Overland from Panama City to Mexico City
Posted: December 5, 2022 | Tagged: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico
This is my story about travelling overland from Panama City to Mexico City.
Of course, I didn't do it nonstop. It's a fucking long way. 4276km, in fact. I went via Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, all without flying - overland. No Tica Bus. No Nica Bus. No Gringo Shuttle. It took me 32 days.
Of course, I didn't do it nonstop. It's a fucking long way. 4276km, in fact. I went via Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, all without flying - overland. No Tica Bus. No Nica Bus. No Gringo Shuttle. It took me 32 days.
Panama City to Mexico City - Intro
I spent 3 months travelling from El Salvador to Panama via Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and as soon as I arrived in Panama City, I had this crazy idea to travel back to Mexico City and Miss CMDX, overland.
No flying. Using regular transport. None of these GringoShuttles or cross-border buses like TicaBus or NicaBus. Sure, they are convenient, but they are just not my style.
Why? I love the thrill of overland journeys; the travelling, yes, I am one of those who enjoys the journey, perhaps more than the stops along the way; and the border crossings. Not to mention the content that can be produced from such a journey.
On the way back north, I used a completely different route, so there were 6 brand-new border crossing posts right there. And a whole host of new places to see and experience.
So, I wrapped up my stay in Panama City and spent an evening making some loose plans for the return journey.
No flying. Using regular transport. None of these GringoShuttles or cross-border buses like TicaBus or NicaBus. Sure, they are convenient, but they are just not my style.
Why? I love the thrill of overland journeys; the travelling, yes, I am one of those who enjoys the journey, perhaps more than the stops along the way; and the border crossings. Not to mention the content that can be produced from such a journey.
On the way back north, I used a completely different route, so there were 6 brand-new border crossing posts right there. And a whole host of new places to see and experience.
So, I wrapped up my stay in Panama City and spent an evening making some loose plans for the return journey.
Panama
On the way to Panama City, I had stopped for the night in David. On the way back, I stopped for the night in Santiago, just for something different, before carrying on to David, where I changed buses. I got a combi-van to the border at Paso Canoas and passed quickly into Costa Rica.
Costa Rica
The Panama to Costa Rica border crossing at Paso Canoas was easy and I made great progress getting to Quepos by 3 pm.
3 days later, I was on the road again, to Liberia, via Puntarenas.
It was all about covering some serious ground.
I had been away 3 months. It was time to get back to Miss CDMX.
Another crack of dawn alarm call and a bus to Peñas Blancas, the border with Nicaragua.
It was all about covering some serious ground.
I had been away 3 months. It was time to get back to Miss CDMX.
Another crack of dawn alarm call and a bus to Peñas Blancas, the border with Nicaragua.
Nicaragua
The border crossing was another run of the mill affair.
I made it to Rivas by 1 pm. I had time to take in a bit of the city.
I made it to Rivas by 1 pm. I had time to take in a bit of the city.
The next morning, a chicken bus to Granada, a delightful city with colonial buildings at every turn.
I walked to the port, climbed the tower of the Iglesia de la Merced, walked to the old Granada Train Station and called out the GRINGO PRICE principal at a local eatery:
I walked to the port, climbed the tower of the Iglesia de la Merced, walked to the old Granada Train Station and called out the GRINGO PRICE principal at a local eatery:
From Granada I rode a chicken bus to Masaya (17 C$):
Another to Tipitapa and another to Esteli which was the only town that I also stopped in on my way down. But on my way back north I stayed at the Mariella Hostel.
Then onto Ocotal, for a last night in Nicaragua, just 25km from Las Manos, the border with Honduras.
Honduras
By 9.40 am, I was through immigration and on yet another series of buses to Danlí and then Tegucigalpa.
The Palmira Hostel provides the traveller like me with a safe haven.
The Palmira Hostel provides the traveller like me with a safe haven.
Tegucigalpa, one of the most dangerous capitals in the world:
And then on to San Pedro Sula, with Transportes Cristina:
And I spent the rest of the day, backpacking San Pedro Sula, one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
The next day I journeyed to Guatemala via the Corinto border crossing.
Guatemala
I took the boat from Puerto Barrios to Livingston, stayed a few days to catch my breath and then, up the Rio Dulce to Rio Dulce town and then to Flores and onward to the Guatemala-Belize border crossing at Melchor de Mencos.
Belize
Belize, formerly British Honduras, my 98th UN Member State and my final country in Central America. I backpacked San Ignacio, Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve, Hopkins and Orange Walk and then made for the border crossing to Mexico at Santa Elena.
Mexico
I stayed a few days in Bacalar:
And then bussed it non-stop all the way to Heroica Veracruz. I backpacked this port and former railway city:
And a final bus to Mexico City and to be reunited with Miss CDMX.
I had made 4276km in 32 days with 17 different stopovers through 7 countries.
Flags from Central America and Mexico:
I had made 4276km in 32 days with 17 different stopovers through 7 countries.
Flags from Central America and Mexico:
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