Tour of the Pan-American Highway

We call the “Isthmus” the portion of land that connects two larger territories. Central America is the isthmus that
connects North America by land, from Mexico, with South America, from Colombia.

Two continents, to the north and south, and two seas, the Caribbean to the east and the Pacific to the west. More than
500,000 square km in which 7 countries are located: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and
Panama.

Traveling the isthmus, sheltered by the Pacific, is the route followed by land transport between the continents. Only one
relevant highway, the Pan-American Highway, which, arriving from Mexico, borders the central mountain range for
almost 3,000 km from the foothills of the Sierra Madre and the lake plain of Nicaragua to the interoceanic cut of the
Panama Canal.

The tour
The journey from Guatemala City to Panama City is just over 2,200 km and includes four sections to cross the 7 countries.

1. From Guatemala City crossing El Salvador to El Amatillo , border with Honduras (607 km). Very mountainous
road at the beginning to descend to the Pacific on good and moderate road surface.
2. From El Amatillo circumnavigating the Gulf of Fonseca in Honduras to Rivas, on the great Lake Cocibolca
(489 km). Good road with wide and sometimes very dirty shoulders. Low traffic.
3. From Rivas, in Nicaragua, to Palmar Norte in Costa Rica (506 km). Some short stretches of highway, roads
without shoulders in Costa Rica and heavy traffic.
4. From Palmar Norte, crossing the border with Panama, to Panama City (630 km) Good road full of hills and
stretches of intense traffic.
The difficulty is low, except in some areas with very deteriorated asphalt. The journey runs south in an almost straight
path along the Pacific coast. There are no major ups and downs. The altitudes to be overcome range between the most
common 20/200 meters and some foothills with slopes of no more than 300 meters.

Depending on the pace, it can be estimated that the complete route can be done in 30 to 35 stages and that with breaks
and visits it will take almost two months.
When should you do the adventure?
The best time is in January and February. The weather, in general, is on the one hand favorable, with few days of rainfall
and sunny and dry days being general.

Usually there is a perfect temperature for pedaling, around 23 degrees in the narrow band from 6 to 8 in the morning.
From that time on, 30 degrees are reached and they quickly increase to 48 in the sun. This requires, for protection, to
stop between 11:30 and 3:00 p.m. at least. Then there is a moderate but sufficient descent that allows you to continue
pedaling for 2 or 3 hours.

The Pearl. The Savior

The nights are moderately warm. There are no winds that seriously hinder pedaling. Some winds could be highlighted, if
anything, in the evening from north to south on the coast of Guatemala, headwinds in the south of Lake Cocibolca, in
Nicaragua, and in the vicinity of Penonomé, in Panama.

The wardrobe for the occasion corresponds to that of summer in Europe, without the need for warm clothing or
accessories for cycling and a light sleeping bag for the nights.

How to get to Guatemala City?

If you arrive by bicycle from the State of Chiapas, in Mexico, the usual thing is to enter through the Tapachula border
and enter the central Sierra until reaching Antigua, now in Guatemala. (see previous section, southern Mexico )

If you arrive by riding from Yucatán and Belize, you will have to enter through the Melchor de Mecos border and reach
the capital in a few hard days of pedaling.

If you are cycling from the South you will have to have crossed the Darién Gap, which you can read about here .
From Europe there are frequent direct connections with the Guatemala City airport, although low-cost flights are not
offered. There are also flights with a stopover in Bogotá that reach the capital of Guatemala (and others in Central
America) in a reasonable time.

Considerations for the trip

Navigation does not cause any problems. Central America is not very populated outside of the capitals, so there is
usually only one road. Maps on Google Maps, Maps.me or Wikiloc and testimonials from other travelers are sufficient.

You can see stories from travelers through Central America in the cycle trips section and ask and share questions in
the forum .

The road is always dangerous, although on this stretch it is less so than in places like Mexico. Only Nicaragua has a very
wide shoulder and the roads are clean and maintained. In general, the sections with a shoulder or margin are very few or
are very dirty and dangerous due to the height with respect to the ditch. The width of the roads is modest in Costa Rica
for the intense traffic that the Panamericana has. The edges of the road have the added danger that sometimes they are
not compacted, so you have to watch for a possible exit that would quickly become a fall due to the unevenness or
debris.

The road signs are good and the traffic is always dangerous although not dense, except on the stretch from
Guatemala City to Antigua, Costa Rica and on the approach to Panama City. There is no traffic at high speeds and
visibility is always very good. It is essential to have a rearview mirror and develop a good strategy to control traffic
approaching from behind.

Nicaragua
Food is easy in Central America. Although the towns are somewhat distant from each other, they all have good
conditions for supplies and there are plenty of supermarkets on the side of the road. In addition, everywhere they make
healthy, well-priced meals with long opening hours. It is never necessary to carry more provisions than those that allow
you to complete the stage.

Breakfast always offers rice although there are sweets, cakes and coffee. On the route you can have fried eggs or
omelette or traditional rice for lunch. Roadside meals with rice and chicken. The drink based on bottled water and tea. It
is not difficult to obtain water en route and it is used in abundance due to the high daytime temperatures. 2 liters is
enough to get me into the stage.

There are enough sleeping options along the entire route, although they are somewhat expensive. It's rare to get a hotel
room for less than $15/20, which is a big expense for just one person, not for a couple of cyclists. There are bunk beds in
the not very abundant hostels at half the price. Some hotels allow camping on the premises and charge for the shower;
There are hosts of the couchsurfing and Warmshowers networks but few are operational. There are finally all kinds of
camping places in good condition in the countryside and on beaches and, also, in public services within towns such as
police, firefighters, schools, parishes and covered squares with water available for cleaning.

Epilogue
The notes I provide are based on a journey made between February and April 2018, without difficulties and rewarding
despite the intense midday heat. The human landscape is the most notable thing in a competition between the locals for
friendliness from which, as always, the customs officers must be excluded. The jungle reaches the edge of the asphalt
and the route is full of bays, peninsulas and beaches immersed in silence or in the happy rumor of families gathered on
holidays. It is possible to find other cycle travelers on the route with whom to ride a few kilometers of relief from the
loneliness of the road.

 Quepos. Costa Rica

 The Farallon. Panama

 Jaco. Costa Rica

 El Amantillo Border. The Savior

 Water Volcano. Guatemala

 Honduras
  Grenade. Nicaragua

 Ometepe. Nicaragua

 Beautiful beach. Costa Rica

José Diaz de Tuesta. A few days after reaching retirement, José resumed his solo rides through America, parked from
Cuba, on his second journey through the Americas, from Ushuaia to Puerto Montt, in Chile. A little more than six months
after returning from South America, they arrived in Los Angeles to film Baja California and then continue to Cancún
across the continent. This tour of Central America ( here is the entry on his blog ) is his latest contribution to the Pan-
American Project. His adventures can be read in full, with roadmaps and other information on his blog 400días
Ports of Central America
Ports of Central America

Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua.

152 kilometers from Managua, Corinto, one of the most important and economic places in the country and the largest Pacific
port in Nicaragua. It has no land boundaries, on all sides it is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and is linked to the mainland by
two bridges that connect with horses. With an area of 49 square kilometers, Corinth uses only 11 kilometers. The rest of the area is
within the sea surrounding six islands. Its population is 19,300 inhabitants.
Aguei was the first name in honor of an island that the village had at that time, Conyagua later, Punta Icaco later and today Corinto.
From the aborigines of the Agateyte chief to the present day, they have lived off maritime exploitation (shrimp are the most
important marine product) which has allowed accelerated population growth.

Puerto Acajutla, El Salvador

Acajutla is located southwest of the department of Sonsonate, 85 kilometers from San Salvador and 20 kilometers from the city of
Sonsonate. It borders the municipalities of Guaymango and Santo Domingo de Guzmán to the north, Jujutla to the west and
Sonsonate to the east. It has a population of 52,359 inhabitants according to the 2007 population and housing census, ranking 27th in
population.
Approximately 2 km² of land for industrial use where different types of industries are located such as: fishing, chemicals and
agroindustry; A large percentage of the population obtains economic income from being employed in this activity.

Port of Cutuco, El Salvador.

The La Unión port construction project began to take shape in 1994, during the government of Armando Calderón Sol, the year in
which the first pre-feasibility study was carried out with the support of JICA. In March 1999, the feasibility study was completed,
which ensured that a new port was viable in the same place where the Cutuco port was born at the beginning of the 20th century. by
legislative decree no. 565, of October 4, 2001, published in the official gazette no. 202, volume no. 353, of October 25, 2001, the
legislative assembly authorized the signing of the loan agreement between El Salvador and the Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC), which was ratified on December 18 of the same year.
On November 15, 2002, the international invitation for the prequalification of companies for the construction of the project was
published. The sale of documents was scheduled between November 18 and December 20, 2002. A total of 53 companies purchased
prequalification documents.
Puerto Cortes, Honduras.
Puerto Cortés was founded in 1524, in the first years of the Spanish colony, under the name of Puerto Caballeros. According to
tradition, the conquistador Gil González Dávila ordered the horses to be thrown into the sea during a fierce storm to stabilize the
ships. that's where the name comes from. Several pirate attacks caused this port to fall into a long sleep from which it would awaken
well into the 19th century. Now Puerto Cortés is the most important and modern port in Central America.
Many import/export products from Honduras and several neighboring countries enter and leave through its waters. This has brought
a dynamism that turned this small city into a strong economic hub; Its economic potential exceeds its geographical dimensions. In
addition, “the port” is a highly sought after destination by local tourists during holidays, weekends and Easter. Puerto Cortés is a
very economical option for tourism: it is cheap, quite safe and close enough to other attractive destinations.

Puerto La Ceiba, Honduras

The port has a cabotage dock located at 15°47'30'' north latitude and 86°45'36'' west longitude, which has the following facilities: 2
wave breakers that have intermittent lighthouses at their ends. Access channel 600 m. long, 100 m. wide, minimum depth of 4.2 m.
and maximum of 6.0 more. maneuvering dock.
Berth (206 m long). esplanade area = 3,090 square meters. loading unloading area = 12,169.5 square meters. warehouse area =
470.39 square meters. area for future expansion of 8,800 square meters. Currently only the cabotage dock is in operation.

Puerto Limón-moin, Costa Rica.

It is one of the most important ports in the country, it was founded in 1870 as an export port of bananas and grains from Costa Rica
to various parts of the globe. Puerto Limón is one of the oldest cities on the continent since it was established when Christopher
Columbus arrived during his exploration of the new world. Located in the province of Limón along the Caribbean coast. Puerto
Limón is the capital of the province of Limón and is 160 km away. east of the city of San José.
It is an easily accessible port, the best way to get there from San José is to take the Guápiles Highway to the north of the city and
then turn east. Along the way you will pass the Brava volcano and the Braulio Carrillo National Park. Continue along this road until
you reach Puerto Limón. The trip takes approximately two and a half hours. You will encounter spectacular beauty throughout the
entire trip.
Puerto Barrios, Guatemala.
It is the departmental capital of the Caribbean department of Izabal, in Guatemala, it is located on the shores of the internal bay of
Santo Tomás, in the bay of Amatique in the Atlantic Ocean. The first projects to build a port in the Guatemalan Atlantic are
attributed to Gil González Dávila, who in 1524 founded the first settlement which he named San Gil de Buena Vista, a name that is
still maintained in the protected area of Cerro San Gil.
However, of the projects that came to fruition, the first was in 1534, when, by order of Charles V, Don Pedro de Alvarado founded
the port of Veracruz, which was used for communication with Spain and protection from pirates,3 however this was , in 1549,
replaced by the port of the Sweet Gulf that provided greater security.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

It is located in the department of Escuintla, Guatemala on the Pacific coast (latitude 13º 55' n; longitude 90º 47' w); 98 km from the
capital city, it is state-owned, however since its inception in 1983 it has successfully used a mixed system by authorizing individuals
to provide certain services to the ship and cargo with rates set by the company and approved by agreement of government.
The main dock is of the marginal type and the vessels it serves are: solid bulk, container ships, tanks, gas carriers, barges,
refrigerators, general cargo, roll on - roll off, cruise ships and cargo ships other than the previous ones. It was built in 1980 and on
March 18, 1983, port services were inaugurated, which began to be provided under limited conditions given that the port complex
was under construction. In November 1985, the first construction phase of the port was completed, the Quetzal port was inaugurated
and the Quetzal port company was created for its administration.

Port of Panama, Panama.

The port of Balboa is the main port of Panama. It is located next to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, in the Balboa sector of the city of
Panama. The land access system to the port is made up of the Panama Railway, the Trans-Isthmic Highway (Panama - Colón
Highway) and the Pan-American Highway.
Leader in the Panamanian port market and also a leader in all of Latin America, the port of Balboa serves the needs of loading and
unloading merchandise throughout the continent, as well as its transit through the Panama Canal.

Puerto Colon, Panama.

Colón container terminal, sa It is a modern port specialized in the handling of containers, general cargo and rolling cargo, with the
most advanced technology for the fast and efficient transshipment of cargo. The port operated by the multinational evergreen is
located three (3) kilometers from France Field and its modernization meant an investment of US$ 110.0 million. Its capacity and
advanced technology allows it to move 34 teus per hour and has the capacity to store 400,000 teus in its container yard.
It currently has five (5) gantry cranes. Its staff amounts to 350 workers, including administrators and operators, generating efficient
and organized cargo movement. terminal area: 37 hectares; maneuvering dock 600 meters in diameter; 982 meters of dock (piers 1, 2
and 3). 14 meters deep (piers 1 and 2) and 15 meters deep (pier 3), respectively.

Central American Airports

Belize Airport.
Philip SW Goldson International Airport. It is the airport that serves Belize City, the largest in the country of the same name. It
was named in honor of the late politician Philip Stanley Wilberforce Goldson. The airport is in the expansion phase, such as
extending the runway, expanding the apron and expanding the terminal. These expansions are made mainly to be able to operate
with more aircraft and accommodate flights from Europe. The works are planned to finish in 2015.
Philip SW Goldson is 5 meters above sea level, which means that both the airport and the entirety of Belize City are at risk of severe
flooding due to its low altitude and proximity to the coast. For this reason, the capital of Belize has been moved to Belmopan, but
Philip SW Goldson Airport remains the largest and busiest in the country.

Guatemala Airport.
La Aurora International Airport. It is the main international air terminal in Guatemala. It is located in Guatemala City, in the capital's
zone 13, 6 km from the city center. The airport is located at an altitude of 1,509 meters above sea level, and has an asphalt runway
with a length of 2,987 m and a width of 60 m.
The runway and taxiway were completely rehabilitated in March 2010. La Aurora is classified as a 'Category I' airport by the FAA.
It is administered by the Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, an entity of the state of Guatemala. The air terminal was remodeled in
2005 by the government of Oscar Berger Perdomo; The facilities were expanded to meet the increase in the flow of passengers and
air cargo.

El Salvador Airport.
The Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport of El Salvador. Formerly called Cuscatlán International
Airport, but known as "Comalapa" because it is located between the Comalapa farm and Astorias. It is located about 40 km (25
miles) from San Salvador in El Salvador. It was built in the second half of the 1970s and was completed in 1979 by the Japanese
construction company Hazumi Gumi, to replace its predecessor, the Ilopango Airport, which was the old San Salvador International
Airport and is currently used for military aviation. and charter. This airport was built at the initiative and request of the President of
that time, Arturo Armando Molina.
The airport is the main hub for the airline Avianca, and also serves other airlines that fly to almost 30 destinations between Central
America, North America, South America and Europe. In addition, the new Salvadoran airline VECA Airlines offers services to the
region and, like Avianca, has its headquarters at the El Salvador International Airport.

Honduras Airport.
Toncontin International Airport. It is one of the main airports in Honduras. It is located in the south of the capital city and has a 2021
m runway with a width of 45 m.
It is located 6 km southwest of the center of Tegucigalpa, in the middle of a residential area. It is enclosed by a chain of mountains
and hills that make navigation difficult for aircraft, especially during approach and landing maneuvers.

Nicaragua Airport.
The Augusto C International Airport. Sandino Located 11 km east of the city center of Managua, it is connected to the capital
through the Carretera Norte, a six-lane highway.
Formerly called Managua International Airport, it serves as the main airport for Nicaragua and handles an average of 100 daily
operations (flights) with flights to the United States, Central America, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, connections and domestic flights to
the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua . The Airport is managed by the International Airport Management Company (EAAI).

Costa Rica Airport.

Juan Santamaría International Airport. It is the main airport in Costa Rica. It is located in the City of Alajuela, 18 km from the city of
San José. The airport is named after Juan Santamaría, a national hero of Costa Rica due to his participation in the 1856-1857
National Campaign against filibuster William Walker. There are 3 other international airports in Costa Rica but of them only the
Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste receives scheduled international flights from America and Europe. It is
served by the North Inter-American Highway.
The airport serves airlines flying to Central America, North America, South America and Europe. There is also a NASA hangar,
from which an experimental plane flies in charge of mapping the entire country in detail. Local aviation traffic is mostly reserved for
the Tobías Bolaños International Airport, 25 km away.

Panama Airport.
Tocumen International Airport. It is located 24 kilometers from Panama City, Panama. This air terminal is the most important in
Panama and Central America by number of destinations and traffic moved. It operates flights to and from more than 70 cities in
America and Europe, covering much of Latin America.
It is also the main operations center for Copa Airlines and Star Alliance connection center for Latin America and the Caribbean. In
2006, a major expansion and renovation program was carried out with the aim of modernizing and improving its services. The
second phase of the airport's expansion involved the construction of the "north pier" which has allowed the airport to increase its
capacity by 50%, now allowing it to handle up to 10 million passengers per year. This expansion was delivered in April 2012 and is
already in operation.