Guatemala
Known as Central America’s Mayan heart; Guatemala is an amazing underrated country. From colonial cities to ancient ruins; from incredible lakes to active volcanoes; it is truly a magical place. I visited Guatemala in August and we had good weather with very little rain; warm days and cool nights. All our private transfers throughout the trip were booked through Xocomil Tours (http://www.xocomiltours.com/). We had great experience with them with all the drivers being safe and courteous and on-time and the cars provided were also very nice.
Overall, we felt completely relaxed and safe during our entire trip; the roads are well developed and maintained and the people are friendly. Language was a problem but nothing that can’t be resolved using google translator.
Semuc Champey, a natural forming limestone bridge with water pools is another tourist destination in Guatemala but is not an easy place to get to. Its isolated and the closest village, Lanquin is at least an 8-hour drive from the either Guatemala City or Flores. We kept this out of our itinerary but am hoping to get here one day; hopefully when it is better connected.
Guatemala Itinerary Overview
Day 1 – Guatemala City
Day 2 – Tikal
Day 3 – Lake Atitlan
Day 4 – Lake Atitlan
Day 5 – Chichicastenango & Antigua
Day 6 – Antigua
Day 7 – Fly back home
DAY 1 – GUATEMALA CITY
Our flight from NY landed in Guatemala City around noon and we had a shuttle from Hilton waiting to take us to the hotel.Guatemala City is divided into 22 zones in accordance with the urban layout plan and each zone has its own streets and avenues. A lot of people skip visiting this city as it is known for being dirty and dangerous. Yes, some areas are not safe for tourists but the capital city does have its own charm that deserves a trip.
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn which is located in Zone 9. It’s a small property but the hotel is good and is located in a safe area.
After freshening up, we walked to Zone 10 where all the major hotels are located. We had lunch at 100 Montaditos, a Spanish tapa place which has several varieties of small sandwiches. We walked around Plaza Fontabela, a beautiful shopping area with upscale restaurants and shops. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Bingo Atlantis Casino for a little poker fun.
Zone One is the Historic Center lying in the heart of the city with several historic building including the National Palace, Cathedral and the Presidential House. We took an Uber to the city center and spent a few hours exploring this area including having some amazing snickers cake at San Martin Café. The smell of freshly baked bread and pastries at this café was heavenly. It was on the streets of this historic center where we had the most amazingly sweet pineapple sold by a street hawker.
Back at the hotel, we had a relaxing massage service in the room before hitting the bed.
DAY 2 – TIKAL
Tikal; a UNESCO World Heritage Site is an ancient Mayan City in the jungle of northern Guatemala that stretches over 222 square miles. Tikal is considered one of the largest Mayan ruins in the world. Between 200 to 900 AD, Tikal was the political, economic and military capital of Central America. Tikal is really huge and only some of it has been recovered.
We had booked a day trip to Tikal via Expedia ($300 pp)which included round-trip air and ground transportation, entrance tickets, an English-speaking guide and lunch. I think having a guide was good as we learnt so much about the history and architecture of the ruins. In addition, there is very poor signage inside the ruins site so having a guide was helpful. Air travel between Guatemala City Airport and Maya Mundo International Airport in Flores is easy with several direct flights. From Flores; it’s a one-hour drive to the Tikal National Park. We took the 6:30 AM flight (TAG airlines) on a small 30-seater plane and met our Guide Eddy at the airport. Luckily, we were the only tourists on this trip.
Alternatively, you can spend a few days exploring the area including the town of Flores and Lake Peten.
Enroute to Tikal, our guide stopped at a roadside place selling pupusas – a Central American specialty of corn tortilla stuffed with savory fillings.
In Tikal, the buildings are made of limestone and include remains of royal palaces, houses, and various monuments. Several temples are found throughout the site, including one of the tallest temples, Temple IV (Temple of the Two-Headed Snake)which we climbed. The top provided sweeping views of the Tikal National Park and tops of other temples peeking through the rainforest.The Great Plaza is the heart of Tikal and it sits at the center of the site. This is a large grassy area courtyard surrounded by several structures and is one of the most restored areas. We spent some time here exploring the area, climbing the ruins.
Although Tikal is a popular attraction, it did not feel over-crowded with tourists. If you are in Guatemala, Tikal is definitely a must see. The ruins are fun to explore and the setting is so serene.
After lunch we headed back to Flores. It’s a small island with a stunning lake and there is a cobblestone circle road around the island. We took a boat ride for an hour before heading back to the airport for our flight back to Guatemala City.
Back in Guatemala City, we ended the day with some amazing Mexican food at Los Cebollines.
DAY 3 – LAKE ATITLAN
Lake Atitlan is my favorite part of the country; untouched lake surrounded by volcanoes and small villages. Lake Atitlan is about 3.5 hours from Guatemala City and there are buses that leave regularly from Guatemala City. We had a private carthat drove is from Guatemala City to our hotel in Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in all of Central America formed after a volcanic implosion. It is surrounded by three massive volcanoes – Toliman, San Pedro and Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is made up of many small towns the biggest being Panajachel. Around here you will see the local Mayan women wearing their colorful traditional clothing.
Panajachel is the main tourist hub and commercial center for the locals. The villages around the Lake are remote and isolated and most are accessible only by boat; a thing to keep in mind when you are choosing where to stay.
We stayed at Villas Balam Ya(https://www.balamya.com/), this lakefront property is stunning and all their villas are private. Balam Ya is located between Panajachel and Santa Catarina Palopo and our Villa (Villa Bambu) was on the hillside among tropical gardens with unobstructed view of the lake. The villa was spacious with two bedrooms, nice living room, dining room and kitchen area and a small outside terrace. The service was outstanding and their manager Nisa took care of everything including arranging meals to be cooked at the villa as well a boat trip on the lake.
After checking in we walked around the property down to the lake. Without a car going out of the property is a little difficult, but we cozied up by the fireplace with wine and ordered food from Circus bar. There pizza and homemade pasta were delicious.
Day 4 – LAKE ATITLAN
We woke up to the amazing views of the lake!!Rosa came & made breakfast including eggs, pancake, coffee & fresh orange juice with fruits which was included with the hotel stay. Today we visited a few of the villages around this Lake.
There are several villages around the Lake that you can explore each with a unique cultural and artistic experience. The taxi boats are the main mode of transportation within the lake and we took a boat tour to explore three of the neighboring towns. All the towns were pretty with small restaurants, artisan shops and workshops and central squares to explore.
San Juan La Laguna
San Juan La Laguna – This is a small village but had lots to see including the medicinal plants garden, San Juan church, several chocolate shops as well as a weaving factory.
We walked around town & went to medicinal plants garden where they have over 20 variety of plants for various ailments including depression, colic, stress, and snoring problems. The weaving factory was very interesting where they made dye colors from natural plant extracts like avocado, walnut etc.
San Pedro La Laguna
San Pedro La Laguna–The lower lakeside area of this village is a maze of alleyways with many restaurants and bars; and as you walk uphill you will find the more traditional Mayan area. We visited the Primera Iglesia Bautista (First Baptist Church) as well as the San Pedro Parque Central where you will find the Church of St. Peter with its brilliant white façade sitting among this attractive park
Santiago
Santiago–This is the largest town on Lake Atitlan, and is famous for its church, its market and the saint Maximom. Near the central plaza is the Colonial Church that is a mix of the Mayan and Catholic culture. There are many legends about Maximom also known as San Simon. The effigy of Maximom stays with one of the five families, who are members of a religious brotherhood looking after the saint. Visitors pass offerings to the effigy in the form of cigarettes, money or spirit.
We walked back to lake; had lunch at Come Tacos and took the boat ride back to Panajachel.
Back at the villa, we had a chef come prepare dinner for us. She made tofu steak and chicken stew both of which were delicious.
DAY 5 – CHICHICASTENANGO AND ANTIGUA
After another morning of freshly prepared breakfast by Rosa, we were off to Antigua. On our way there we stopped at Chichicastenango, a small town with the largest and very popular market in the country on Thursdays and Sundays. Locals travel from villages throughout this countryside and gather at this market to sell their beautiful handicrafts, colorful textiles and traditional clothing. The market is huge with vendors on both sides of the small cobblestone streets. The only annoyance was some vendors constantly haggling you to buy something.
After visiting the market, we went to Iglesia de Santo Tomas, a unique white-walled church from the 1500’s situated in the town’s main plaza.
Away from the town center, on a hill you will see the most colorful cemeteries in the world. As per the Mayan tradition, the colorful tombs celebrate afterlife and can symbolize different family roles. We also had some time to explore the Santo Tomas Hotel located near the market. The beautiful gardens with huge Macaw’s, old world décor and architecture looked breathtaking.
Next, we were off to Antigua; Guatemala’s colonial town which has beautiful Spanish architecture with cobblestone streets and amazing views of the volcanos. The town is small yet full of bars and restaurants.
We stayed at Hotel Casa Santo Domingo; a former monastery that is now an amazingly beautiful hotel. The hotel brings together art and architecture of Guatemala with the comfort of a luxury stay. Lush and beautiful gardens, museums, church along with extensive ruins that have been restored makes it a truly magical experience.
We had a 1-bedroom junior suite which was spacious with a fireplace in the living room and a jacuzzi in the bedroom.
That evening we explored the city starting at Parque Central, the main plaza of the city which is popular with locals as well as tourists. The plaza is surrounded by the Cathedral and government buildings which along with the fountain, trees and mix of modern shops and street vendors makes for a great place.
Guatemala is the second largest producer of coffee in Central America and the Antigua beans are supposed to be the best. We didn’t get chance to visit a coffee farm but sampled some amazing coffee at Artesano Coffee shop.
Next, we headed to the iconic yellow colored arch of Antigua with the clock and a volcano in the back, a centerpiece of Antigua you will see on every postcard from Antigua.
Another fine example of colonial architecture was the La Merced Church; a baroque church built on the site of a monastery.
During the evening we went to Senor Crepe for dessert before heading to Gaia for some Mediterranean dinner. The restaurant was pretty cool with middle-eastern style interior and good food.
It was a pleasure to walk around the streets of Antigua where every corner reveals stunning views of the volcanoes nestled among some amazing architecture. The best way to enjoy Antigua it to wander around the town and take the sights in while enjoying the coffee and amazing food there.
Day 6 – ANTIGUA
Antigua is also the place to take tours to hike numerous volcanoes in the areas. We went to Volcano Pacaya though have heard Acatenengo is a more rewarding trip (though more challenging as well and is done as a 2 day, 1night trip).
Pacaya is one of the many active volcanoes(with steaming hotspots); the last big eruption was in 2010. Its over 8,000-feet tall with an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet and takes around 2-3 hours for the hike. Hikes to Pacaya volcano go up till a certain point and then down; you can no longer climb towards the crater. But the view going up as well as at the top were breathtaking. Hiking this volcano is only possible with a guide which can be hired easily at the visitor’s center at the entrance to the national park.
We started the hike on foot but ended up renting horses to bring us to the top. Once at the top we were rewarded with amazing views and moon-like craters. Walking back down, the hike goes next to a bunch of fumaroles where the guides hand over marshmallows and a stick. Roasting marshmallows on Pacaya volcano was definitely fun!
Back at the hotel we visited the hotel museum and went for a relaxing massage at Minoshka’s spa and relaxed in the jacuzzi in the room.
Antigua is beautiful from above and there are several great rooftops where you can enjoy a drink while taking in the colorful city. We headed to Sunset Terrace for drinks and ended this amazing trip with dinner at Frida Cocina Mexicana & Bar.
