Johan van Rijswijck
When I started studying Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala, in 2000, I fell in love with Latin America. After my studies, I travelled through Central and South America for six months and since then I go back several times a year to discover new places. Because I wanted to share my love for Latin America with others, I started Sapa Pana Travel in 2003.
My favourite way to travel is by car, because you literally see the landscape change. I have now driven more than 80,000 kilometres in Latin America and can therefore recommend the most beautiful routes from my own experience.
You can reach me directly at: johan@sapapanatravel.nl
Blog - Johan's stories in Latin America
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Maní and the non-stinging Melipona bees of Yucatan
Just over an hour’s drive south of Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, lies the picturesque town of Maní. On 18 October 2020, the town was awarded the title ‘Pueblo Mágico’ thanks to its historic church and beautiful colonial centre.
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On safari from the Caiman Lodge!
Johan travelled to the Caiman Lodge in the Pantanal - You bounce along dirt trails past deer, caimans and capybaras, dine under a starry sky, and have a chance of seeing jaguars - sometimes as many as four in one morning!
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Diving at Providencia
Johan talks about his experiences of diving on the Colombian island of Providencia, where particularly healthy coral reefs surround the island and the underwater world is fantastically beautiful as a result!
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Tekax - a boost of adrenaline in Yucatán
After the cave, we return to the upper world and move on to the next adrenaline-pumping activity. We climb a tower and look out over the vast Tekax landscape.
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Mexico cooking workshop X-Batun
One of the best ways to get to know Mayan culture well is by tasting the local dishes. Yucatec cuisine, relies mainly on traditional Mayan dishes.
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Kapawi Ecolodge, a heartwarming stay (2)
I visited Kapawi only briefly, but my stay touched me. The people here truly still live in harmony with nature. They have great respect for their environment and each other
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Kapawi Ecolodge, a heartwarming stay (1)
The Amazon rainforest has always had something mythical for me. Impenetrable nature, where new plant and animal species are still being discovered. Where populations still live the way they did thousands of years ago.
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Hotel Sazagua Cocora, a new surprise in Colombia's Cocora Valley
Sazagua Cocora is the latest project of Juan Pablo Vásquez and Natalia Villegas, owners of the Sazagua hotel. A beautiful accommodation that we with Sapa Pana Travel have been working with to our full satisfaction for many years.
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Undiscovered Yucatan, an untouched tropical paradise full of history (1)
When most people think of Yucatan, they think of the region of Cancun. However, so when it comes to the state of Yucatán, of which the beautiful historic city of Mérida is the capital, this is really completely wrong.
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Undiscovered Yucatan, an untouched tropical paradise full of history (2)
I visited Mérida a couple of years ago, but I noticed now that some very fine restaurants, boutique hotels and bars have been added again.