Visit Every Country In North America

The adventure

North America is three very different journeys in one. There are the giants, Canada, the USA and Mexico, with their road trips, national parks and cities. Then there is the slim land bridge of Central America, seven countries you can cross by chicken bus, from the Mayan temples of Tikal rising out of the Guatemalan jungle to the ships squeezing through the Panama Canal.

The final stretch is the Caribbean, thirteen island nations scattered across the sea in a long arc. Each has its own character: the music and classic cars of Cuba, the volcanic peaks of St Lucia, the beaches of Barbados and the quiet coves of St Kitts and Nevis. Hopping between them by small plane and ferry, watching each island appear on the horizon, is the best part of the whole goal.

Why it’s epic

• Tikal in Guatemala, a Mayan city whose temples rise above the rainforest canopy.
• The Panama Canal, where ships are lifted through a series of locks between the Atlantic and Pacific.
• The Great Blue Hole off Belize, a circular marine sinkhole about 300 metres across.
• Thirteen Caribbean island nations, from Cuba and Jamaica to Grenada and Dominica.

What it is

North America has 23 countries: Canada, the USA, Mexico, the seven countries of Central America and 13 Caribbean island nations.

How to do it

Island-hop the Caribbean by ferry and regional airlines, or take a cruise that calls at several islands. Central America is easy to cover overland.

Top tip

Many Caribbean flights route through Miami, Barbados or Puerto Rico, so plan your island hopping around those.

Need to know

• UK visitors need an ESTA for the USA and an eTA to fly to Canada, and anyone who has visited Cuba since 2021 can no longer use an ESTA and must apply for a full US visa.
• The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, so plan Caribbean island hopping for the drier months.
• Flights between Caribbean islands can be infrequent and expensive, so ferries and multi-island cruises help fill the gaps.

Why it’s on my list

Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.