Costa Rica · Panamá · Belize

Beaches, Canals & Maya Ruins

Costa Rica CRIThu, Dec 10 – Sun, Dec 13ESEN

Manuel AntonioDays 1–3Thu, Dec 10 – Sat, Dec 12ES (Spanish)EN (English)
San JoséDay 4Sun, Dec 13ES (Spanish)EN (English)

Panamá PANMon, Dec 14 – Thu, Dec 17ESENCUK

Panama CityDays 5–8Mon, Dec 14 – Thu, Dec 17ES (Spanish)EN (English)

Belize BLZFri, Dec 18 – Mon, Dec 21ENBZJES

San IgnacioDay 9Fri, Dec 18ES (Spanish)EN (English)BZJ (Kriol)MOP (Mopan Maya)
Caye CaulkerDays 10–12Sat, Dec 19 – Mon, Dec 21EN (English)BZJ (Kriol)ES (Spanish)

Travel & day by day ↓

Getting there & around

Fly in

SJO · Juan Santamaría International

San José, Costa Rica

Thu, Dec 10, 2026

LAX → SJO · 2,723 mi · ≈ 6 h nonstop

Fly home

BZE · Philip S. W. Goldson International

Belize City, Belize

Mon, Dec 21, 2026

BZE → LAX · 2,177 mi · ≈ 4 h 50 nonstop

Every flight

Day 1Thu, Dec 10LAX → SJOLos Angeles to San José, Costa Rica: 2,723 mi. ≈ 6 h if nonstop; allow 2–4 h more with a connection.≈ 6 h
Day 5Mon, Dec 14SJO → PTYMorning nonstop flight, preferably Copa; confirm the final schedule.
Day 9Fri, Dec 18PTY → BZEPlanned morning Copa nonstop, if available. Confirm the final flight schedule before booking the hotel or driver.
Day 12Mon, Dec 21BZE → LAXBelize City, Belize to Los Angeles: 2,177 mi. ≈ 4 h 50 if nonstop; allow 2–4 h more with a connection.≈ 4 h 50

No passenger trains run on this route. Everything is shuttles, boats and two short flights.

Flight times are estimates from straight-line distance (OurAirports data), not airline schedules.

The route on a map

RoadBoatFlightAirport

Day by day

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Dec10Day 1
1Manuel Antonio CRI
Arrive · beach sunset
- LAX → SJO≈ 6 h
- SJO → Manuel Antonio~3–4 h
Dec11Day 2
1Manuel Antonio CRI
National park & beaches
Dec12Day 3
1Manuel Antonio CRI
Nauyaca Waterfalls & coast
- Manuel Antonio ⇄ Nauyaca Waterfalls
Dec13Day 4
2San José CRI
Orosi Valley · colonial history
- Manuel Antonio → Orosi Valley → San José / Alajuela
Dec14Day 5
3Panama City PAN
Fly to Panamá · Casco Viejo
- SJO → PTY
- PTY → Casco Viejo
Dec15Day 6
3Panama City PAN
Panamá Viejo ruins & museum
Dec16Day 7
3Panama City PAN
Panama Canal & museums
Dec17Day 8
3Panama City PAN
Taboga Island beach day
- Panama City ⇄ Taboga Island
Dec18Day 9
4San Ignacio BLZ
Fly to Belize · San Ignacio
- PTY → BZE
- BZE → San Ignacio~2–2½ h
Dec19Day 10
5Caye Caulker BLZ
Xunantunich · transfer to Caye Caulker
- San Ignacio ⇄ Xunantunich
- San Ignacio → Belize City
- Belize City → Caye Caulker
Dec20Day 11
5Caye Caulker BLZ
Hol Chan · Shark Ray Alley · The Split
Dec21Day 12
5Caye Caulker BLZ
Belize City → LAX
- Caye Caulker → Belize City
- Belize City → BZE
- BZE → LAX≈ 4 h 50

Costa Rica CRI1Manuel Antonio 2San José

Panamá PAN3Panama City

Belize BLZ4San Ignacio 5Caye Caulker

Hover, focus or tap a travel line for how it works; every leg is spelled out in Getting there & around and under each postcard.

Part One

Costa Rica

Thu, Dec 10 – Sun, Dec 13 · 4 days

Weather while you're there

December

75°Ftypical high

1.6 inrain that month

Mostly dry, a few showers

Rain through the year · San José

Dark bars: your months

December brings the start of the Pacific dry season. Pack for warm beach days, passing showers and cooler evenings in the Central Valley.

Typical monthly averages for San José, approximate. Check a forecast before you go.

Days 1–3 · Thu, Dec 10 – Sat, Dec 12

Manuel Antonio

CRI (Costa Rica) ES (Spanish)EN (English)

Next · Day 4 · Sun, Dec 13

Shuttle
Manuel Antonio → Orosi Valley → San José / AlajuelaDepart early with a driver; visit Orosi Church and Ujarrás ruins if time permits. Longer driving day; Orosi is optional.

Day 4 · Sun, Dec 13

San José

CRI (Costa Rica) ES (Spanish)EN (English)

Next · Day 5 · Mon, Dec 14

Flight
SJO → PTYMorning nonstop flight, preferably Copa; confirm the final schedule.
Taxi
PTY → Casco ViejoTransfer to the hotel, then explore Plaza de la Independencia and the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Part Two

Panamá

Mon, Dec 14 – Thu, Dec 17 · 4 days

Weather while you're there

December

88°Ftypical high

4.3 inrain that month

Showers most days

Rain through the year · Panama City

Dark bars: your months

December is a transition into the dry season. Keep the Taboga ferry and beach day flexible for weather.

Typical monthly averages for Panama City, approximate. Check a forecast before you go.

Days 5–8 · Mon, Dec 14 – Thu, Dec 17

Panama City

PAN (Panamá) ES (Spanish)EN (English)

Next · Day 9 · Fri, Dec 18

Flight
PTY → BZEPlanned morning Copa nonstop, if available. Confirm the final flight schedule before booking the hotel or driver.
Shuttle
BZE → San IgnacioClear immigration, then take a prearranged transfer.
~2–2½ h

Part Three

Belize

Fri, Dec 18 – Mon, Dec 21 · 4 days

Weather while you're there

December

82°Ftypical high

7.1 inrain that month

Showers most days

Rain through the year · Belize City

Dark bars: your months

Driest February to May. December and January can bring 'northers': cool fronts with a few grey, rainy days. Hurricane season is June to November, peaking August to October.

Typical monthly averages for Belize City, approximate. Check a forecast before you go.

Day 9 · Fri, Dec 18

San Ignacio

BLZ (Belize) ES (Spanish)EN (English)BZJ (Kriol)MOP (Mopan Maya)

Next · Day 10 · Sat, Dec 19

Shuttle
San Ignacio ⇄ XunantunichStart a guided tour at 8 a.m.; cross the Mopan River by ferry. Collect luggage and have lunch around noon.
Shuttle
San Ignacio → Belize CityEarly afternoon private transfer after the ruins tour.
Boat
Belize City → Caye CaulkerWater taxi if schedules allow; confirm the connection before booking.

Days 10–12 · Sat, Dec 19 – Mon, Dec 21

Caye Caulker

BLZ (Belize) EN (English)BZJ (Kriol)ES (Spanish)

Trip sheet

Beaches, Canals & Maya Ruins

Thu, Dec 10 – Mon, Dec 21

12 days · Costa Rica · Panamá · Belize · from LAX

What it costs · per person, USD

Where	Days	ThriftyHostels, sodas, buses	ComfortableSmall hotels, shuttles, guides	GrandLodges, drivers, small planes
Costa RicaThu, Dec 10 – Sun, Dec 13	4	$300$75/day	$720$180/day	$1,680$420/day
PanamáMon, Dec 14 – Thu, Dec 17	4	$280$70/day	$680$170/day	$1,520$380/day
BelizeFri, Dec 18 – Mon, Dec 21	4	$320$80/day	$760$190/day	$1,800$450/day
Flights & ferriesSJO → PTY · PTY → BZE, boats	—	$550	$650	$900
Total per person	12	$1,450	$2,810	$5,900
Per person, per day		$121	$234	$492

Not included: your flights LAX → SJO and BZE → LAX. Lodging, food and activities; rough 2026 estimates, not quotes.

Languages · most useful first

Where	Languages	In short
Costa Rica CRI (Costa Rica)	ES (Spanish)SpanishOfficial. Spoken everywhere. EN (English)EnglishCommon in hotels, tours and tourist towns.	Spanish is all you need. English works in tourist towns; a few words of Spanish go a long way.
Manuel Antonio CRI (Costa Rica)	ES (Spanish)EN (English) Spanish, English	Days 1–3
San José CRI (Costa Rica)	ES (Spanish)EN (English) Spanish, English	Day 4
Panamá PAN (Panamá)	ES (Spanish)SpanishOfficial. Spoken everywhere. EN (English)EnglishWidely spoken in Panama City's business and tourist areas. CUK (Guna)GunaGuna (Dulegaya), the first language in Guna Yala.	Spanish is useful in Panama City and Taboga; English is common in tourist areas.
Panama City PAN (Panamá)	ES (Spanish)EN (English) Spanish, English	Days 5–8
Belize BLZ (Belize)	EN (English)EnglishOfficial. Signs, money and schools are in English. BZJ (Kriol)KriolBelizean Kriol, what most people speak to each other. ES (Spanish)SpanishSpoken by about half the country; first language in Cayo. CAB (Garifuna)GarifunaGarifuna, on the southern coast. MOP (Mopan Maya)Mopan MayaMopan and other Maya languages in the south and west.	English works everywhere. You'll hear Kriol on the cayes and Spanish in San Ignacio.
San Ignacio BLZ (Belize)	ES (Spanish)EN (English)BZJ (Kriol)MOP (Mopan Maya) Spanish, English, Kriol, Mopan Maya	Day 9
Caye Caulker BLZ (Belize)	EN (English)BZJ (Kriol)ES (Spanish) English, Kriol, Spanish	Days 10–12

Language codes are ISO 639; country codes are ISO 3166 (three letters).