6 Weeks of Backpacking Central America 🌴

Stop 1: Cancún – Tourist Chaos & Chichén Itzá

Our trip kicked off in Cancún, simply because it’s the easiest and cheapest option to fly into. I came in from San Diego, but most international flights land here too. We spent a few days at the Mayan Monkey Hostel – super clean, with a pool, daily events and enough parties to keep you busy every night. If you’re planning a stay in Cancún, I recommend booking something in the hotel zone. That’s where the white beaches are, the nightlife takes place, and everything else happens. It's like the tourist hotspot in Cancun.

Cancún itself is pretty touristy, very Americanized and more expensive than the rest of Mexico, but it’s fun for what it is. Definitely make time for a Chichén Itzá day trip. We booked ours via GetYourGuide, and it included cenotes, a buffet lunch, tequila tasting, a Mayan shaman ritual and a great guide who really explained the culture and everything behind the Mayans. The only thing you need to cover yourself is the actual entry ticket to Chichén Itzá, but transport and everything else is sorted. It’s touristy, yes, but an essential Yucatán experience and one of the world wonders!!

Playa del Carmen – Chill Vibes & Island Trips

From Cancún we took the brand new Maya Train, which honestly makes backpacking Yucatán sooo much easier. It connects almost all the major (Backpacker-)towns, and buses are waiting at the stations to take you directly downtown for just a couple of euros (you can buy the ticket right in the station at the red counters).

Our first stop was Playa del Carmen, a super walkable town full of cute cafés, good restaurants (randomly had great Thai Food here) and a bit of a beach town vibe. We tried a booze cruise out to Cozumel – while the boat party was fun, the snorkelling was underwhelming and the island didn’t really blow me away. If you want that turquoise island paradise, I’d honestly suggest Isla Mujeres instead, which you can easily do as a day trip from Cancún. There the water was clearer, the beaches nicer and the vibe way more relaxed. Also it comes with unlimited free drinks :)

Tulum – Cenotes & Nightlife

Next stop: Tulum, also reached by train. Tulum is all about cenotes, bikes, and party nightlife. During the day we explored a couple of cenotes scattered around the area, and at night the town really came alive. My best advice here: just hop between the party hostels. Even if you’re not staying in one, they’re always open to outside guests, and there’s something happening every night, beer pong, DJs, live music, you name it.

To be honest, the town itself felt like a smaller, slightly calmer Cancún. It was fun, but it didn’t feel super unique to me. Worth checking out if you’re already on the route, though.

Bacalar – Lagoon Paradise

And then came Bacalar – easily my favorite stop in Mexico. This small town sits on the edge of a lagoon that looks like a thousand shades of blue. The vibe is way more relaxed than Cancún or Tulum, and the hostels here was great. We stayed at Che Hostel, a party hostel that offered booze cruises across the lagoon, pool parties, and nightly events where it was impossible not to make new friends.

We originally planned two nights, but ended up staying longer because the atmosphere was just that good. If you want the balance of partying and natural beauty, Bacalar is great for it.

Caye Caulker, Belize - Island Life with the best nature ever

We hadn’t planned to do Belize at first, mostly because of the price. But every backpacker we met told us we’d regret skipping Caye Caulker, a small island infront of Belize mainland. So we changed our plans, hopped on a bus to Chetumal, then a ferry straight to the island. Everything was super smooth and easy to arrange through our hostel in Bacalar (Che Hostel).

And yes, the island was exactly what everyone promised. Sandy streets, no cars, reggae bars, and backpackers everywhere. Life here really is laid-back. For hostels, the famous choice is Bella’s Backpackers, but book early because the island sells out fast. Days here are for relaxing at the beach, snorkelling with stingrays and sharks, and spotting seahorses at the docks.

The snorkel tour here was hands down one of the best I’ve ever done, swimming with reef sharks, rays, turtles, sea cows and through stunning coral gardens. At around 100 USD it’s not cheap, but it’s 100% worth it. Nights on the island are quieter, with most bars closing around midnight, so I’d say 3–4 days here is perfect unless you’re diving.

Flores, Guatemala - Lakeside Chill & Tikal

From Caye Caulker we booked transport all the way to Flores, Guatemala,  ferry back to Belize City, then a bus that carried us across the border and down to the lake. Long ride, but surprisingly smooth. We booked our Transportation with "E-Z Boys Tours" on Caye Culker, the same place we booked our Snorkling tour with.

Flores is a colorful town on a tiny island in the middle of Lake Petén. The best way to spend your time here is renting a kayak (around 20 USD/day) and paddling to the "rope swings" and hidden spots around the lake. Bring some beers and snacks, and it turns into the perfect sunset hangout.

Flores is also the base for trips to Tikal, one of the most impressive Mayan ruin sites in Central America. We joined the 5am tour - cool weather, wildlife everywhere (howler monkeys, toucans, even tarantulas), and fewer crowds. For me, Tikal was even more impressive than Chichén Itzá, mainly because it’s in the middle of the jungle and feels so much more raw. There also is an even earlier Tour (at 4am) for the sunrise, but during our Summer Travelperiod (April-May) you have heavy fog / mist in the morning and won't see the sunrise. So we decided to trade that in for another hour of sleep. 

Lake Atitlán - Hostels, Parties & Hippie Vibes

After Flores we headed deeper into Guatemala, taking an overnight bus to Lake Atitlán, arriving in Panajachel (booked via Get your guide). We checked into Dream Boat Hostel, which turned out to be one of the most fun hostels of the trip - poker nights, beer bongs, themed parties, and just an amazing crew running the place.

During the day you can head to the Reserva Natural Atitlán for hikes, zip-lining and hanging bridges, a perfect way to balance out the party nights. The real magic of Atitlán though is in the lake towns, each with its own personality:

• San Marcos – hippie, yoga, spiritual energy everywhere and cliff-jumping spots

• San Pedro – backpacker party hub (Mr Mullet’s Thursday party boat = chaos in the best way, even if it somehow starts super early at 10am (all events here: MrMullets)

• San Juan – artsy and chill, with galleries and nice restaurants

We ended up staying in San Pedro at a small hostel, which was honestly perfect. It gave us quiet mornings to recover, while we could still join the parties at Mr Mullet’s in the evenings. One of my highlights here was taking a water taxi to La Casa del Mundo – a villa perched on the cliffs where you can swim, jump into the lake, and relax with insane views.

⚠️ Little warning: don’t get lake water in your mouth, I met a lot of travellers who got sick from it.

Antigua - The Volcano Hike

From Lake Atitlán we made our way to Antigua (by bus, again booked with get your guide), the colonial town famous for the Acatenango Volcano Hike. This was by far the toughest thing we did on the trip – climbing through the night, camping with a view of an erupting volcano, and waking up above the clouds. Brutal, but absolutely unforgettable. If you’re in Guatemala, don’t miss it. But you can read more about it on this Blog.

Isla Holbox - Final Beach Days

As our time came to an end, we looped back to Mexico. From Cancún we took a ferry to Holbox, the perfect last stop before heading home. White sand beaches, shallow turquoise water, palm trees everywhere. It’s exactly how you’d picture a backpacker paradise.

We stayed at Che Hostel (same as in Bacalar) and it was the perfect mix of fun, social and beach chill. Days here were for hammocks, tanning and swimming, nights for hostel events and beers with new friends. Couldn’t have imagined a better ending.

Final Thoughts

6 weeks across Mexico, Belize and Guatemala turned out to be one of the best trips I’ve ever done. We never felt unsafe, transport was easy to arrange, and everywhere we went we met other backpackers to share the journey with. From cenotes to lagoons, island life to volcano hikes - this route had almost everything.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Anytime!!!

This was the whole Route: