Enjoy these highlights from our December 2011 road trip in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. And don’t miss our newest “Where We’ve Been” feature: time-lapse video created using pictures taken every 10 seconds by our GoPro Hero HD camera which is mounted on our windshield.

December 2011 road trip in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua & Costa Rica

Since we had to get to Costa Rica before Christmas to meet visiting family, we covered more territory in December than we usually do. This unusual run also required three border crossings as we touched a record (for us) four countries in one month.

We began the month of December 2011 in Alegria, El Salvador where we visited its namesake volcano and crater lake. From there we drove down to the Pacific Coast to visit the beaches of El Cuco and Play Maculis before heading back into the mountains for our last stop in El Salvador, the town of Perquin which was a rebel stronghold during the civil war in El Salvador. The nearby town of Mozote (site of a gruesome massacre) provided poignant reminders of just how bloody that war was.

Then we headed back into Honduras where we explored the capital,Tegucigalpa and visited Yascaran and Danli where we toured one of the region’s famous cigar factories. With time running out, we crossed the border into Nicaragua where we spent just six days (we’ll return and do it right in the spring), visiting Jalapa, Esteli, Masatepi and Rivas.

Then it was over yet another border and into Costa Rica where we headed to the capital, San Jose, to meet visiting family members. From there we headed off on a little family vacation to the beaches of Mal Pais at the bottom of the Nicoya Peninsula, the famous cloud forests of Monteverde (meh), and the hot springs town of La Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano (which, by the way, has not been erupting for years).

Below is time-lapse video of where our Trans-Americas Journey took us on our December 2011 road trip, complete with a soundtrack featuring the official Trans-Americas Journey theme song.

Here’s more about travel in Costa Rica

Here’s more about travel in El Salvador

Here’s more about travel in Honduras

Here’s more about travel in Nicaragua