Central America Camping Locations
and GPS coordinates

Mexico/Belize Border Area

Bacalar - Balneario Los Coquitos (no signage) on Laguna Bacalar Drive (the coastal road) not the highway.  Private campground on the lakeshore, no services. About 1/2 mile/700 m south of Hotel Laguna.  GPS 18 38.95N, 88 24.71W.  Not the Cenote Azul Trailer Park!

Chetumal - Calderitas Bay Trailer Park, just north of the restaurants in Calderitas. About 5 miles/9Km north of Chetumal.  Full service trailer park with hook ups.  Bit pricey, but on the water, walking distance to restaurants.

Belize

Corozal Town - Caribbean Village RV park, across from the water just south of town. Really run down but has hook ups and water, walking distance to town.
GPS 18 22.99N  88 23.75W

Orange Walk camping possibilities - Go south from town past the sugarcane processing plant and just before getting to the Toll Bridge crossing the New River.  Camping possible on either side of the hwy at either Reyes & Son Tours or New River Cruises.  Past the bridge is Lamanai EcoAdventures.  For tours take the slower more personal tour from Reyes & Sons.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary - Free Camping along the shore of the Lagoon just north of the Visitors Center.  Pay your entrance fee first.  Beautiful and safe.
GPS 17 46.55N  88 31.87W

Community Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing - camping at restaurants/bars just before the CBS Visitors center.  Camping on the hill just above the river.  Better than camping in the parking area of the visitors center.  GPS 17 33.38N  88 31.86W

Along the Western Hwy, between the Zoo and Belmopan - JB's Watering hole was closed at mile 32 but it appeared that free camping was possible next to the building.  Right next door is Amigos Restaurant/bar where camping was also free, good food.

Along the Hummingbird Hwy, camping at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch.  Possible to camp at the Five Blues Lake Nature Sanctuary

Hopkins/Sittee River area. - camping at Sittee River Toucan right on river, elect & water.  Camping in Hopkins at Tipple Tree Beya.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary - nice camping area, ask to camp on the helipad.  Great birding area, also has tubes for rent for floating the river.

Cayo Mountain Pine Ridge Area
Caesar's Place at mile 60 has camping and rv hook ups.

San Ignacio - camping about one mile past the soccer field at Cosmos.  Water, elect and dump station.  Nice and quiet, laundry avail.  Also camping on the hwy past town, up a long hill to Inglewood, also has rv hook-ups.

Caracol Road - you can camp anywhere in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.
Great camping at the Douglas Da Silva forestry station.  The camping area is behind the soccer field along the "road" to the Rio Frio Caves.  Screened room avail.

It looks possible to camp either at the Caracol ruins or just outside the entrance, ask first.

5 Sisters Lodge along the Caracol road.  No camping at the lodge, but it is OK to park outside the lodge in the visitors parking area.  The parking area is part of the reserve and regardless what their employees say camping is ok and free.  

Chachem Ha Cave - poorly signed turn off in the village of Benque Viejo del Carmen just before the Guatemala border.  8 miles on a good dirt road, camping at the grounds before the cave.  Great cave with lots of mayan pots still in place.  Excellent.

Guatemala

Tikal Ruins - great campground, bathroom and showers, in the park itself.
Possible camping along the lakeshore of Lago Peten Itza at El Remate, just ask around.

In Poptun, camp at Finca Ixabel.  Great camping area, elec and water avail, many activities to spend days doing.

Rio Dulce - possible camping and temp storage of vehicles (for visiting Livingston) at the marinas located under the Rio Dulce Bridge.  We parked our truck at Bruno's Hotel/Restaurant/Marina.  Possible camping at Hotel La Ensenada possibly changed it name to Planeta Rio.

Near Quirigua Ruins - possible to camp just outside the ruins at the guard shack.  Better camping at the town of Mariscos 8 miles north of the highway (20min) on the southern shore of Lago de Ixabal.  Camping at Playa Escondida GPS 15 25.43N  89 04.65W

Rio Hondo - possible camping at the Hotel Nuevo Pasabien  GPS 15 39.44N 89 40.28W

Chiquimula - comfortable camping in the secure public parking lot across from the Posada Don Adan.  2 blocks from the central plaza.  GPS 14 48.12N  89 32.69W

Honduras

Copan - camping at the balnearios a few miles past the ruins.  Small Balneario Escondido, and the larger Hacienda El Jaral.

Gracias - camping at the Finca Bavaria on the corner one block NW of the Iglesia La Merced.  Walk in the front gate and ask permission to drive in the back gate.

Lago de Yojoa - Finca Las Glorias.  Great location on the lake shore.  Ask to camp near the hacienda.  Possible camping along the hwy at Los Remos Hotel

La Cieba area - camping/parking at Finca Eden in Santa Ana abut 12km west of the airport.  We parked our truck here while we spent time on the Utila.  Easy bus access to the airport and La Cieba.

Siguatepeque - free camped at the Hotel Pasagio Turistico/Restaurante La Faltoria.  Ask permission in the restaurant. The complex includes a market and bank.
GPS 14 35.38N  87 51.48W.  Possible to free camp at the large Shell Gas Station and truck stop  about 1/2 mile south of the hotel.

Choluteca - camped at the Hotel Gualiqueme.  GPS 13 18.86N  87 11.48W

Nicaragua

Leon - camping in the back of the Esso Gas Station, private and secure.  Possible parking in the public parking lot two blocks west and one block south of the central park (height restriction of 10 feet).

Masaya Volcano Park good camping at the visitors center.  Water avail. 

Granada - camping on the street in front of  Hotel Central.  Possible camping at the Complejo Turistico near the Dock/Malecon GPS 11 55.08N  85 56.22W

San Juan del Sur - camping at Bahia Majagual 12km north of town at Bahia Majagual Eco-lodge on the beach.  Showers and restaurant. Very bad road, narrow entrance.

Costa Rica

Canas - Camped next to the pool at the Hotel Capazuri, just past the entrance to the Las Pumas Cat Zoo.

No name Lake Arenal Campsite, just past Nuevo Arenal, on the lake. There was a "Camping" sign with an arrow, plus blue arrows painted down the center of the road.
GPS 10 32.21N  84 53.54W

Parking lot of the Arenal Observatory Lodge.  Just pay entrance fee to the guard at the bottom of the hill.

Belen RV Park, San Antonio Belen just outside San Jose.  GPA 9 58.801N 85 43.420W

***The campgrounds listed below were used during the South America Expedition conducted during the summer of 2005***

COSTA RICA

Cahuita, La Piscina Natural also possible to free camp just down the road along Black Beach during high season.

Gandoca, Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo, camped at the end of the road across from the beach at Gandoca.

PANAMA

Willie Mazu Rancho Ecologico, KM 68 between Chiriqui Grande and Lago Fortuna.

Boquete, on the side of the street, Calle 2 Sur, across from the main square.

Santiago, Hotel La Hacienda, GPS 08 07.42N 80 58.75W.

Playa Santa Clara, XS Memories.

Parque Nacional Soberania, Ranger Station/entrance.

Central and South America Camping GPS and Locations

Central America

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