Deciding the place to journey is among the hardest components of any journey. In the event you’ve narrowed it right down to Central America, how do you then select which nation to go to after they all have such distinct attracts?
Costa Rica and Guatemala are two in style locations for G Adventures excursions, so both nation makes an excellent start line when you’re excited about your subsequent journey. Each Guatemala and Costa Rica have loads to see and do, so let’s take a deep dive into each to seek out out which one is finest on your subsequent journey.
Finest place to observe wildlife
Costa Rica is residence to half 1,000,000 species
With 500,000 native animals, Costa Rica’s wildlife is well-known the world over. It’s synonymous with sleepy sloths and howler monkeys in its rainforests, whereas the encompassing seas maintain an abundance of marine life, together with whales, turtles, and dolphins. Costa Rica’s nationwide parks are a dream for eco-minded travellers, they usually maintain the nation’s well-deserved fame as top-of-the-line locations on the planet to understand animals of their pure habitats.
Expertise it for your self on: Costa Rica: Wildlife, Nationwide Parks & Hidden Gems of the Northwest
Guatemala is for the birders
Guatemala is presented with some fantastic wildlife, too, but it surely’s the 800-plus kinds of birds that set it aside. Pack your binoculars to provide your self each likelihood of recognizing packs of keel-billed toucans, vibrant quetzals (the nation’s nationwide hen), and Guatemalan screech owls. Monkeys make mischief right here too, and crowd pleasing cats, such because the margay and the jaguar, additionally name this fascinating vacation spot residence.
The place to take a hike
Lace up your boots and hike Costa Rica’s gorgeous landscapes
Mountaineering is, palms down, one of the vital rewarding methods to journey, and Costa Rica offers a very stunning backdrop, with 1 / 4 of its pure magnificence underneath nationwide safety. With the assistance of a neighborhood information, set off on Costa Rica’s finest hikes into verdant jungles and to native homestays to expertise how life is lived amid the riches of the rainforest. Head into Manuel Antonio Nationwide Park to seek out your self surrounded by serenity on a secluded sandy seaside that is accessible solely on foot.
Expertise it for your self on: Trek Hidden Costa Rica
Trek across the ruins of Tikal and Guatemala’s volcanoes
Guatemala gives its personal walkable wonders, most notably the ruins of Tikal, one of many largest archaeological websites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Elsewhere within the nation, Guatemala’s volcanic topography makes for some critically tempting treks. Hike to the summit of Volcán Acatenango with a neighborhood information and keep the evening for the star-studded present of El Fuego and its fountain of glowing orange lava, which erupts each 10 minutes or so. In the meantime, Laguna Chicabal, a sacred lagoon surrounded by cloud forest with views of neighbouring volcanoes, gives a slice of serenity.
Expertise it for your self on: Basic Belize & Tikal
Finest place for meals
Attempt scrumptious Costa Rican delicacies
Meals is greater than gas for the acutely aware traveller — it’s a gateway to native life. Costa Rican meals takes inspiration from South America and the Caribbean, incorporating coconut milk, meat, and a medley of spices into its most ceaselessly made dishes. You gained’t get by with out gallo pinto (rice and beans), and virtually each cantina serves chifrijo (fried pork and purple beans). Make sure to cease and savour rondón (seafood and coconut stew) if you end up on the Caribbean coast.
Guatemalan meals has deep cultural roots
Guatemala’s gastronomy mixes Spanish, Afro-Caribbean, and Indigenous influences. It shares staples resembling tortillas, tamales, and tostones (fried plantain slices) with its Central American neighbours however serves them up its personal means. Decide a pepián de pollo (hen stew) for a quintessential style of the nation’s delicacies or kak’ik (turkey soup) to pattern one thing rooted in Mayan historical past. In the event you occur upon a road meals market on a Thursday, order the paches (just like tamales) – historically, they’re solely served on today of the week.
Central America’s finest surroundings
Discover seashores, cloud forests, and waterfalls in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has coastlines on each the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, so it gives stunning seashores and various seaside surroundings, from the black-sand surf spot of Playa Negra to the white-sand serenity of Playa Conchal. The nation’s 29 nationwide parks assist to keep up the impeccable pure magnificence — and thriving natural world — of this fascinating nation, which incorporates Monteverde’s mystical cloud forests, Arenal’s volcano and scorching springs, and La Paz’s assortment of wondrous waterfalls.
Expertise it for your self on: Costa Rica: Monteverde and La Fortuna
Go to volcanoes and rainforests in Guatemala
Guatemala derives its title from the Aztec language and means “land of the timber.” Its 14 totally different ecosystems vary in elevation from sea stage to greater than 4267m (14,000 ft), giving totally different components of the nation their very own distinct really feel. From huge volcanic highlands to cactus-covered flatlands, rainforests, swamplands, lakes, and lagoons, Guatemala’s range is what differentiates it from its Central American neighbours. To not point out its wonderful historical Mayan cities – Tikal Nationwide Park included, which featured as a backdrop in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.
Tradition
Costa Rica is easygoing and protected
Costa Rican tradition blends Indigenous heritage and Spanish colonial affect with a contact of Jamaican and Chinese language. The armed forces had been disbanded in 1949, leaving the nation proudly with out a military ever since. The federal government is secure and has run a profitable democracy for greater than six a long time. The surroundings is taken into account of paramount significance in Costa Rica, and the nation has subsequently grow to be the poster youngster for ecotourism internationally. Spanish is the official language, however English is broadly spoken, although attempting to talk a little bit of the native lingo will endear you to the pleasant locals.
Guatemala reveals off its Indigenous heritage
Guatemalan tradition displays the nation’s robust Mayan and Spanish influences, making a distinction between the agricultural Mayan villagers and the comparatively rich urbanites, generally known as ladinos, who descended from the Spanish conquistadors. Whereas Spanish is the official language, many Mayan languages proceed to be spoken all through the highlands, and there are locations the place Spanish was by no means adopted, whilst a second language. Acknowledge Maya folks by their brightly colored textiles adorned with the distinctive sample of their residence village.
Resolution time: Guatemala or Costa Rica?
It’s virtually inconceivable to resolve between Guatemala and Costa Rica. Seeing Costa Rica’s rainforests from a zipper line or suspension bridge is simply as a lot enjoyable as watching Guatemala’s surroundings roll by from one among their well-known hen buses. If the choice is simply too tough, why not do each on the identical G Adventures tour, resembling our Rainforests & Ruins tour or by following the Volcano Path? Finally, the vacation spot is so that you can resolve, and the perfect bit is that you would be able to’t get it fallacious.
