From Panama to Canada, the Americas are packed with contrast, mystique and intrigue. The islands off Costa Rica and Panama are enough to match any desert island dream and they’re matched by the Mayan relics of Guatemala. Not forgetting the vast wonders of the US. Don’t book your return flight, you may be a while.

The Americas have so much to offer it’s hard to know where to start. There’s so much contrast between the USA and Canada and Central America but there’s one thing they have in common; they all have fantastic backpacking destinations to visit. From the more developed destinations on offer in North America to the raw, untouched beauty of Central America you won’t find yourself short of places to visit. Go backpacking to any of these places and you’ll find it hard to leave:

Chichicastenango, Guatemala
Antigua, Guatemala
Copan, Honduras
La Mosquitia, Honduras
Utila, Honduras
Aspen, USA
Everglades, USA
Florida, USA
Hawaii, USA
Huntington Beach, USA
Niagara Falls, USA/Canada
Santa Barbara, USA
San Francisco, USA
Yosemite NP, USA

You can take a couple of approaches to backpacking in North America. One is to resign yourself to wiping out a bit of your budget and get a car. In many parts of the USA this is a great way to see the country, particularly California, where a drive along the stunning coastline is hard to match. However, if you want to be a little bit more careful with your pennies, then the Greyhound is another great way to get around. It’s obviously not as adaptable as having your own wheels, but in the long run it will leave more fund for the beers once you hit the beach! If you really can’t face the roads of the US and Canada then there is, of course, the option of taking internal flights. This is certainly a good option if you have a limited amount of time and want to see sights like Las Vegas, New York and Niagara Falls in one trip.

Backpacking in Central America is a different kettle of fish. The distances are much shorter and the attractions are packed together (relatively) closely for you. If you’re coming down from America then it certainly isn’t a ridiculous idea to consider travelling by bus down from Mexico all the way to Panama. The way Central America is laid out makes it perfect for this approach with the countries laid out in an almost linear way. Must visit destinations are Roatan in Honduras, the hidden beaches and jungles of Costa Rica and stunning Mayan ruins of Guatemala. For the more adventurous i’d recommend a trip to La Mosquitia in Honduras; it’s a true expedition into the wilderness where you only travel by cayuco down rivers and stay in mud huts. If you’re looking for a once in a lifetime experience, this is it!

Don’t forget all these tips once you leave, get the hard copy to take with you: