Archive for the ‘Central America’ Category

Passport Fee Increase

July 7th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Caribbean Central America Mexico South America destinations news

If you haven’t gotten around to applying for passport books for those upcoming Europe vacations or renewing your passport cards for those booked Caribbean cruises, your pocketbook will appreciate it if you act before July 13. According to the US State Department website, new “consular fees” go into effect next Tuesday.

The cost of a new passport book for adults will jump 35% from $100 to $135 dollars. Renewal of existing passport books will increase to $110 from $85. Minors will see the cost of a new passport book go from $85 to $105. The cost of a passport card for adults will increase $10 from $45 to $55, while a minor’s passport card will go from $35 to $40.

If you are one of those travelers who collects so many stamps that you run out of pages and need more, that too will cost you. Currently you can just send in your passport and get new pages for free, but starting next week there will be an $82 charge attached to those additional sheets of paper.

Looking at the price difference between a passport card and a passport book, you might wonder if you can get by with just the card. The passport card, similar in size and appearance to a driver’s license, is valid only when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea. It is not valid for any international travel by air, so if you will be flying to your destination, you’ll have to get the passport book.
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Antigua: Guatemala’s Colonial Jewel

March 23rd
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America destinations

Travelers seeking out locales that combine Spanish-colonial architectural treasures with strong indigenous cultures may think they have to travel to South America to get a taste of this appealing combination. Many vacationers are not aware that one of the gems of the Spanish colonial period can be found relatively nearby in Antigua, Guatemala.  A cheap flight from Dallas or Houston will have you in Guatemala in a couple of hours, but you will feel like you are a world away.

Located just 25 miles from Guatemala City, visitors to Antigua can bypass Guatemala City hotels and head straight to this colonial jewel. Founded by the Spanish in 1543, Antigua was the country’s capital for roughly 230 years. During that time the riches that flowed from the Spanish conquest financed the construction of numerous churches, convents, and public buildings. A series of earthquakes in the late 1700s left many of these buildings in ruin and prompted the government to move the capital to Guatemala City. Antigua was left mainly untouched for over a century and hasn’t been altered too much since then. With cobblestone streets, Baroque architecture, and partially restored ruins, Antigua feels like a town from another place in time.

Here’s a short run-down of what you can do in Antigua:

Explore the Colonial Sites
One of the best ways to get a feel for Antigua is to simply stroll the streets of the city’s compact downtown. Starting at the leafy and central Plaza Mayor, you can find interesting building and ruins in every direction. On our trip there last week my daughter especially enjoyed the Capuchin Convent. With beautiful grounds and courtyards, the partially intact and partially in ruins convent offers a glimpse into life as a nun. While most of the novices’ cells are in various states of decay, a few have been fixed up to include creepy mannequins outfitted in wimples and habits. There are also fantastic city and volcano views from its roof.
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Guatemala’s Fascinating Maya Culture

March 15th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America destinations

There is no doubt, in this age of instant communication and easy access to information, that the world has become a smaller place. Trends in styles and music that once would have been restricted to a specific country or region can now become global in an instant – creating what can almost seem like a homogenous world style.  Many travelers now feel that the only way to experience unique societies is to venture to the farthest and most difficult to access corners of the globe. Happily, they are wrong. There are fascinating and intense cultural experiences to be had just 2.5 hours from the Dallas airport on a Guatemala vacation.

I just returned from a trip to Guatemala where I was reminded of both the beauty of the country and the fiercely retained customs of its Maya people. The best part of all is that you don’t need a huge time investment to experience it. Within short driving distance of the fanciest Guatemala City hotels you can find yourself immersed in a captivating Amer-Indian world.

While I was lucky enough to spend a week there, one of the real benefits of a trip to Guatemala is that you can experience its unique Maya cultures over the course of a long weekend. (There is an entire Spanish-colonial aspect of Guatemala that can be explored as well, but I’ll cover that in another post.) Here are some of the not-to-be-missed highlights for encountering these centuries-old societies:

Market Day in Chichicastenango

“Chichi”, a town in Guatemala’s western highlands, is justifiable famous for its twice weekly outdoor market. Every Thursday and Sunday the narrow cobblestone streets around the pueblo’s plaza fill with Maya vendors who come from remote highland villages to peddle their wares to both locals and tourists.

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Costa Rica Girl Power

February 8th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America activities beaches destinations outdoor adventure

With most of the votes in yesterday’s presidential election counted, it looks as if Costa Rica has elected its first women president by a landslide. Laura Chinchilla, a protégé of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Costa Rican president Oscar Arias,  has received roughly 47% of the vote, about 22 percentage points more than her closest rival.

Costa Rica, the most stable country in Latin America, has long been a popular destination for adventure-seeking travelers. San Jose hotels are full of people on their way to explore the jungles, volcanoes, rivers, and beaches of this amazingly diverse country. In honor of the country’s new president, and girl power in general, here are some great Costa Rica vacations for women only. (Costa Rica is not the first Latin American country to elect a female president by the way — Nicaragua, Panama, Chile, and Argentina have elected women leaders before.)

Costa Rica Surfing Chicas:  Want to learn to hang ten without the pressure of a bunch of guys telling you what to do or monitoring your progress? You can try one of the women-only sessions offered by Del Mar surf camps. With programs in two locations, one on the central Pacific coast in Jaco, and other north of there in Nosara, Del Mar offers something for everyone. While learning or improving your surfing skills are the main goals, other camp offerings include yoga, hikes, massage, and time for relaxation.
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El Salvador: Top 2010 Destination

January 4th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America beaches destinations opinion

el salvadorThe beginning of a new year is a good time to look at the map and decide where your travels might take you over the next 12 months. My husband and I sat down over the Christmas break and planned a week in Guatemala, a couple of Mexico vacations, and a wild-card week where we will look for last minute travel packages to Europe, Asia, and Latin America and jump on the one that looks the most interesting.

The Lonely Planet guidebook series knows that people seek inspiration when determining their travel destinations, so each year for the past five years they have published a book called Best in Travel. Best in Travel 2010 highlights their editor’s top ten picks for countries, regions, and cities to visit in 2010.

At the head of their top ten countries to visit list is El Salvador. El Salvador just happens to be the country that I most enjoyed visiting in 2009, so I couldn’t agree more with their pick. As readers of my previous El Salvador posts know, I found it to be a country full of wonderful surprises. With lush rain forests, high mountain lakes, miles of undeveloped coastline, and bubbling volcanoes, the natural wonders of El Salvador rival those of its more famous neighbor Costa Rica. And while the tourist infrastructure is relatively new, there are no lack of delightfully inviting El Salvador hotels, fascinating cities, and artfully created handicrafts to enjoy. (more…)

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The Happy Planet Index

December 1st
2009
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Caribbean Central America destinations news

Costa RicaIn doing some research for a recent post on the Dominican Republic, I came across the Happy Planet Index. This index basically combines an environmental impact measure with a well-being measure to reveal the ecological efficiency of people’s well-being. Rather than rank each individual’s happiness, the index highlights the countries that do a good job of converting the planet’s resources into long, happy lives for its citizens.

If you are a person who puts an emphasis on the health of the planet, you might want to check out vacation packages to the countries at the top of the list. You could experience for yourself what it is like to be in a place where the people enjoy long, happy lives without over-stretching the planet’s resources. What are the countries at the top of the list? Here’s a hint — you wouldn’t be off the mark if you started looking for deals on Costa Rica hotels.  (more…)

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El Salvador’s Sunzal Beach

October 10th
2009
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America beaches destinations outdoor adventure

casa de marEl Salvador is full of surprises. I have traveled to almost every country in Latin America, but knew embarrassingly little about this Central American country when I arrived here earlier this week. My first stop was Casa de Mar Hotel, an unexpected gem on the coast just 45 minutes south of San Salvador’s airport. Unlike the profusion of upscale Costa Rica or Mexico hotels, Casa de Mar stands out as a true find on a El Salvador coastline with little infrastructure in terms of higher-end boutique vacation facilities.

Eleven colorfully painted bungalows spill down the hillside, along with a profusion of flowering tropical plants, winding pathways, and a gurgling waterfall. All paths lead to the pool and bar area, a large, walled deck perched about ten feet above the beach. Lounge chairs circle the pool, while a giant thatched roof palapa shades the bar and breakfast seating. The views enjoyed from the here include both the stunning Pacific Ocean below and the fertile, green, rolling hills of the Salvadorian coastline. (more…)

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Suchitoto El Salvador

October 10th
2009
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America destinations

suchitotoEl Salvador is an overlooked but fantastic option for Central America vacations. Unfortunately, when most Americans think of El Salvador, if they think of it at all, it is in reference to the country’s unlucky position as a Cold War pawn. Years of civil war in the 1980s left the country weary and diminished. Now, almost 15 after peace was declared, it’s a land ripe for a tourism boom.

In the last five years the infrastructure for travelers — including San Salvador hotels and restaurants, highways, and tours offerings – has mushroomed. Three years ago the country created the Ministry of Tourism, which has played a vital role in developing El Salvador’s colonial cities, miles of beaches, Maya ruins, vibrant jungles, and volcanic mountains. (more…)

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Exploring Roatan, Honduras

July 28th
2009
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America activities beaches destinations news

roatan-419Honduras’s ousted president Manuel Zelaya is still making headlines as he tries to foster international support for his return to office. The military leaders who staged the coup are not welcoming him back into the country.

You, on the other hand, are more than welcome, as there are some bargain deals on cheap airfare to Roatan, Honduras right now. Yes, the State Department has posted a Travel Alert against non-essential travel to Honduras, but the tiny island of Roatan is so far from any political turmoil it is almost laughable. (Besides, you can argue that a great deal makes the trip “essential.”)

Roatan, located forty miles off the coast of Honduras in the Caribbean sea, is part of a three-island chain known as the Bay Islands. Only 37 miles long, the island offers ample opportunities for both adventure and relaxation. You could come for a week and be engaged in a different activity every day, or you could sit on the beach drinking cold Barena beer. (more…)

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Biking in Bogota

July 20th
2009
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Central America activities destinations events and festivals outdoor adventure

cicloviaQuick, name a large city winning accolades as a model in the fight against climate change and air pollution. Did you guess Seattle? Portland, maybe? No, I’m talking about Bogotá, Colombia.

There was a lot of press last week about Bogotá’s innovative bus system. The new BRT, Bus Rapid Transit, is similar to a subway system, but it runs above ground on dedicated city streets. In place of the traditional Latin American bus system, which involves privately-owned, smog-belching, muffler-lacking minibuses, the BRT uses extended, low-emission buses and functions through a series of enclosed stations with turnstiles, much like a metro.  According to the articles, Bogotá’s system, called the TransMilenio, has removed 7,000 of the minibuses from the city’s roads and reduced the use of bus fuel and emissions by more than 59% in the last eight years.

That’s not the only emissions-reducing, green initiative happening in Colombia. If you happen to be taking a trip down to Bogotá, try to time your flights to be there on a Sunday so that you can experience Ciclovia. Every Sunday and holiday throughout the year, the government closes about 70 miles of downtown streets to motorized  traffic from 7am to 2pm.  Residents of the city take the opportunity en masse to bike, walk, rollerblade, skateboard, and socialize in streets that are clogged with traffic the rest of the week. (more…)

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