The Scenic South: Costa Rica & Panama Travel Itinerary

Two weeks is longer than you think! Here's a Central America travel route that includes some of Costa Rica's most heart-stopping scenery, along with one of mankind's most awe-striking feats (the Panama canal).

2-3 Days – Arrival and Monteverde:

Fly into San Jose, Costa Rica, and take a bus or shuttle to Santa Elena. Use this charming village as a base to explore the Monteverde Cloudforest. Make sure you take take a canopy tour!

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2-3 Days – Manuel Antonio:

Travel back to San Jose, and book a bus or shuttle out to the spectacular Manuel Antonio National Park.

4-5 Days – Bocas Del Toro:

Catch a bus to the Panama border. From there, take another bus out to Almirante, where you can take a ferry to the Bocas Del Toro archipelago and its exquisite beaches.

3-4 Days – Panama City and the Canal:

If you can afford it, it’s best to fly from Bocas Town in Bocas Del Toro to Panama City. Otherwise, you must take a convoluted bus journey from Almirante to Changuinola to David, and then book the seven-hour bus ride into Panama City. But once you see the Canal, best visited through a boat tour, it will all be worth it. Fly home from Panama City.

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Other Two-Week Travel Itineraries:

You’d Better Belize It: Belize and Guatemala

Maya Magic: Guatemala and Honduras

The Rich Coast: Costa Rica