is the largest settlement of pre-Columbian America. Scientists came to this conclusion after a series of excavations carried out in the late 50s. It has been inhabited since 800 BC. until 900 AD, only to be reconquered by tropical jungles from the early eleventh century until the early twentieth century, when Tikal was discovered and restoration work began. The urban complex of Tikal (not counting the outskirts) occupied an area of about 16 square meters. kilometers. There were 3 thousand buildings on it, and the pyramids were distinguished by a specific style not found anywhere else in Mesoamerica. Particularly impressive are the six pyramidal temples, which, compared to other buildings of this type, look like real skyscrapers. It is not for nothing that archaeologists called Tikal-New York the Mayan civilization. Today, Tikal National Park covers 575 square kilometers and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 as a cultural and natural heritage of humanity. Overnight at the Villa Maya Hotel. (Meals: 3)

Transfer to the Izabal department to the most picturesque river in Guatemala - the Sweet River. The department of Izabal is home to the beautiful and largest lake in Guatemala, Izabal, which gives rise to the famous Rio Dulce River; and the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, where pirates and galleons battled for supremacy during colonial times. Today, the region is home to more than 350 species of birds and countless other fauna such as howler monkeys, dolphins and manatees. Also living here are people from West Africa - the Garifuna, who inhabited this region 200 years ago. This area on the Caribbean coast appears to have remained unchanged. Transfer to a boat and travel along the Sweet River (2 hours on the way): the steep walls of the river canyon, thermal springs, the beauty of the tropical jungle will leave an unforgettable impression and, of course, the city of Livingston, home to the Garifuna people, descendants of slaves taken from Africa. Excursion to Livingston (the city cannot be reached by land, only by water) - a settlement of the Garifuna people with a unique culture that combines African

We continue to the place of Quirigua. Visit to the archaeological complex of Quirigua - a city of the ancient Mayans, founded by immigrants from Copan in the 2nd century. VII century AD The Quirigua Archaeological Park is included in the UNESCO list of “Historical Heritage of Humanity”. During excavations, 22 monuments called stelae were discovered in the thicket of tropical trees. Sculptures of animals with human features found in the park (for example, a jaguar with a human face), personifying the gods, indicate that Quirigua was the largest religious center of that era. Monolithic sculptures weighing up to 65 tons were carved without the help of iron tools, but ancient sculptors managed to achieve a high artistic level and believability. Transfer to Honduras. Overnight at the Clarion Copan Ruinas Hotel. (Meals: 3)

Visit to the famous ruins of Copan, located almost on the border with Guatemala. The main value of Copan is the unreal beauty and precision of the art on the steles. This site of the Mayan civilization was called the Athens of Mesoamerica. There you will even find a stele made in three dimensions. The Staircase with Hieroglyphs, built by the Mayans during the classical period, is rightfully considered a real work of art. Each of its 63 steps is decorated with complex inscriptions, and balustrades with images of snakes and birds are erected on the sides. Transfer to San Salvador. Overnight at the Barceló San Salvador hotel. (Meals: 3)

In the first half of the day you will have a tour of the city of San Salvador. We will visit a very interesting historical center, the Church of El Rosario with a modern and very colorful design, the National Palace, the National Theater and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Hoya de Ceren and San Andres are the main archaeological sites that we will discover on this tour. In El Salvador, the history of volcanoes and the various civilizations that have passed through the land has a strong connection between destruction and preservation. In this tour we will take a closer look at this fact. Among the many civilizations that lived in El Salvador, one of the most important was the Mayan civilization. The Mayans are known to have developed complex societies with impressive temples in the Mesoamerican region. But the first place we visit is something completely different. Overnight at the Barceló San Salvador hotel. (Meals: 3)

Transfer to La Union to take the ferry to Nicaragua. Then we will go to the city of Leon. Just before arriving in Nicaragua we will visit Pompeii, the old city of Leon, to see the first city built by the Spanish in 1524 and abandoned in 1610 due to the eruption of the Momotombo volcano. After this stop, we will continue to the new city of Leon, where we will visit the largest church in Central America, the Ruben Dario Museum, the Ortiz Gurdian Museum and the frescoes of the revolution. Transfer to Managua. Overnight at the Real Intercontinental Metrocento Managua. (Meals: 3)

Start your journey in the city of Managua, where we will introduce you to the culture and history of Nicaragua through the museums, parks and historical sites of the capital of the Republic. Situated on the shores of Lake Xolotlán, Managua has been the capital of Nicaragua since 1852. During the tour of the capital, we will take a sightseeing tour of the historical center of the city, visiting important attractions such as the Central Park, the ruins of the Santiago Cathedral, the National Palace of Culture and the Ruben Dario Theater. In addition, we will visit the Tiscapa Historical Park, where you can enjoy magnificent panoramic views of the city, lake and Tiscapa lagoons. We then head to Masaya Volcano National Park, the first and largest national park in the country, to explore the impressive Masaya Volcano and visit its active crater. We will visit the famous Masaya handicraft market. Moving to Granada. Granada, known as the oldest colonial city in continental America, has survived pirate attacks, civil wars, fires and more in its rich history, dating back to its founding in 1524. We will begin this tour full of history by visiting the main square, the Casa, the Cultural Center de los Leones, the San Francisco Museum and Convent, the Ceramics Museum, the Church of La Merced and La Calzada. Overnight at the La Gran Francia Hotel. (Meals: 3)

Moving to the border with Costa Rica. Moving to the Pacific coast and relaxing on the beach. Overnight at the Wyndham Tamarindo. (Meals: 3)

Relax on the beach, free day. Overnight at the Wyndham Tamarindo. (Meals: 3)

Transfer to Monteverde. On this day, you will enjoy the best excursion in the Monteverde forest: “Suspension Bridges” and Canopy Tour. If you are lucky, you will be able to see the sacred bird of the Mayan Indians, the famous Quetzal, which is on the verge of extinction. Overnight at El Establo Mountain Resort. (Meals: 3)

Visit one of the world's top naturalist destinations, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a blue mountain located on the Cordillera de Tilaran in northwestern Costa Rica at an altitude of almost five thousand feet. Visit a biological reserve created to preserve the flora and fauna that exist in this complex ecosystem. The reserve covers 10,000 hectares and is an important link in the country's growing network of protected areas. Enjoy a boat ride across Lake Arenal to the site of Monteverde with its unique rural Quaker/Tico community. Overnight at the Arenal Paraíso Resort & Spa. (Meals: 3)

We will begin our tour in the Caño Negro Nature Reserve. Caño Negro is a place to spot Costa Rica's exotic birds and wildlife. Caño Negro is also home to sloths, monkeys, caimans, bats, and numerous tropical plants. You will be served drinks and snacks before cruising on a comfortable boat through this exceptional national park, enjoying the diverse flora and fauna. Overnight at the Arenal Paraíso Resort & Spa. (Meals: Z, O)

Departure for San Jose. Next, transfer to Volcan Poas National Park. As you climb the volcano, you will notice how the temperature and vegetation changes, you will see coffee plantations, flower and strawberry farms creating a beautiful landscape. At Volcano Poas you can not only admire the impressive crater with its sulfur fumaroles, but also learn about the different ecosystems in this beautiful national park. After visiting the volcano, you will head to the La Paz Waterfall Garden, where you can walk along a trail leading to picturesque waterfalls deep in the forest and have lunch. In the park you can also visit the hummingbird gallery, serpentarium, bird house, butterfly garden and frog exhibition. Transfer to San Jose. Overnight at the Barceló San Jose Palacio. (Meals: Z, O)

Transfer to the international airport. (Meal:3)