I spent 12 days backpacking through Central America. My trip could’ve been even better if I’d done these 5 things.

Photo of the author sitting on a bench during a hike up Acatenango in Guatemala. — There are five things I wish I knew before traveling to Central America.
Russia Boles

Last summer, my partner and I backpacked through Central America for 12 days.
Although I loved the trip, I wish we’d visited Lake Atitlán during our stay in Guatemala.
Next time, I’d also choose to stay in hostels more frequently to save money.

Last August, my partner and I spent 12 days traveling through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

The trip was filled with amazing new experiences — like watching Acatenango, a twin-peaked volcano, erupt during a thunderstorm — but it had some drawbacks, too.

Although I loved my time in Central America, there are five things I’d do differently next time.

I’d extend our time in Guatemala to visit Lake Atitlán.

A wide-shot view of San Pedro volcano from a pier at Lake Atitlán. — I wish I’d visited Lake Atitlán.
tolobalaguer.com/Shutterstock

During our first stop to Antigua, Guatemala, we met several people who were headed to Lake Atitlán, which is one of the most frequently visited spots in the country.

The lake, which is about three hours away from Antigua, was formed over 80,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption.

Those who had traveled there before raved about its beauty, and I quickly started to experience major FOMO from not planning a stop. I think it would’ve been a great opportunity to further experience the country’s natural beauty.

Looking back, it would’ve been nice to have relaxing activities planned after intense excursions.

After our overnight hike on Acatenango, we returned to Antigua for our last night in the city.

We relaxed and enjoyed dirty chai lattes at a café before leaving again for a scheduled ghost tour. Looking back, though, we should’ve thought about how tired we’d be, even after a full day of rest.

We decided to cut the tour short to go somewhere more low-key: Ulew Cocktail Bar. Here, bartenders used our drink preferences to create tailored cocktails just for us.

If I could replan this day, I would’ve skipped the ghost tour and opted for a more relaxing activity like watching the sunset at Cerro de la Cruz before stopping by the bar.

Next time, I’d spend an extra day at Mizata by Antiresort in El Salvador.

A wide shot of the beach lounge at Mizata by Antiresort in El Salvador. — I wish I’d been able to experience the Temazcal Útero ceremony in El Salvador.
Russia Boles

I fell in love with saunas a couple of years back, and I wish I’d rearranged our trip to experience the Temazcal Útero ceremony while we stayed at the Mizata by Antiresort in El Salvador.

In a temazcal, participants are guided by a shaman in meditation and chanting while heated volcanic stones soaked with herb-infused water create steam.

The ceremonies are only held on Saturdays, so I recommend planning ahead if you want to participate.

Instead of hotels, I’d save money by staying in hostels.

A wide shot of the view outside the author's hostel in Grenada. — I stayed a hostel for the first time in Nicaragua and would definitely do it again.
Russia Boles

I stayed at my first hostel, the Selina Granada in Nicaragua, during this trip and loved it. In fact, I wish we’d stayed in hostels more frequently to help keep the trip more affordable.

I think we could’ve easily saved $150 by booking a hostel during our time in San Salvador, El Salvador, where we only spent about five hours in our hotel room before moving on to our next destination.

We didn’t need to stay in León, Nicaragua, for three days.

The author posing with a volcano board at Cerro Negro in Leon, Nicaragua. — I thought three days was too much time to spend in León.
Russia Boles

I think León is a beautiful city, and we enjoyed volcano boarding, where we slid down Cerro Negro on special boards. During our time there, we also withstood the scorching summer heat on the roof of León Cathedral.

However, we finished our desired sightseeing faster than we’d anticipated, so three days ended up being too much time in the city.

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