Hey there, JFC-ers!

It’s been a little while since I last saw a digital nomad visa worth mentioning here. We are truly spoilt for choice these days, with countries all over the world offering remote workers the chance to test out the lifestyle for a year or two before moving on.

So, if you’re lucky enough to be in a position to up and leave, how do you possibly choose where to go?

I’d suggest letting the incentives lead the way, like this programme in the Ambroz Valley in Spain’s Extremadura region. Digital nomads who work in tech will soon be eligible for grants of up to €15,000 when they move to the area.

Sure, it’s not beachy Barcelona or buzzing Madrid. But if you’re up for a calmer pace among nature, with cute villages, mountainous hiking and biking trails, and ancient thermal pools, it could be the place for you.

¡Buen viaje!

At this point, Central America is hardly a well-kept secret. Costa Rica is jam-packed with eco resorts, expats and sloth-scouting holidaymakers, while the beaches of Belize are littered with yogis. And then there’s Panama, aka “the Dubai of Latin America,” with its famous canal and cruises to match.

Anyone who’s done a little research on travelling to Guatemala recently will no doubt have come across the same raft of travel bloggers and influencers as the rest of the world. If you’re looking for an authentic Guatemalan village experience on the shores of Lake Atitlán, or a peaceful sunrise volcano hike, you’ve missed your chance. We’ve ruined it for ourselves already.

On the other hand, there are quite a few countries over there that still fly under most people’s travel radars — likely because they’ve suffered from somewhat rocky reputations in recent years. But that’s all changing, and some of you curious readers have been asking for our hot tips, specifically about El Salvador and Honduras. So, here goes!

El Salvador

El Salvador used to be solidly on the “Do Not Travel” list. Residents have struggled with gang activity for quite a while, which wreaked havoc on their lives and took a toll on their tourism industry. However, things have begun to look pretty different in the last few years.

Since he took office, President Bukele has been making drastic efforts to cut back on the violence — primarily by limiting citizen rights. While these measures are… controversial, to say the least, it’s clear that they’ve been highly effective at curbing street-level violence. It’s still not exactly a beginner’s holiday, but more experienced travellers can feel confident checking out the country’s Mayan cities and volcanic hikes before the Insta-obsessed hordes catch on.

When it comes to those aforementioned ruins, there are a good few sites to choose from — and you won’t even have to travel far from the capital if you’re just on a flying visit. 

UNESCO World Heritage Site Joya de Cerén is one of the most famous, occasionally dubbed “the Pompeii of America” thanks to the unfortunate fate it met in 600 AD. When nearby Loma Caldera erupted, the city was buried under 20 feet of volcanic ash, leaving it well-preserved centuries later. 

That said, it’s not as big and fancy as other sites — after all, it was just a normal farming community of around 200 people. Nearby San Andrés and Tazumal Archaeological Parks, however, were once bustling cities with political, commercial and ceremonial importance. But if there’s only room for one ancient city in your itinerary, it should probably be Cihuatán. 

As cities go, this one didn’t last that long, but it seriously grew in the approx. 100 years it hung around. And for today’s visitors, that means pyramids! Then, as a little treat after going all Indiana Jones, we’d suggest stopping by El Salvador’s only rum distillery of the same name for some light refreshments. It’d be rude not to, right?

You’ll find quite a few companies offering combined tours of Cihuatan Archaeological Park and the distillery, usually with a stop off in the charming colonial town of Suchitoto as well. While it’s great for a couple of hours meandering through the cobblestone streets and galleries, stick around a little longer to hit the trails, your gateway to serene lakes, hidden waterfalls, and mysterious caves.

Doing even a smidgen more research about hiking in El Salvador will quickly lead you to Santa Ana. It’s the country’s highest active volcano, whose summit comes complete with epic views over the radioactive-turquoise of Laguna Ilamatepec, the less bio-hazardous-looking Lake Coatepeque, and the surrounding volcanoes.

The Santa Ana volcano climb is fairly intense, taking anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on how keen you are to get up there! That can be quite a commitment if you’re not super fit or worry about being out in the heat, however. 

Good news is there’s plenty more where that came from, with summits like one of San Salvador’s two peaks taking as little as 30 minutes. The trail up the higher of the capital’s twin peaks still only takes around 1.5 hrs, with the leafy canopies of El Boquerón National Park protecting you from the elements.

With all this volcanic action comes another influencer-approved geographical wonder — black sand beaches, equally good for the ‘gram as for a day of surfing. El Tunco is the country’s most famous coastal spot, but you’ll quickly realise it’s a major backpacking and nightlife hub. Things calm things down a couple of miles along the coast in El Zonte, while El Sal’s very own Costa del Sol serves up the luxury resorts and private beach vibes.

Honduras

That takes us on to the other country in this equation: Honduras. If it’s beach time you’re after, this is likely where you’ll want to focus all your energy. The Bay Islands, located in the Caribbean off Honduras’ northern coast, have some of the clearest waters around and are renowned for phenomenal diving. 

Roatán is the most popular holiday island there, and anyone who has ever considered a Caribbean cruise will no doubt recognise the name. Yes, there are lots of ships and it can get pretty darn busy, especially around Coxen Hole and Mahogany Bay. The village of West End is a lot less cruise-y and might make a good home base if you’d like more room to breathe. 

The east side of the island is also pretty untouched by resorts. It’s sparsely populated, with locals here living a more traditional lifestyle among forests and farmland. There are also a few expat communities out this way, as well as more isolated hotels and private rentals by secluded beaches.

Utila is a smaller island southwest of Roatán, with a party reputation and a huge scuba culture. You can take a water taxi to Water Cay, a tiny uninhabited island nearby. Pack yourself a picnic, snorkel mask, and SPF 50+, because there’s nothing but sun, sea, and sand once you get there.

On the mainland, there are a few more spots that are well established on the tourist trail. Firstly, there are — you guessed it — the Mayan ruins at Copán Ruinas. This site is also well-known among birders, so don’t forget your binoculars!

Aside from the diving in the Bay Islands, this is the spot that comes up again and again in our Facebook Community. JFC-er Jane based herself there for a few days, and recommends staying and Hacienda San Lucas, which comes complete with hammocks and phenomenal views.

Next up, she moved on to the rainforests of Pico Bonito National Park and the nearby Cangrejal River Valley, just inland from the coastal city of La Ceiba. The area is ripe for adventure travel, with white water rafting, hiking trails, and wildlife aplenty. Similarly, Lago de Yojoa is a nature-lover’s paradise, this time with a bonus lake. 

Now, while Honduras isn’t super touristy overall, it’s also not the kind of place we’d recommend getting off the beaten path, since safety is still questionable in certain places. The country’s major cities have a bad reputation, but locals say it’s not as bad as you might think.

Like most places, it helps to do your research and avoid the bad neighbourhoods in the likes of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. It’s probably also a bit more imperative to be careful with your belongings and keep your wits about you. These spots are far from the most interesting places in the country, however, so you’re best just flying in and moving on.

The places we’ve mentioned are all on a pretty established tourist trail, where you’re likely to feel and stay most safe. And given that Honduras is still a lot less crowded with tourists than other nearby countries, we’d suggest sticking with it. 

You’ll probably also be safe in rural areas of the mainland, but you’ll need to brush up on your Duolingo Spanish in advance! Sticking to tourist shuttles to get around is also best here — a few places (including the UK Travel Advisory) advise against taking public buses, because they frequently get robbed/hijacked.

All that to say, if you’re looking at Honduras because you want to go on a wild, unplanned adventure off the tourist track, you might want to reconsider. El Salvador is probably a little better for that, but it’s still not the place to get footloose and fancy-free. Just pop over to Costa Rica for that, yeah?

Both countries are brimming with naturally beautiful landscapes and historical sites that are less crowded than those in nearby nations — just take the time to read up and plan your accommodation and connections. Even a popular cruise destination like Roatán has spots that are yet to be discovered by the masses, so it’s worth the visit now, before everyone else works it out!

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I’ve had some pretty good birthdays, but I’ve only ever had an entire city celebrate the day with me once. Featuring fireworks and a few thousand plastic hammers. 

Let me rewind — about a year earlier, Flight Finder and Porto native, Andreia, told me about São João day, celebrated in many catholic countries. Once I realised that this yearly tradition fell during my birthday, I was captivated by the idea of getting amongst it. So, flights booked and Airbnb secured, I planned to turn 28 out on the streets of Vila Nova de Gaia, surrounded by barbecued sardines.

I’m from Australia, so I’m used to blowing out candles to the backdrop of one of the shortest days of the year, and a chilly Sydney winter (which isn’t all that cold, I know!). Moving to the Northern Hemisphere has opened up the wonders of a summer birthday to me, and that warm Portuguese sun, port wine and juicy bifanas felt like the epitome of how it should be done.

From early that day, we saw bunting hung up around the streets, makeshift barbecues for those aforementioned sardines and people dancing in the cobbled streets underneath the cathedral. The experience was made even sweeter by Andreia’s welcoming family — they invited us to do São João their way. That meant a backyard fry up for dinner, surrounded by at least 4 generations of her family.

Though very few of her relatives spoke English, I felt the love in a rousing happy birthday rendition in English and then in Portuguese (it turns out, her brother’s birthday is the same day, so we each got a song and a cake). They taught me how to light a lantern and set it off so it doesn’t burst into flames. Then we piled into the car to race down to the local’s viewing spot along Rua Rei Ramiro in Gaia to join the masses in watching the fireworks at midnight.

The most quirky thing about the celebration was definitely the custom of hitting strangers on the head with your squeaky plastic hammer. Strange? Yes, but it’s based on a pagan custom where people would use leeks to hit each other for good luck, and over hundreds of years the vegetables have morphed into hammers. It’s exactly as random and fun as it sounds :-)

Essentially, take this as your excuse to spend your birthday in a different country — and it’s definitely worth checking the event calendar before you go!