Central America travel costs are small relative to the trip, but several fees are not payable at the gate — and a few destinations run on cash only. Here are the numbers you can plan around.
Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio — sold online only through SINAC, with a 2,000-visitor daily cap and no reentry. Book 2 to 3 weeks ahead in high season.
Poás — $15 for foreign visitors, paid online at booking, in one-hour time slots holding up to 50 people, opening four weeks ahead.
Tortuguero — $30 per person, plus a $2 and 13% processing charge depending on the booking route. Park closes at 4:00 p.m., boat groups capped at 11.
Cahuita — $5 per person depending on access point.
Gandoca-Manzanillo — $30 per person, across 22,300 to 23,290 hectares (55,100–57,550 acres).
Corcovado — 200 people a day, certified guide mandatory, with advance reservation required before you buy flights.
And eleven parks now sell online only, with no gate window: Poás, Manuel Antonio, Irazú, Braulio Carrillo, Tapantí, Tortuguero, Isla San Lucas, Chirripó, Tenorio, Rincón de la Vieja and Carara.
Guatemala
Tikal — Q150 foreign visitors, Q25 nationals, museums Q30 extra. Sunrise tour adds a Q100 surcharge with a mandatory guide. Hours 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Yaxhá — 80 quetzales, roughly $10, with far fewer visitors.
Castillo de San Felipe
— Q20 foreign visitors, Q10 nationals, Q5 children.
Laguna Chicabal
— 50 quetzales, around $6.25. Swimming prohibited — it is an active Maya Mam ceremonial site.
Xocomil and Xetulhá
— Q100 adults, Q50 children and seniors, plus a mandatory Q80 wristband for Xetulhá's attractions. Multipark ticket Q175, saving around Q25. Open Thursday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., last entry 4:00.
Boat to Livingston
— Q125 one way, Q180 return the same day, from Fronteras at 9:30 and 14:30.
Belize
Hol Chan — $5 per person, a 23 m (75 ft) natural channel through the barrier.
Cave tubing — with a government height minimum of about 40 inches (102 cm).
And ATM — guide mandatory, limited group sizes, cameras, phones and devices prohibited since 2012.
Panama
Guna Yala — $22 per person, collected exclusively by the Guna General Congress. No intermediary is authorized to collect it — an operator doing so is a red flag. Passport required for foreign visitors.
Bastimentos Island Marine National Park — $10 foreign visitors, $4 nationals, across 132.26 km² (51 sq mi).
El Valle de Antón — around $3 foreign visitors, $2 Panamanians at several access points, with hot springs at $5. Hours typically 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Honduras
Copán — $15 main site, tunnels paid separately with a maximum of 10 people at a time and a guide required. Hours 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Roatán Marine Park fee — around $10, which funds the patrol of the Sandy Bay–West End Marine Reserve run by an NGO formed in January 2005 by dive operators and local businesses.
Nicaragua
Masaya — roughly 11 euros per person. Daytime hours 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., night tours picking up around 4:30 p.m.
Bluefields ferry to Corn Island
— around $8, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:00, taking 5 to 8 hours.
Bluefields bus
— around 380 córdobas, about 8 hours.
Panga Bluefields to Pearl Lagoon
— around 235 córdobas via Kukra Hill, about an hour.
Panga to Little Corn
— around $10, 30 to 40 minutes, with only the 16:30 guaranteed.
Pearl Cays packages — around $65 per person for one night with meals, requiring 10 to 15 people to operate.
And Little Corn dive packages — around $430 for two people, covering three nights and two dives daily including accommodation.
El Salvador
Volcano park entry — $1 Salvadorans, $3 Central Americans, $6 foreign visitors, plus $3 to $5 per person for the mandatory guide. Cash, in dollars.
Fuentes Georginas — open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where cash is the only option
Nicaragua's Caribbean coast
— dollars are accepted only in perfect-condition bills, and the nearest ATMs to Pearl Lagoon are in Kukra Hill or Bluefields.
The Corn Islands
— ATMs are limited or nonexistent. Bring enough for the stay plus several extra days, since weather cuts access.
El Salvador's volcano parks
— cash, in dollars, for entry and guide.
And small kitchens across the region
, where cards do not always work.
One note on El Salvador: bitcoin's legal tender status was repealed on 30 January 2025. Use is optional now, and taxes are paid only in dollars.
The charter, for comparison
Priced per aircraft, not per seat, and quoted on request.
Against a scheduled domestic flight: San José to Tortuguero runs $120–150 per person each way, or $240–300 round trip.
Planning Central America travel costs
Resolve the fixed points first — permits, caps and any hard window — since those determine your dates rather than the other way around.
Then the season, which in this region decides more than the month suggests.
And keep a day of flexibility if the objective depends on weather, light or tide.
Fly with AeroRide
Tell us your itinerary and your permits, and we will fit the flights around them.
Quoted on request for the whole aircraft, round trip, up to five passengers. Final pricing depends on route, date and aircraft assigned.
Related
- Bluefields and Pearl Lagoon
- Ruta de las Flores
- The pollera
- Placencia's cays
- Pacific or Caribbean? The two coasts are not interchangeable
Frequently asked questions
How much are national park fees in Costa Rica?
Tortuguero is $30 plus a $2 and 13% charge, Poás $15, Cahuita $5 and Gandoca-Manzanillo $30. Eleven parks sell online only through SINAC, with no gate window.
What does Tikal cost?
Q150 for foreign visitors, Q25 for nationals, with museums Q30 extra. The sunrise tour adds a Q100 surcharge and requires a guide.
Where do you need cash in Central America?
Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, where dollars are accepted only in perfect-condition bills; the Corn Islands, where ATMs are limited or nonexistent; and El Salvador's volcano parks, for entry and guide.
How much is the Guna Yala fee?
$22 per person, collected exclusively by the Guna General Congress. No intermediary is authorized to collect it, and an operator doing so is a red flag.
What are Belize's park fees?
Hol Chan is $5 per person. Cave tubing has a government height minimum of about 40 inches, and ATM requires a mandatory guide with limited group sizes.
How does charter pricing compare?
It is priced per aircraft rather than per seat, and quoted on request.