Guatemala
ANTIGUA
THINGS TO DO
Stroll the Town: Antigua is a perfectly planned Spanish Colonial City with bright colored houses, cafes and churches on every street. You can’t help but want to get lost in all the streets. The city is relatively small so you can walk every street in a day easily. BEWARE: Cars have the right of way in the Old Town.
Palacio del Ayuntamiento: Climb the stairs to the second level for a free view of the main square, cathedral and Aqua Volcano overlooking the city.
Cerro de la Cruz: Hike the uphill stairs to the overlook of the city. Aqua Volcano dominates the view behind the picturesque cross. Save this one for a clear day! Locals say never hike here after dark and the hike was very easy.
Arco de Santa Catalina: The symbol of the city is a spot you cannot and won’t want to miss. The Arch is on 5a Norte and the beautiful Iglesia de la Merced dominates one sides background while Aqua Volcano can be seen under the arch.
Churches: Antigua is well known for its famed Baroque churches. Some perfectly restored and some left in ruins after earthquakes. La Recoleccion, La Ermita, Santa Clara, Capuchinas, It’s not wonder Antigua is a top-10 wedding destination!
Aqua Antigua: A great spot for a bougie pool day and bites to eat. Head to their rooftop for awesome views.
ATV tours will take you on the outside of town and often to Hobbitanango.
Visit a finca to see how coffee is made! Enjoy a drink and a snack. Bella Vista is our favorite.
Hiking
There are two main hikes to do from Antigua:
Acatenango: This is almost always offered as a 1 ½ day hike – so make sure you have at least 3 days in Antigua if you’d like to do this.. The hike is strenuous and high. The hike also overlooks the incredibly active Fuego Volcano and you camp and watch the volcano erupt all night! The best tour company is Wicho and Charlies, as they have actual structures on the mountain instead of tents – which are much more comfortable. Also, don’t be afraid to hire a porter for your bags – it’s helping the locals and will make your trek more enjoyable!
Pacaya: This is an easy day trip which gets you back around 2/3 pm. The hike is relatively easy and you can even pay to ride a horse to the top. The area is absolutely beautiful and ends on the fields of old volcanic lava. The hike also has beautiful views of Fuego. The bonus of this trek is that you can roast marshmallows over the still hot lava!
PLACES TO EAT
Antigua isn’t going to win any Michelin stars anytime soon, but the food is delicious, authentic and cheap! Splurging on a meal cost no more than 20-30$.
Antigua Brewing Company: Great spot for live music, beer, and cocktails on a rooftop.
Café Sky: With the tallest building in Antigua Café Sky offers a third story balcony with actually really good authentic food for a good price. Even if the food wasn’t the most amazing, we would recommend it just for the view.
Casa Troccoli: In case you want a break from Latin food, this Italian place is A+.
Caoba Farms: Just outside of town (but walkable) this farm to table spot is beautiful and delicious. They often have yoga classes or markets for trinkets for sale.
Fernando’s: Breakfast and coffee spot with lots of gluten free options!
Formenta: Awesome courtyard with lots of art – we enjoyed getting the dipping sampler, tortellini and sangria!
Las Antorchas: Best atmosphere, this steakhouse is set in the courtyard of an old mansion in the heart of town. The food is great and for the price you can eat like a king. This is the place to treat yourself to an authentic Guatemalan steak or local dish.
La Fonda Calle Real: Spot for authentic Guatemalan food in a courtyard. They make their tortillas fresh!
Por Que No: Seats less than 20, so WhatsApp them for a reservation. Awesome environment with yummy bites.
Rincon Tipico: This place was delicious. For around $4-$5 you get a whole chicken and two sides at this Guatemala’s BBQ restaurant. Food is smoking in the courtyard while you eat, and the atmosphere is casual.
Sabercio: Absolutely grab breakfast here. It’s an adorable garden with typical breakfast items and fresh juices.
Santo Domingo: This is a hotel restaurant and will be the priciest meal, but it’s in an old ruin an absolutely delicious!
Villa Bokeh: You’ll need a ride here, but grabbing lunch on their patio overlooking the pond is stunning.
PLACES TO DRINK
Make no mistake, Antigua is a party town! You will have no issues finding places to drink. Worth noting: Most places close at 12 or 1, sometimes even earlier.
Also, every other Saturday outside of Antigua there is a rave in pool about 20 minutes outside of town. It felt very safe but getting rides back is a bit difficult unless you go on the timed bus. Go to El Barrio and ask for the After Party or La Piscina. There are beer trucks and food trucks and is relatively well known. It will also go all night.
Antigua Cerveza y Bosque: El bosque translates to “the forest”, and this awesome venue outside of town is just that. Grab beers, play games, and hang out.
Arista Cafe: a super “LA” bright and white type of shop, but one of the few places with coffee to go!
Café Estudio: While good coffee isn’t hard to find, this could have easily been the best coffee we’ve ever tasted. The place is so cool and authentic and is great for taking time off from walking the city’s cobblestone streets.
El Barrio: a collection of bars and different themes. Awesome place to start, but sometimes on weekends they charge a cover. Lava was our favorite.
Las Vibras de la Casbah: This nightclub/bar is right under the famous arch. The bar gets hot but there is a nice patio and courtyard to cool off at. Get there early! Vice is their outdoor area and you can grab a pizza.
Ulew: hidden inside Antigua Brewing Company, go through a phone booth to this speakeasy where there’s no menu!
There are tons of casual bars, clubs and cafes on every corner. The list is only a very rough start.
PLACES TO STAY
Hostel Tropicana: This hostel complete with a pool, rooftop bar, inside bar and daily hikes is the place to go. Its very much a party hostel so if that’s not your vibe you can still visit for a drink or the hike.
Hotel Santo Domingo: This is the fancy hotel. The grounds are complete with a ruined church, old foundations, and underground museums. Even if you don’t stay here consider going in.
Pensativo House: the old home of one of Guatemala’s presidents. Only 27 rooms and stunning. It’s Porta’s sister hotel so you can use their pool.
Porta Hotel: gorgeous hotel with a pool and restaurant.
There are tons of hostels, hotels and boutique apartments for every travelers needs!
TRANSPORTATION
Antigua is about an hour (sometimes more) away from Guatemala City airport. While fetching a cab from the airport is not hard I suggest using the service GuateGo or Antigua Tours. This service provides rides throughout the country in comfortable vans. Bonus, the staff texts you on what’s app when the driver is there and when you land so you are in constant communication. Extra Bonus, it’s around $30, so its worth it for the comfort and safety.
Chicken Buses: Some Americans want to ride these packed, colorful and fast buses from town to town. It’s an experience. You should be confident with your Spanish and comfortable with your possessions being strapped (loosely) to the top of a crowded school bus.
Cabs and Ubers: We recommend uber over cabs. It’s safer.
LAKE ATITLAN
THINGS TO DO
The following cities are all around Lake Atitlan. This lake is easily one of the most beautiful places in the world. The north shore of the lake is defined by high cliffs with villages connected by a high hiking trail. The south end has two volcanoes that define the scenery of the lake. The west end is home to the famous Indian nose hike. Located around 2 and a half hours from Antigua the lake is truly the highlight of any trip to Guatemala.
PANAJECHEL
This is where most travelers will be dropped off from buses entering the lake area. The city is one of the largest on the lake and the commerce hub. You can get a boat shuttle anywhere else around the lake from here so it’s a great place to begin your trip.
Walk around/Craft Shops: Pana is home to lots of local crafts and vendors. This is an excellent place for souvenirs.
There are guided tours of villages by buses, boats and kayaks offered here. Shop around and make sure you are getting a good deal.
Pana is not the most beautiful view of the lake but an excellent place to start or find a tour.
SANTA CRUZ LA LAGUNA
THINGS TO DO
Santa Cruz is on of our favorite cities ty in Atitlan. The lake front city is full of hotels and some restaurants while the upper town (20-minute hike) is home to the locals.
Hike the lakeside trail: From Santa Cruz you can hike around 20 minutes to the east and to the west there is a hiking trail that takes you all the way to the Western end of the lake at San Juan. The trail is very well maintained and felt safe. Once you go past the hotels and houses it is recommended to hike at least with one more person. The hike from Santa Cruz to San Marcos takes between 2 and 3 hours and offers beautiful views of the lake throughout. The hike crosses between local towns where you can get a glimpse of local life at the lake. Added bonus, kayak or take a boat ferry back!
Scuba Dive: La Iguana offers daily scuba trips to underwater hotels and the beautiful lake scenery underwater. Bring your PADI certification and explore.
Hike to the Upper city of Santa Cruz: The upper town or local area is a steep 20 minute walk uphill. The town has a great restaurant and great views of the lake.
Kayak: Kayak Guatemala Los Elementos Adventure Center offers great guided tours, hiking tours, kayak tours and hourly/daily kayak rentals. They made my trip SO EASY. I would highly suggest taking kayaks to San Marcos, stopping for cliff jumping on the lake and then the company will pick the kayaks up while you hike back to Santa Cruz. They make it so easy to enjoy your day.
PLACES TO EAT
Café Sabor Cruceno: Don’t miss this place. Located in the upper town of Santa Cruz the restaurant employees locals and teaches younger kids how to cook in a Guatemalan style. The food is delicious but the balcony views make you never want to leave. Try a scenic lemonade.
If you’re staying at La Iguana, make sure you eat a dinner here!
PLACES TO STAY
La Iguana Perdida: This hotel/hostel offers beautiful sunset views, hammocks and a homey environment. They have a set dinner every night in a family style setting. Just sign up before lunch and you’ll be treated to a local dinner. The rooms are comfortable and you have all options from private rooms to large cabins.
Free Cerveza: This hotel with camping tents is the party location on the lake. The hostel has nightly drinking events and offers water activities.
SAN MARCOS
This is the other city worth staying at. This city is known as the hippie and artsy center. You’ll find colorful graffiti, delicious restaurants and more places to stay. There are hostels and restaurants throughout the city.
The main attraction of San Marcos is the early morning sunrise hike to the Indian Nose view point.
Hike San Pedro Volcano or Atitlan Volcano: Of the two the San Pedro volcano is the better hike. The hike is high and steep. It is HIGHLY recommended to get a guide to hike either volcano as there are some reports of petty crime. If not make sure you get a group to hike together. The views from the Volcanoes are amazing so its definitely worth considering. The best places to get a guide are Pana, San Marcos and San Pedro La Laguna.
Itinerary
4-6 days
You’ll fly into Guatemala City, but it’s not recommended to spend any time here. Even if it’s late at night the traffic will be minimal and it’s better to drive to Antigua! You’ll want at least 3 days in Antigua, but with another 2 full days if you’d like to do the overnight volcano hike.
4-6 days
The drive from Antigua to Lake Atitlan is 3-4 hours, so you’ll want to spend minimum 4 days there. This would allow you to have a home base and spend other days exploring smaller towns.