where is the central america goa

Is there any beach in central america like arambol goa - laid back, hippy/backpacker scene, with good weather in June through August? need a place to lay back.

I've been to Arambol and loved it.

While not a beach, San Pedro on Lake Atitlan is definitely similar in vibe to Arambol and also a gorgeous area. The prices in the two places are pretty similar as well.

Since you said Central America and not just Guatemala - I think Montezuma Beach on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica fits the bill based on your description.

I've never been to Goa, so can't compare.

But in Central America -- some laid back beaches include:

Placencia in Belize

Playa Sunzal/Zonte in El Salvador

San Juan del Sur/Playa Maderas and around in Nicaragua

Little Corn Island in Nicaragua Kay and Franks trip to Little Corn Island

Cahuita in Costa Rica.

the Nicoya Penninsula in Costa Rica

Isla Bastamientos (Bocas Del Toro) in Panama.

Photos and details of all these places are in our journal. Click on the link above -- then scroll to the bottom of the page to see links to other beaches.

Cheers,
Kay

There has been an attempt to create a Goa like atmosphere and fiesta in San Pedro la Laguna, Lago Atitlan though I think efforts have quieted down a bit recently. There are still full moon party attempts every month or couple of months. Trance rules the bigger parties and, generally speaking, at the one dance oriented club, Freedom. I think last month there was a fullmoon party that billed Goa-psytrance. I heard from a DJ last year that the buzz around his DJ circles was that San Pedro was destined to become "the next Goa." I don't really know what that means having not been to Goa myself, but in my opinion a small pueblo in San Pedro la Laguna and a beach town in India are two different places very far apart in many ways. There are many "beaches" on the lake, though I doubt they'd resemble Arambol, Goa. What you do get in San Pedro la Laguna is the laid back, hippy backpacker scene. It's one of the cheapest, upstanding places in Guatemala. There's quite a street vendor community. Lots of bongo & hand drum beatniks. Lots of crazy freedom loving outfits. Lots of fire spinning. Lots of alternative states of mind. An incredible array of expats. Lots of live music. Lots of places to really chill out and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Lots of great International foods. Though this subculture is quite pervasive in San Pedro, it's also not limited to it either. There's something for everyone here. Drum & Bass is here and Minimal Techno is making an advance. Live reggae and latino rock music. Gypsy jazz bands and blues bands have come around. The harddrive space devoted to music at several places exceeds 200 and sometimes 300gigabytes! Magic shows and juggling acts. Almost everyother place has movies on a big tv or projected on bigscreens. There's the natural element here as well with lake activities, cliff jumping, kayaking, volcano climbing and trekking, horseback riding, cycling. San Pedro la Laguna is definitely one of Guatemala's solid up and comers on the backpacker scene and if some of the rumors are true that it's "the next Goa" we'll have to wait and see, but it is a great place for the laid back, hippy backpacker to meet traveler's of all walks of life.

My son,who travels in So.India a lot ,said that several years ago the police cracked down on the alternative tourist scene and that most people were now heading south of Goa to the beaches of Karnataka,where their lifestyle was more readily accepted.Anyone hear anything about that?

Go to San Pedro, support the Freedom bar. Oh, and Villa del Lago at the end of the road.

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<hr>the police cracked down on the alternative tourist scene <hr></blockquote>

No crackdown that I noticed. I was in Goa (Arambol) in February and among other things I remember seeing a few dreadlocked hippies light up a blunt the size of a baby's arm in full public view on the beach.