Guatemala🇬🇹

Guatemala, our third last country of Central America! We were here for just under three weeks and absolutely loved it here.

We got the bus straight to Antigua from Santa Ana, El Salvador and you can either get the arranged shuttle bus, which picks you up at 3am, or a normal transfer bus. We didn’t want to wake up that early, so we bought tickets with Pullmantur bus company, which took us to Guatemala City first. It cost us $70 USD each but included a breakfast sandwich, biscuits, juice and soft drink for the whole journey! The bus left at 8am from Santa Ana and we got in at 4pm. We would have arrived earlier but because of the traffic into the capital it took a bit longer. We then got a taxi from Guatemala City to Antigua, which took an hour and was only $14 USD between the both of us.

Antigua

🏨Adra Hostel

You only need four full days in Antigua to do all the main sites, however you will end up wanting to stay a lot more because of how amazing the city is! From the incredible, vibrant colonial, cobbled streets and buildings, variety of amazing cafes and food spots and historical ruins, you could easily spend a week here!

We stayed at Adra Hostel, which is in the heart of the city, a six minute walk from all the main sights! The main reason we stayed here was because of its rooftop bar where, on a clear day you can see the incredible surrounding views of three different volcanoes, including Fuego! We were lucky with clear blue skies for the days we were there and got to see the surrounding hills, mountains and volcanoes (below photos). It is a fairly lively hostel with a rooftop bar and restaurant on the lower levels, which plays music every evening and is pretty sociable! As we were in Guatemala in the off season, it wasn’t as busy, which we actually enjoyed.

Volcán Acatenango & Fuego
The two day, overnight hike to Volcán de Fuego is the most famous activity to do from Antigua! You get to hike Volcán Acatenango and witness the incredible, fiery lava erupting from Fuego up close. A blog going into this hike and the tour we went with, will be here!

Santa Catalina Arch
One iconic photo spots is the Santa Catalina Arch in the centre of town, where if you go early enough, you will be able to capture a clear view of the volcano behind the arch!

Plaza & Parque Central
Only a five minute walk away from the hostel, the parque is in the middle of the plaza, perfect to explore the different historical buildings, and watch the local culture! There will also be a huge market, which lines one side of the plaza, full of different stalls selling authentic, handmade Guatemalan crafts, souvenirs, clothes etc!

Starbucks and McDonalds
Starbucks and McDonalds is famous here, for its incredibly aesthetic buildings! McDonalds has a huge outdoor area where you can see the views of the volcano from where you are sitting! Starbucks on the other hand has a beautiful outdoor patio, surrounded with high walls and incredible decor. Both places are a must stop when in Antigua.

Cerro De La Cruz
You must do the short fifteen minute hike to the Cerro de la Cruz lookout, which offers beautiful, panoramic views of Antigua and the Volcán de Agua!

Conventon de las Capuchinas
Explore the beautifully, well preserved, historical ruins in the heart of the city. They have turned it into an incredible small park, which you can walk through, explore, relax and have a picnic in. Other ruins to also see are the Iglesia de San Francisco.

Hobbitenango
Hobbitenango, is an eco park in the mountains, with Hobbiton and Lord of the Rings themed decor. From the park you will see panoramic views overlooking Antigua and the surrounding mountains. We were here for a couple of hours, to make use of the entrance fee. We walked through different hobbit houses, stopped at different viewpoints and had a delicious breakfast with a view.

Other things to do in Antigua:

• Chichicastenango Market - a huge, vibrant, indigenous market where you can spend the day at browsing different stalls.
• Volcán Pacaya - another day hike up a shorter, easier volcano, where you can roast marshmallows at the top using the geothermal heat and lava.
• La Merced Church - browse the different street food stalls for cheap and tasty local Guatemalan eats.
• Caoba Farms - a place where you can relax, detox and spend your time doing yoga, brunch, and explore the weekend stalls.
• Coffee and Chocolate farms - do a local tour for coffee or chocolate visiting the nearby plantations.
• Hidden Bars and Nightlife - There are a few hidden speakeasies and bars where you can watch the sunset, like Antigua Brewing Co.

El Paredón

🏨Mellow Hostel

El Paredón is another surf town, only three hours away from Antigua, so if you have the time and budget, I would recommend coming here for a couple of days. Again, there isn’t a lot to do here if you aren’t into surfing, so can easily be missed out, but if you want to visit, you can spend your time relaxing at the hostel or beach.

Mellow Hostel is the main place to stay at in El Paredón, it is a two minute walk away from the main strip of stalls and where you get dropped off from the shuttle bus. Mellow is more on the expensive side, but is very sociable and does activities every night so you meet a lot of people. The dorms are pretty good, we splurged out to stay in the aircon room, which was really needed as El Paredón went through a humid heatwave when we were there. They also have a bar and restaurant attached to the hostel, which was also really good and not too expensive, so we ate here a couple times.

What to do in El Paredón

• Beach or Hostel pool.
• Mangroves Tour - can take a boat or kayak through the mangroves, to see all kinds of different wildlife. The hostel does a sunset tour here too!
• Surfing Lesson - we decided to do a surf lesson here and I can confirm that I am not a surfer girly. The waves here were alright, but probably not the best for beginners, so I spent an hour fighting for my life. It was fun though, I’m glad I did it and was able to stand up a few times, but overall wouldn’t do another one! It cost us 100 Quetzals for the hour and we went with Mellow.

Lake Atitlán

Lake Atitlán is a huge, stunning crater lake, formed inside a massive volcanic caldera. It is the deepest lake in Central America surrounded by three volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán, and Atitlán. Around these volcanoes are hundreds of indigenous Mayan villages, which you can stay at. You don’t need a lot of time here, the main sights can easily be done in a few days. However, if you have the time and budget, you can easily spend a week here relaxing by the lake and exploring the surrounding villages without rushing.

San Pedro La Laguna
🏨Mr Mullets (party) / Hotel Tepepul Kaan

There are so many cute villages to stay at in Lake Atitlán, with the main two being San Pedro and San Juan. We decided to stay four nights in San Pedro, getting the shuttle straight from Antigua, which took three to four hours. To get to other towns further away, you will need to get a small boat shuttle across the lake.

The main hostel to stay at in San Pedro is Mr Mullets, which is a big party hostel. As we had just finished the Volcano hike in Antigua, we opted to get a hotel room instead, which ended up being cheaper than two dorm beds. We stayed at Tepepul Kaan, which cost us £16 a night (£8 each), and included free breakfast of pancakes, fruit and scrambled eggs.

Indian Nose Sunrise Hike
To get beautiful, panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains and volcanoes, take a guided sunrise tour up Indian Nose, which cost us 110 Quetzels each. We got picked up from our hotel at 3:50am, took a short thirty minute drive to the base before starting the ascent. It’s a very easy hike, taking around thirty minutes to the top, where once you arrive you can find a spot to watch the sunrise. The price of the tour also included a small hot chocolate and bread roll at the top, which was a nice addition.

Explore San Pedro
Explore the streets of San Pedro, there are so many foodie spots, bars, cafes and local boutiques selling souvenirs, clothes and jewellery. It was very hard holding back and not buying something! We spent a day exploring the town going to the following:

• Parque La Puerta Hermosa (middle photo).
• Coastal walk to San Juan (first photo).
• Artisanal Markets.

Other things to do in San Pedro:

• Hike San Pedro Volcano - a three to six hour hike up to San Pedro Volcano to see incredible, panoramic views of the lake. A longer alternative to the sunrise hike.
• Do a cooking class - learning how to make local Guatemalan and Mayan foods on the water.
• There are so many incredible cafes, brunch spots, street food stalls, that you could stay a week here just trying every spot. Some favourites that we went to were El Barrio (for the football and great chicken wraps), Sublime (instagram worthy place, with lively atmosphere), Tornado’s Coffee (fab coffee) and Al Tempo (for delicious pizza).
• San Pedro Spanish School - there are loads of affordable schools, which offers one to one, day and week lessons, as well as home stays for a deeper cultural experience. We really wanted to do another Spanish School but we ended up not having enough time so sadly decided to cut this out. Would 100% recommend to do it if you have the time.
• Los Termales - spend the day relaxing in the natural thermal baths and cold plunges.
• Mirador Bella Vista - for panoramic views of San Pedro.
• Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard and paddle along the shoreline of the lake to different spots.

San Juan La Laguna
The town close by is San Juan La Laguna, which you can walk to or take a short tuk-tuk to. We walked twenty minutes, before my legs gave out so we got a quick, cheap tuk-tuk for the rest of it, then spent the day exploring the markets and town.

• Calle de las Sombrillas (first picture) - the street is lined with different food spots, local crafts and souvenirs where you can explore the authentic craft markets and vibrant street art (second and third pictures).
• Visit Casa Flor Ixcaco Weaving Cooperative or Lema Association to learn and see women weave.
• Coffee and Chocolate workshops.
• Local art galleries, paintings and crafts.
• Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard and paddle along the shoreline of the lake to different spots.

Mirador Kaqasiiwaan
Walk twenty minutes up around 300 steps to the viewpoint at top of the hill to see panoramic views of Lake Atitlán and the surrounding hills and mountains. You have to pay to go up, but it doesn’t cost a lot and the views are worth it. They also have food stalls, drink stands and souvenir shops all the way up.

San Marcos La Laguna
To get to San Marcos, you will need to take the Lancha, which is the public boat that ferries people across the Lake to different villages. It cost us 25 Quetzels each to get across. When you go, depending on the tide and weather, I would recommend sitting at the middle back of the boat, as the way across, the current was so choppy that everyone in the front of the boat got absolutely soaked. Also make sure to pay attention because we missed the San Marcos stop so had to get a tuk-tuk from the next town over because they didn’t make it clear enough that we had arrived.

Explore San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos is another popular town to visit and spend the day at. It is known for its bohemian vibe and holistic therapies, with popular activities including yoga and meditation sessions to relax and go off-grid.

• Visit Eagle’s Nest Atitlán or The Yoga Forest - for yoga and meditation classes, with panoramic views of the lake.
• Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard and paddle along the shoreline of the lake to different spots.
• Walk the scenic trail to the neighbouring indigenous village of Tzununa.
• Stop off at different local wellness cafes and restaurants for a delicious spot to eat, such as Circles Café, Shambala and the Hidden Garden Cafe.

Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve
Walk through San Marcos to this protected nature reserve to find different scenic walking trails, the famous trampolín, which is a jumping ledge where you can jump straight off the cliffs into the lake and other swimming spots. You can spend the whole day here relaxing in the sunshine and waters.

Other things to do in Lake Atitlán

• Another town which you can visit, is Panajachel, which is the gateway town where you get your shuttles to other parts of Guatemala. This town is known for its mixture of adventure, beauty and culture with lively markets and stalls.
• Calle Santander, Panajachel - bustling street with different stalls selling all kinds of crafts, textiles, jewellery and leather goods.
• Paraglide, Panajachel - A popular activity is to paraglide over the hills surrounding the lake, giving you an incredible birds-eye view of the lake and surrounding mountains and volcanoes.
• St Francis Church, Panajachel - 16th century church is an architectural and historical landmark in Lake Atitlán.
• Explore Atitlán Nature Reserve - a larger nature reserve, which offers jungle hiking trails, suspension bridges and zip lines.

Lanquin, Semuc Champey

🏨Zephyr Lodge Hostel

You don’t need a lot of time in Lanquin, with most people staying two nights, which is the required length of time to book rooms in Zephyr.

Zephyr Lodge is hands down the best hostel in Lanquin. It is a gorgeous place in the middle of the jungle, with a huge outdoor pool and bar. It has a nice lounge place inside with TVs, perfect for us to watch the World Cup. It is also very sociable with loads of backpackers staying here, with most days being completely fully booked. We booked the loft room, which was a double bed inside a dorm room and was cheaper than two separate dorm beds.

Semuc Champey
The main attraction is to go to Semuc Champey, which are beautiful, layered swimming pools in the heart of the jungle. Zephyr does tours everyday, which includes Semuc and other spots. It is a full day tour and costs 200 Quetzals each.

However, you can go completely on your own for a much cheaper price, which is what we did. The main reason was because we had to watch the England football match, which ended at 12pm, meaning we couldn’t go with the hostel, which left at 8am. However, it worked out cheaper going ourselves afterwards.

Semuc Champey includes getting a shared 4x4 to the National Park, hiking up for thirty minutes to the viewpoint (first & second photos), to see the beautiful pools from up high. The hike up is pretty steep, with a lot of steps, which can be very slippery if it has been raining in the previous days. However, once you are at the top, the way back down is a loop, that takes you straight to the pools. We chose to go to the viewpoint first and end at the pools as we got pretty sweaty from the hike. We then spent two hours relaxing in the different pools! The overall cost to get here and back to the hostel was 150 Quetzals for the both of us, whereas the tour with the hostel was 200 Quetzals each. The hostel also includes tubing and the caves experience, however it is not the main big caves with candle light, they take you to different caves.

If you want to do the caves and tubing, you can do both yourself as well. Sadly, we didn’t have time for it, but we know a group of girls who did all the spots themselves. They did Semuc and the hike first, then booked the candle light caves afterwards as the entrance is right next to the pools. This guided tour will take you through different caves, which includes small, tight spaces and jumping into the small pools. As much as I would have loved to do this, thinking back to it Ned might not have been able to do it with his height. After the caves they take you tubing down the lake, which ends at different rope swings and jumping ledges.

Depending on what time of day you arrive, I would recommend at least two full days in Lanquin, one day to relax and make use of the incredible hostel and its infinity pool and one day to explore Semuc and the other attractions!

Flores

🏨Los Amigos Hostel

Our last stop in Guatemala is Flores, which took another nine hour bus to get there from Semuc Champey. Most people stay here for a couple of nights, but if you want more time to explore off the beaten track, you can stay for at least four nights, however, the activities are pretty expensive!

The main hostel to stay at is Los Amigos, which is in the middle of Isla de Flores. It’s a party hostel, with a lot of backpackers staying there and is really sociable. It has a restaurant and bar on the lower levels, then a small bar at the top with screens to watch sports matches. They do activities every evening and host tours to different attractions. There are different room options, we opted for the air-con room, by the entrance, which some people recommended not to stay in. This is because there were loads of people coming in and out of the hostel, so it was pretty loud, however, the other dorms were right next to and on top of the bar, so those rooms would have been even louder than our room.

Tikal National Park
The main attraction is to visit Tikal National Park, which is an hour away from Flores. There are different tour options, with the sunrise time being the most popular. However, with the time of year that we went, most mornings start with a lot of clouds, meaning most times there is no sunrise. As it is an extra £20 pounds each for the sunrise tour, we decided not to do it and opted for the Early Bird 4:30am pick up instead.

This UNESCO World Heritage site features a variety of Mayan Ruins, which you can walk around. The tour as a whole is very long, we got back at 1pm and were knackered, but the day is worth it. It’s best to go in the morning as you will miss the midday humid heat and get the chance to see more wildlife. We saw all kinds of howler and spider monkeys, toucans and coatis!

Explore Flores
Spend a day exploring Flores and its beautiful cobbled streets and colourful houses. We spent a couple hours walking around the town, seeing all kinds of cafes, shops and street food! One spot to relax at is Petén, which has a pool and outdoor area to chill and sunbathe. We spent the day here watching the football and doing nothing, it was wonderful!

Sunset Boat Cruise
Another highlight is the sunset cruise with Los Amigos Hostel. It happens every Friday, is 200 Quetzals each and lasts five hours from 3-8pm. We were not expecting much from it but had planned to go with a few of our friends and it did not disappoint! It is a pretty big catamaran, has a bar in the middle, lounging nets at the end, with floaties, paddle boards and a banana boat! We spent the afternoon drinking, going on the banana boat and playing beer pong as the sun began to set. It was a lovely way to end the day!

Other things to do in Flores

• Crater Azul - a day trip to a series of crystal-clear, neon-blue freshwater springs that are perfect for swimming and snorkelling.
• Jorge's Rope Swing is across the lake & a popular chill spot featuring rope swings. It is accessible by water taxi (lancha) from Flores, however it does cost around £20 for a return trip, which is very expensive!
• Playa Chechenal - small, tranquil beach perfect for an afternoon swim in Lago Petén Itzá.
• Lake Tour - can hire a canoe or local boat to explore the lake's shores, or take a day trip to the vibrant, crystal-clear springs of Crater Azul.
• Explore Isla de Flores cobbled, brightly coloured streets, the main cathedral & local shops.
• Mirador del Rey Canek - hike up to this viewpoint for a panoramic look at the colourful island of Flores and the surrounding lake.
• Sunset at the Waterfront from the steps or rooftop spots like the SkyBar.

Overall, we loved Guatemala and could have easily stayed here for a month if we had the time! Our favourite places were Antigua and Semuc Champey so definitely make sure to spend a couple days at each place! One main highlight was the Volcano hike, which is a huge must, so make sure to book that in advance too!