Trip to Central America mid to end Nov. 2016
 

Hi All,

was going to go on my own and maybe meet some fellow riders on the road. Was amazed finding this site. :-)

So my plan is to leave from Bend, OR around mid of November, go down to LA and leave from there sometime in the second half of November to Costa Rica. I plan on spending most of my time in Costa Rica but might 'cruze around' a bit. I'm hoping to make it down to CR within 10-14 days.

Looking at getting a 1200GS for the trip (I ride a few other bikes but nothing I think would be a good fit (ZRX, SuperDuke, etc.).

I'm semi-retired, so I'll be bringing my laptop and might have to occasionally spend an hour on the computer.
Otherwise I don't have a concrete route yet and will see what others have done.

If anyone is planning a similar route at around the same time please let me know. Would like to rather ride with somebody than solo.

Cheers,
Thomas

10 days?
 

10-14 days is very little time for the trip unless you are not interested in seeing anything. While it is possible distance wise keep in mind there are several painful land borders that adding up will make you loose days of your trip. I live in Mexico and there are so many places to visit, ride and see that I would suggest crossing Mexico alone in 2 weeks if you can afford to stay away longer. Without taking anything away from the others as every country has it's nice places, Mexico is definitely the most diverse country of the region in all aspects: nature, culture, sites, cities,... I live in Mexico but I am European and have traveled through Central America so my opinion is not biased.

Thanks for the tip. I think you are right on! I did some more research and it seems it would be very ambitions to make it to Costa Rica in two weeks given exactly what you mentioned. I do have about four to five months total. So even if it takes a month to get down to CA that would be ok.

How long of a preparation would I reasonably need in your experience? I was thinking of heading out in about four weeks but from what I read there are tons of preparations and paperwork that needs to be filed, insurance, etc.
Is a month of setup overly optimistic?

One thing that I would like to do on the trip down is to find a good immersion school to pick up some Spanish. Any recommendations for that?

I'm from Germany originally but live in the US.

Cheers,
Thomas

Thanks for the tip about the Spanish school. That is one of my plans and I have heard that Guatemala is a good place to learn Spanish. Did you ride by yourself or did you have company?
Did you run into many riders along the way?

Sounds like you liked Mexico. Did you have any problems there (police, theft, etc.)?
I have been to Colombia a few times and didn't have any (major) problems (got my phone pickpocketed) and felt pretty safe. But that was without a bike.

Cheers,
Thomas

How do you get around the extortion? Is that everywhere in Mexico or only in certain areas.

Is Guatemala better than Mexico? I heard that in the other CA countries you have less problems.

BTW, like the 1190. I have a 990 SuperDuke and it is a blast.

Where did you get your insurance for Mexico and how much did you pay?


Cheers,
Thomas

Insurance
 

Thanks, yes, I saw their website. I will be mostly passing through Mexico but is seems a 6 month policy is about the same as if I estimate 30 days. Also, the six month policy would cover me on the way back.

Do you recommend full coverage or are most of you going with liability only?

Cheers,
Thomas

follow up
 

Hi sorry for my delayed reply, I am new to the forum and figuring it out so didn't get notifications.

I am sure 4 weeks are more than enough for preparations, the main thing is your bike and equipment... the rest can be done quick. Regarding insurance if you can have international insurance directly with your provider in the US it would probably be your best bet as it can cover all countries without having to make multiple policies. Else of course you can buy in each country, many countries will not even require it it depends on you if you want it.

Spanish immersion is a great idea, there are plenty of places along your trip where you could stay a couple of weeks and take daily private lessons for next to nothing. Antigua in Guatemala and Granada in Nicaragua are perfect places for that. Plenty of language schools teachers, overall very nice quiet and safe cities to spend some time relaxing, eating and drinking well,... I took classes in both cities some years ago and they costed around $100 a week...for 4 hours private lessons each day!

Mexico as well as the Central American countries have no shortage of corruption and yes you may be confronted with police trying to steal from you, however it is not something to be too afraid of. In my experience living here and traveling around I had a few experiences with unfriendly cops trying to give me a hard time, but most of the times I get stopped there are no issues at all and the agents are friendly. I speak perfect Spanish which helps, be polite to them and in case of issues without getting upset (I know very difficult sometimes) just show you are not afraid and you have done nothing wrong. Goes without saying that as anywhere don't give them any reasons to stop you: if you break the law they will stop you and fine or expect bribes, if you have done nothing wrong usually you will be fine. It is common in and out of many Mexican cities and states to have checkpoints. Sometimes you can be stopped and asked for documents, driver and vehicle license is usually enough to continue the trip sometimes they may want to check what you are carrying. Any other random police agent stopping you on your way is not allowed to neither ask for your docs nor revise your vehicle unless you have done something wrong. If randomely stopped after greeting ask if there are any problems and why you were stopped. If there is no reason they have no right to do anything. Not saying you have to tell them off or argue with them as unfortunately many of them don't know the law themselves and by wearing an uniform believe they can do what they want. Often simply playing along and collaborating is better than arguing with them, I am giving you this information to be aware of it, again showing them you know the law and are not being intimidated while staying polite usually does the trick with the corrupt cops.

Safety with organized crime or gangs is something to be aware of, concentrated mostly in the northern border regions as well as certain cities and states. It is worth investigating a bit about your directions and cities while you are traveling, asking some locals as well. If you look you can find negative information for every single spot but in reality you are very likely to ride around freely without ever falling in a negative situation. Common sense works best, if you a certain place does not feel right don't stay there! Never ride at night unless you know the area very well. In Central America you can mostly avoid the capital cities as that is were criminality is concentrated and often there is also not much to see compared to the smaller cities and towns across the country. Mexico is different with criminality spread in many wide regions...the Capital City itself is a beautiful city that can't be missed and the right neighborhoods are very safe.

Overall it is great reading you have much more time available as again I believe there is a lot to see and experience...I am sure you will love the trip!
Take your time and don't plan too much, have an approximate route, then take it from there, if you like a place or region spend more time there, if you don't simply move ahead. Do you already have a plan for your route? I would be happy to help and give you some tips if you want

Hi Swissglobetrotter,

thanks for your advice. That is very helpful and encouraging. I remember when I went to Colombia a few years ago my friends thought I was crazy, now everyone goes. :-)

I think this is part of the adventure, on the other hand I would like to avoid any kind of trouble if I can by being informed by other knowledgeable members. Since you live in Mexico you have first hand experience. My concern was traveling on a big bike and drawing a lot of attention. As a pedestrian one doesn't stick out quite as much, on a bike you are definitely more 'visible'.

I'm planning to tag along with Jon (musq) since we are leaving at about the same time. No concrete plan yet. As you suggested we'll see how the trip unfolds as we get going. If you have any great areas that are a must see please let me know, or on the other hand areas we shouldn't go that would be helpful as well.

Cheers,
Thomas

The state I would avoid the most is Tamaulipas but there is no reason why you should pass from there as it is north-east, the opposite of your entry points from California. Veracruz is not as bad although getting worst, if on your route be aware of the roads you are taking and the towns you stop. Acapulco was once one of the main tourist destinations and now is one of the most dangerous cities in the country so that is an area you should probably avoid as it could be on your way down the coast.

I haven't done any northern parts yet but in your situation I would love riding down Baja! from the bottom of Baja you can take a ferry to cross into Sinaloa to start descending along the coast. Sinaloa and Nayarit are two states where you should exercise caution. Once you get into Jalisco at Puerto Vallarta take the toll highway direction Guadalajara. The free highway has been known for issues in certain towns, with watchers informing their colleagues of who is passing by so they can be "stopped" later on. Guadalajara is Mexico second largest city worth stopping by. In the region there are many other places worth going like the town of Tequila, overall Jalisco has a lot to offer.

Ride into Guanajuato stopping at least in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.

From there you could head back north a bit into the south-estern part of State of San Luis Potosi, Xilitla. Then through Hidalgo direction Mexico City.
Or leave SLP and from Guanajuato head to Mexico City directly through Queretaro.

Before getting to the capital stop at the ruins of Teotihuacan. Mexico City is a nice city with plenty of things to do and see, most parts of the city are actually very safe compared to any big city around the world. There are some dodgy areas so especially when riding in and out I would make sure to avoid passing from there.

Head South into Puebla and Oaxaca. Oaxaca has a state also has a lot to offer in both culture and nature, research a bit where to go, if you want to head to the coast again Oaxaca has plenty of famous beaches. Continue into Chiapas to Cañon del Sumidero the up to San Cristobal de las Casas.

From that part of Chiapas you could head to Guatamela... or head west into the Yucatan Peninsula. The ride to Palenque (some of the best mayan ruins) is a pain, with road bumpers in every single corner! Often there are road blocks with people for hours, sometimes they will ask money to pass, sometimes you will be "forced" to buy things from random kids and people blocking the passage... I drove this starting early morning and had none of the above.

The ruins of Calakmul in Southern state of Campeche are in my opinion the best ones in Mexico, they are not known as they are out of the way of any other tourist spot. You will be in the best ruins the country has to offer with limited tourists and literally in the middle of the jungle. From the top in every direction you look you will only see jungle, no roads...nothing! Head to Campeche city then into Yucatan to Merida. Yucatan has plenty of other ruins you could visit, I would go for any besides Chitchen Itza which is an overrated tourist spot, nothing compared to Palenque and Calakmul!

Head into the Caribbean, quick ride through Cancun hotel zone with no need to stop, continue south to Playa del Carmen and Tulum which are both good places to relax for a couple of days. There are several places in the region with nice dirt roads between jungle and beach, if you are coming to this region let me know and I will give you more tips, or maybe if I have the time we could go for a ride together. Before entering Belize stop on the way in Mahahual and Bacalar, beautiful relaxed and cheap beach destinations...

Hope this helps!

Wow! Thanks for the detailed trip suggestion. Especially the spots to avoid, that is really helpful. Why would you avoid Tamaulipas? I'm considering meeting up with another rider from this forum and he wants to cross the border in McAllen. It's a long way for me into TX but I might go that route.

Otherwise I really like your suggestions and think I might go into the Yucatan and spend a bit more time there instead of heading into Guatemala as I had originally planned. Hearing about all these great places I'm starting to get excited. Once I have a more concrete route I would like to run that by you to see if you have any suggestions for things that I should see (or maybe avoid).

Cheers,
Thomas

Tamaulipas is one of the states with the highest rate of homicides, kidnappings,... Recently they have been killing innocent common citizens (including foreigners from US) just to prove a point to the government. Mexicans jokingly call the state Mataulipas: matar means killing. As anywhere you could maybe pass through with nothing happening, but why take the chance of passing exactly to one of the highest risk zones, when there are much nicer and safer options?

You could still cross from other borders in Texas, also in case it is that far east head direction Monterrey, then continue he into San Luis Potosi. Between Monterrey and the city of San Luis, stop at Real de Catorce.

Yucatan is indeed a nice state to spend some time, it is one of the safest regions in Mexico, plenty of smaller roads and towns, places, lots of ruins,...also together with Quintana Roo lots of beaches, cenotes,....

Sure let me know if you have questions on your way
Tamaulipas is one of the states with the highest rate of homicides, kidnappings,... Recently they have been killing innocent common citizens (including foreigners from US) just to prove a point to the government. Mexicans jokingly call the state Mataulipas: matar means killing. As anywhere you could maybe pass through with nothing happening, but why take the chance of passing exactly to one of the highest risk zones, when there are much nicer and safer options?

You could still cross from other borders in Texas, also in case it is that far east head direction Monterrey, then continue he into San Luis Potosi. Between Monterrey and the city of San Luis, stop at Real de Catorce.

Yucatan is indeed a nice state to spend some time, it is one of the safest regions in Mexico, plenty of smaller roads and towns, places, lots of ruins,...also together with Quintana Roo lots of beaches, cenotes,....

Sure let me know if you have questions on your way

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crossing into mexico
 

Hi have you decided where you are crossing into mexico I will be in el paso nov 14 would like to ride copper canyon would like other riders