Central America
CA-4 Shoestring
Volcanoes, surf and Spanish school for $25 a day
30 days
Duration
$25
Daily budget
Moderate
Difficulty
Dec – Apr
Best months
Four countries, one border agreement, endless volcano hikes. Learn Spanish in Antigua for $150 a week including a homestay, then surf your way south.
The route, stop by stop
🌋 Antigua · Guatemala
Spanish school + the Acatenango overnight hike.
5 nights$24/day
🛶 Lake Atitlán · Guatemala
San Marcos for yoga, San Pedro for parties.
5 nights$20/day
💧 Semuc Champey · Guatemala
Turquoise pools worth the awful road.
2 nights$26/day
🤿 Roatán · Honduras
Cheapest open-water diving certification anywhere.
4 nights$30/day
🏄 El Tunco · El Salvador
Point break, pupusas, sunsets.
4 nights$26/day
🛷 León · Nicaragua
Volcano boarding down Cerro Negro.
4 nights$20/day
🏝️ Ometepe · Nicaragua
Two volcanoes on an island in a lake.
3 nights$22/day
7 stops · 27 nights
≈ $642 total
Totals are estimates built from the per-night budgets above — your real spend will vary.
Getting around
- →Chicken buses
- →Shuttle vans between hubs
- →Ferries on Lake Atitlán
Don't forget
- ✓Reef-safe sun cream
- ✓Head torch for volcano hikes
- ✓Dry bag
- ✓Sturdy day pack
Ready to walk it?
Save the stops as a trip, track your budget and find hostels along the way.
Start planning free