Available in :
In this post I talk about my trip to Guatemala, which exceeded all my already high expectations!
This trip, after seven times in South America, was the first in Central America. It was a trip full of nature, history and the sea-a beautiful mix!
So here is my brief trip to Guatemala in detail.
Day 1-2 of the Guatemala trip: Antigua
From the Guatemala City airport I reached Antigua by shuttle. The colonial city is simply fantastic. I spent two nights in Antigua and enjoyed both the daytime and nightlife (Mezcal at Cafe no Sรจ is absolutely recommended!). Sights worth mentioning include the Convento la Recoleccion, the market, the Cerro de la Cruz and the Parque Central. The sunset at Cerro de la Cruz is unforgettable and allows you to see three volcanoes: Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. Antigua is truly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen! I would definitely recommend avoiding the chaotic Guatemala City and getting straight to Antigua!
I also absolutely recommend a free tour with Civitatis!
Day 3-4 of the Guatemala trip : Acatenango
After seeing so many volcanoes from afar, it is time to climb one of them, Acatenango! The climb is not difficult at all, but the temperature at 3600 meters is definitely cold. Tour operators arrange everything (i.e., food and tents) and the only thing to do is to watch the erupting Fuego volcano, a marvel!
After a difficult 4 a.m. wake-up call, we went to see the sunrise on the summit, at 3976 meters: the sky was really ‘despejado’ and so we could see the ocean, Lake Atitlan and Fuego Volcano, again erupting . I also had the chance to see Tajumulco Volcano, the highest in Central America.
Without a doubt, this turned out to be one of the best treks of my life, and I talk more about it in the trekking section. The tour ended in Antigua around noon. After a quick lunch at 2 p.m. I took a shuttle to the town of San Pedro, which is located on Lake Atitlan.
Day 5-6 of the Guatemala trip: Lake Atitlan
The trip to Guatemala continued on Lake Atitlan. The first thing I did on the lake was to bike to the mirador of San Pedro and then to San Marcos, a typical Guatemalan village. From San Marcos I returned to San Pedro by boat.
The next day I woke up again very early to watch the sunrise from Indian Nose: another spectacular sunrise, with wonderful views of the lake. The last night in Atitlan I spent in Santa Cruz: here I took a short swim in the cool waters of the lake.
Day 7-8 of the Guatemala trip : Semuc Champey
I took a boat from Santa Cruz to Panajachel at 6:30 a.m. and then a bus bound for Semuc Champey: I arrived at my destination at 9:30 p.m. This 15-hour journey was probably the longest move of my life. Was all this fluttering rewarded by anything? Absolutely! Semuc Champey with its natural pools is a truly amazing place! In fact, in the morning I visited the beautiful natural pools: first I took a walk of about 45 minutes leading to a wonderful viewpoint and then I jumped into the beautiful waters!
The afternoon was also definitely an adventure: with an organized tour, I first walked in dark caves, then jumped with a swing into the cold waters of a river and then tubed down the same river: truly an activity-packed day!
Small note. The Semuc Champey viewpoint is easily reached on foot from the Greengo hostel, one of the most popular in the area (recommended!). Tennis shoes are practically necessary: to reach the viewpoint you go through a small, very wet forest. Also, steep and sometimes slippery stairs are used to descend from the viewpoint to the puddles (where you can swim).
Day 9-10 of the Guatemala trip : Flores and Tikal
And now it is time for another long journey. To go from Semuc Champey to Flores I took a 9-hour bus ride: endless journey! Flores is an interesting city on the lake, but more importantly it is only an hour’s drive from Tikal, a Mayan site in the jungle. Tikal is one of the Guatemalan gems. In fact, the temples are outstanding, and climbing to the top of them gives you a view of the jungle and the top of the other temples.
Tikal’s origins date as far back as 300 A.D., although its heyday was reached in the 8th-9th centuries. In its heyday Tikal housed about 200 temples: the tallest being Temple Number 4, 64 meters high.
Day 11-12 of the Guatemala trip : Caye Caulker
From Flores you can reach Belize City in only 5 hours, and by adding another hour (this time by boat) you can reach Caye Caulker. Here I immediately had the perception of being in paradise. Caye Caulker is located near San Pedro Island, the island made famous by Madonna with the song ‘La isla bonita.’ On Caye Caulker you can snorkel at Hol Chan Marine Park, Shark Ray Alley and Coral Gardens. Turtles, sharks and rays are everywhere. Finally, I also found good food. Finally, to make sure I didn’t miss anything, I took an hour-long Cessna flight to see the Blue Hole: seeing this sea sinkhole about 100 meters deep from above is impressive!
Day 13-14 of Guatemala trip : flight over Guatemala City and Antigua
The flight to Guatemala City at sunset, with volcanoes everywhere, was a final icing on the cake. After one last night in Antigua, the Guatemala trip was over and it was time to go home.
What to add: The trip to Guatemala (and Belize) was truly amazing. It is hard to find landscapes, history, cities as beautiful as the ones I found there. Probably the most impressive thing was the Acatenango Volcano, but it is very difficult to choose the MVP of the trip.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN ….
Colombia, an earthly paradise!
Budget for a trip to Guatemala
This is a cheap trip, as the prices were quite low (dinner with a couple of beers: about $10; hostels about $8/10, public transportation not expensive). The only downside to the Guatemala trip is the food, which is nothing special. Definitely one of the best places on our planet, also for value for money.
PLACES NOT TO MISS IN GUATEMALA
Places not to be missed in Guatemala are the ‘Acatenango, Antigua, Semuc Champey, and Tikal.
Travel to Guatemala: When & how much
The winter period, that is, from December to May, is recommended. As for the duration, I must say that two weeks was enough for me: the only downside was not seeing the colorful village market ‘Chichi’
Tips and recommendations for a trip to Guatemala
- The area around Lake Atitlan could be dangerous, especially for muggings: in particular, San Pedro Volcano in January 2019 was not recommended (not even the organized tours scheduled it, as muggings were the order of the day: on the other hand, I met a few backpackers who climbed it anyway). It is always recommended to follow the advice of the locals, in addition, of course, to those of the Farnesina .
- Recommended the Porque No Cafe (for eating) and Cafe No Se (for drinking) in Antigua, while the Iguana Perdida in Santa Cruz won the ‘where to sleep in Guatemala’ award. I also had a good time at the Tropicana in Antigua, at the Mikado in San Pedro, at the Greengo in Semuc (also good restaurant), Los Amigos in Flores and Yuma’s House in Caye Caulker.
- The weather in January was really excellent: it was quite cool in the evenings, especially in Antigua (a sweatshirt and jacket are recommended), while during the day I always went in short sleeves.
- Some local beers to taste: Gallo, Cabro, Modelo, Belikin
- I leave a video with the natural beauty of Guatemala..
