In January 2016 my husband, Chris, and I proudly introduced our new travel agency, Central America Vacation.  After experiencing three years of success in our niche sport-fishing division, Central America Fishing, we have expanded into the general-tourism market with the new division of our travel company, Central America Vacation (CAV).  Many of you may have wondered where we disappeared to after sending CAV’s introductory newsletter.  We apologize for the long radio silence, but assure you we’ve been hard at work inspecting 100+ hotels throughout four countries, visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites, cave exploring, fishing, diving, hiking volcanoes, and many other adventures to create the best travel agency in Central America.  In addition to all the field work, we’ve spent countless hours building this beautiful new website.  Turns out that building a 300-page, multi-country website with over 3,000 pictures took longer than any of us, including our web developers, ever imagined! I can’t count how many times in the last six months I’ve said “We’re almost done with the website, it should be ready next week…”.  Now as we sprint through the finish line with the launch of CAV’s website a new reality and excitement sets in – our work isn’t finished, we’ve only just begun!

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Caracol Maya Ruins in Belize.

What does CAV do?  We organize customized travel itineraries throughout Central America – Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Guatemala, and Nicaragua – to make sure your vacation experience with us is one of the best you’ve ever had.  Nowadays, planning a vacation/holiday can be a daunting task and cause serious stimulation overload.  When you consider the sheer volume of online travel companies, travel forums, review sites and social media outlets to filter through it can be mind-numbing and in the end, how do you know who to really listen to and trust?  In a recent UK study, Brits spent an average of 30 hours over a course of five weeks planning their vacation.  Meanwhile on this side of the pond, the average American spends more time researching for a vacation than planning for their own retirement!  That’s where we come in.  We take all of the above into consideration and add in something else no one else can match – our local knowledge, experience, and expertise.  With a combined 20+ years planning vacations to Central America we’ve ‘been there and done that’ many times over and want to help make sure your next trip to Central America is one you’ll never forget – for all the right reasons!

How do we do it?  When you are ready to vacation to Central America, the first step is to connect with us so we can learn more about who you are and what kind of experience you are looking to create.  All you have to do is tell us more about yourself – your travel companions, your budget, your interests, hotel preference, etc. – then we’ll start building the perfect itinerary from scratch based on your travel style.  We hand-pick the best hotels & resorts, tour operators, and transfer companies so that our guests can experience each country’s highlights and secret gems stress-free from start-to-finish.

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Fishing in Belize.

That sounds wonderful, but what does CAV’s service, local knowledge, and expertise cost?  Nothing. Really, it costs you nothing.  We offer all the same direct rates and promotions as our partners so booking with us is never going to be more than booking on your own.  That means you receive our insider knowledge and expert travel planning at the same cost as if you were to do it on your own EXCEPT we take out all the unknowns, surprises, hours of research and the risks of making a costly mistake so you don’t have to worry about anything. Oh, and we’re available 24-7 while you’re here vacationing in case you need us for anything – from emergencies to lost cell phones to restaurant recommendations and reservations!

How does CAV do this?  By creating strong, mutually beneficial relationships with our travel partners.  We treat our partners like they are part of our team and in turn, they treat our guests like they were their own.  Part of what we’ve been doing over the past 16 months is revisiting familiar faces and meeting new ones around Central America in an effort to find the best hotels, tour operators, and transfer companies in every country we represent.  We’ve visited well over 100 hotels throughout Central America and have done too many tours to count, hand-picking the best options at a variety of price points and styles to be able to offer the best vacations possible.

Panama-Canal

Panama Canal Expansion

Central America is very diverse both culturally and geographically, but its relatively small area (about a quarter the size of Mexico) allows us to take on more than just our home country, Costa Rica, and to offer vacations throughout the entire region.  Having traveled extensively throughout Central America the past decade we’re proud to call ourselves experts in every country we represent – Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.  Whether you seek adrenaline pumping adventure tours, cultural and historical enlightenment, the abundant and unique flora and fauna, or just a relaxing beach getaway we hope you think of us – your local Central America experts!

Come UNPLUG with us on your next trip to Central America!

~Theresa, Chris, & Alejandro

Lobsterfest-Placencia-Belize

Lobsterfest in Placencia, Belize