CITIES VISITED:

• Flores (4 nights) – Tiny, beautiful island in the middle of Lake Petén Itzá. People visit Tikal (large Mayan ruins) from here or you could choose to stay closer to Tikal itself.
• Semuc Champey (4 nights) – Hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle you’ll find turquoise, natural pools, caves, and waterfalls.
• Antigua (4 nights) – The gorgeous colorful, colonial city surrounded by volcanos.
• Acatenango Volcano (2 days/ 1 night adventure) – hike up the 1 or 2 volcanos (one of which is actively erupting!)
• Lake Atitlan – a backpacker’s paradise. Take water taxis beautiful to 5+ towns surrounding the lake. Also a mecca for taking Spanish classes + staying with a local Mayan family.

TRANSPORTATION:

• San Ignacio –> Flores: I took a shuttle that I booked through my hostel in San Ignacio. Very easy & no need to book ahead. Crossed into Guatemala via the land border, which was efficient & quick ($20 for the shuttle + $20 for the exit fee from Belize).
• Flores –> Semuc Champey: I walked around Flores and asked a few agencies for their price to Semuc Champey as there are basically 4 shuttles that go and all the agencies just sell seats on those 4 shuttles. The agencies were much cheaper than the price offered at my hostel. I just chose the cheapest one 🙂 This journey is long & windy (~8hrs) so be prepared with snacks and medicine if needed. There were two bathroom breaks, including one at a McDonald’s so you could grab a bite to eat ($23 for the shuttle).
• Semuc Champey –> Antigua: I just booked through my hostel since you aren’t really in a town with lots of options lol. It definitely would be cheaper if you booked elsewhere (perhaps online?). This was another long 8hr+ journey with some bathroom breaks ($30 for the shuttle).
• Antigua –> Lake Atitlan: About a 2.5 hr journey that I arranged through my Spanish school at the Lake. It dropped me door to door. ($13 for the shuttle)
• Lake Atitlan –> Guatemala City: Easy to find options via the many agencies in town (in San Pedro at least!). You can either take a car all the way from San Pedro or take a boat taxi to Panajachel and then get a shuttle from there. I find that the less connection points I have in a travel day the better so I opted for the former. ($25 for the shuttle)

PRO TIPS:

• Don’t cut your time here short. There is SO MUCH to do here: climb active volcanos, swim in lakes, hike to turquoise spring-fed pools, explore caves by candlelight, learn Spanish, live with a local Mayan family, and marvel at incredible Mayan ruins. I stayed 24 nights but this included 10 days at a language school. I’d recommend a minimum of 2 weeks if you aren’t going to include a language class, but you could easily spend 3-4 weeks here and not run out of things to do!
• I found booking on Booking.com to get the cheapest prices for hostels (even over booking direct, which was strange).
• Bring a warm jacket! Antigua and Lake Atitlan are higher up in elevation & it can get chilly at night. It was basically the only place in Central America where I used my Patagonia puffer jacket (which I always travel with in case of cold airplanes or AC filled shuttles.
• Be flexible if you plan to hike Acatenango as it can often get cancelled for a few days due to the fact that Fuego is an actively erupting volcano (and as such is unpredictable). If it’s super important to you, make sure to add a few buffer days in Antigua or the Lake so you can adjust timing if needed.
• Spend a few days in Antigua before Acatenango to help you acclimatize to the elevation (it’s not that high up compared to the volcano hike, but it helps some).
• Pack altitude sickness pills if you are prone to feeling bad at high elevation. You can also pick some up at a pharmacy in Antigua.
• There is a rainy season and dry season here. Be sure to be aware which season you want to visit in. Additionally, be aware of where your backpack/luggage is placed on shuttles during rainy season to ensure they aren’t put up top without a rain cover!

CITY: FLORES

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at Los Amigos Hostel. Flores is tiny so there’s not a ton of hostels, but there are a few to choose from. Los Amigos is the most popular, but also one of the more expensive ones. The rooms are nice and spacious with curtains & personal plugs. Definitely get a room with AC! It was social with lots of scheduled activities, including a day on their private boat on the lake. Location doesn’t really matter on the island because it’s so small, but it’s in the center of things. You can easily book activities & transport through the hostel (but it’s likely cheaper from an agency in town) 9/10 would stay here again.

WHERE TO EAT:

• El Takaso – A great, local, cheap spot on an expensive, touristy island. I tried a “gringo” and it was delicious.
• Maracuya – I went here multiple times for the smoothie bowls & the vibes. It’s beautifully decorated and has plenty of spots to chill & read with a smoothie in hand, especially in the afternoon once the sun isn’t directly hitting the chairs on the dock. Highly recommend!
• Maple & Tocino – Wow – my dream restaurant. Huge all-day breakfast menu so you know I visited multiplied times. I loved the egg, bacon, waffles!

WHAT TO DO:

The main thing to do here is a (very long) day trip to Tikal! It’s one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. There are multiple start time options for this long adventure. You can leave at ~2:30am for the sunrise tour (which costs a little extra since you enter before the park is officially open), 4:30am for the early bid (no extra cost), and then roughly every two hours after that. You can also opt for the sunset tour which leaves around 2:30pm if I remember correctly. Considerations: how much sleep you want to get, whether the sunrise/sunset will even be visible since it can often be cloudy/rainy, and how well do you handle the heat). The earlier you go, then less you die from the intense heat. I booked through my hostel so I could meet new backpacker friends, but it’s likely cheaper through an agency on the street.

I opted for the 4:30am start as I wanted to beat the heat, but also knew I’d be very sad to get up even earlier if the sunrise wasn’t guaranteed. It’s roughly a 12 hour day so be prepared to take a rest day the next day (or at least that’s my recommendation!). I slept in and booked myself a massage the next day as per usual. It was absolutely worth the long day though; I absolutely loved learning about the history of the ruins.

I also enjoyed taking a 30 min slow walk around the entire island! I didn’t go, but you can take a boat taxi to a rope swing and swimming spot.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Flores was darling! So charming and cute. I loved how small it was but that it still had so many adorable cafes – my dream! It’s the perfect combo of learning about the beautiful Mayan history & just chilling in a little town.

CITY: SEMUC CHAMPEY

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

One of my favorite hostels!!! Zephyr Lodge is a backpackers dream. Between the infinity pool, built in bunkbeds (book the 11 person dorm I promise it’s amazing & quiet), views of the valley in every direction (including the room), activities every night, you’ll never want to leave. I ended up extending twice for a total of 4 nights, & I happily could’ve stayed longer. I loved reading in the hammocks in the shade overlooking the pool. Because everyone is “stuck” at the hostel outside of the two main activities, it’s very easy to make a little community at the hostel.

WHERE TO EAT:

You are very isolated at the hostel (but thank god it’s exactly where I wanted to be!) so you eat every meal at the restaurant on site. Luckily the food is delicious & the portions were generous. They provide packed lunches for the day trips.

WHAT TO DO:

The highlight aka why people take two 8 hr shuttles to get here (8 hrs to Antigua and 8 hrs to Flores) is to see Semuc Champey, which is actually the name of the river (not the town; the town is Lanquin). The day trip includes exploring a cave by candlelight, swimming in some waterfalls, hiking up to the viewpoint to see the famous natural spring-fed pools.

The other thing to do is Tipsy Tubing, where you drink & float down the river. I opted out, but others said they had fun!

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

It’s obviously out of the way for most travelers, but I am really grateful I got to spend 4 days here. It was such nice relaxing stop in an incredibly beautiful place. If you are short on time, it makes sense to skip, but if you can pull it off, I think it’s worth the effort.

CITY: ANTIGUA

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

I stayed at two different hostels (3 nights before the volcano hike, 1 night after)

• Maya Papaya – I really liked the location of this hotel and overall the facilities were really nice. Free breakfast was delicious! The two main cons (and why I booked elsewhere after the hike) was someone said there were bed bugs in a different room & the room only had one room fan rather than fans for each bed (this makes a huge difference). While Antigua is general cooler than other parts of Guatemala, a room with 8 people and one fan was still pretty warm. After the hike I knew I wanted to get a good night sleep so I switched hostels. They still let me keep my bigger backpack here when I went on the overnight volcano hike which was kind of them.
• Barbara’s Boutique Hostel – A little further from the central downtown area but still very much walking distance. A very cute, cozy, slightly more upscale hostel. It was quieter, and seemed to attract a slightly older crowd. I slept well here! Also had a great free breakfast.

WHERE TO EAT:

• Boheme Cafe – a great smoothie bowl in a plant filled rooftop.
• El Bowl – I ate here a few times because I loved their build your own bowl options. They had smoothie bowl options as well as a more asian style bowl. It was great and very reasonably priced.

WHAT TO DO:

• Do a walking tour!
• Meander the beautiful colonial streets. This city is a photographers dream
• Take a photo under the Arco de Santa Catarina.
• Walk up to Cerro De La Cruz for great views of the volcanos & Antigua.
• After the hike you will surely need a massage. My massage at Volcano Spa was excellent! It was easy to arrange via whatsapp.
• Visit the McDonald’s & Starbucks that don’t look like a typical McDonald’s & Starbucks

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I loved Antigua – it was so colorful & gorgeous. I enjoyed just walking around the city with my camera. It felt so incredibly safe. The weather was a welcome reprieve to the sweltering heat of the rest of Guatemala. It was refreshing to need my jacket at night! I would love to come back & take some Spanish classes here.

CITY: ACATENANGO HIKE (w/ Lava Trails)

HOW LONG: 2 DAYS/ 1 NIGHT

ACCOMMODATION:

Base camp will vary by tour operator, but Lava Trails offers a great (but obviously basic) structure. It had huge windows with views of Fuego & the windows were double paned so it was quite warm inside the structure (one of my main concerns). There was an outhouse (although it wasn’t overly pleasant using it). In general, don’t expect much as these basecamps are constructed almost at the top of a volcano at high elevation so it’s hard to even get materials to the top. Pro Tip: definitely do your research on what the base camp looks like for the operator you choose to book through as some don’t offer views of Fuego from bed, like ours had.

WHERE TO EAT:

The tour operator will provide the basics for the meals while on the trip, but I would highly recommend bringing snacks (chips, trail mix, chocolate, etc) as you will likely want some extra fuel as you go. There are a few vendors selling drinks and snacks along the way but about half way up, there won’t be any more opportunities to buy anything.

The food wasn’t anything to rave about it, but it did its job. Chicken and rice for lunch, pasta for dinner, and oatmeal for breakfast. There were vegetarian options available.

WHAT TO DO:

HIKE HIKE HIKE. This was not an easy hike. You are walking for 5 hours straight up on Day 1. Day 2 was 90 min straight up to the summit for sunrise (we woke up at 3:30am). It’s an out & back hike (17km // 10 miles total) with 1,600m (5,250ft) of elevation gain. You can also add the option hike to the actively eruption Fuego. I heard mixed reviews on whether this was worth the energy & money so I decided to skip it (and have no regrets myself). If you struggle with altitude sickness, proceed with caution.

Here’s a comprehensive write up on what to expect 🙂

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This hike was hard (especially since I am out of shape from backpacking & eating out for the past 2 years haha). I also didn’t really have the right gear with me. The outfitters tend to offer plenty of gear that’s included or for rent but doing it in my running shoes was brutal. I would highly recommend having your hiking boots for this hike. I had two toes completely bruised and lost a toenail because my toes rammed over and over again to the top of my shoe going downhill for 3 hours. Don’t forgot how cold it will be at night and in the morning, so take layers (I borrowed a ton from the tour company).

All that being said, the experience was fabulous! The views were insane and it was so special getting to witness the constant eruptions! A real highlight of my time in Central America!

CITY: LAKE ATITLAN (SAN PEDRO)

HOW LONG: 10 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Through the Spanish school I attended, I stayed at a homestay with a local Mayan family. It was magical – the family was so, so wonderful! I had my own room with a private bathroom – such a treat! The house was large and about 8 family member lived there as well as 2 other students from my school. Meals were fun and lively as we would all eat together.

WHERE TO EAT:

3 meals per day were provided by the family during the week and then we were on our own on the weekend. This meant I didn’t eat out all that often but here were my favorites:

• No Hay Deer – a very simple menu with a dang good burger.
• Sababa Restaurant – Cute cafe to play cards or read your book. Good pastry selection!
• Forbidden Fruit – Obviously I found the best spot for smoothie bowl in town 🙂
• Pizzeria El Callejon – Delicious pizza in a cozy patio setting.

WHAT TO DO:

There is tons to do around the lake!

• Visit the many other towns via water taxi
• Go swimming
• Go paddle boarding or kayaking
• Learn spanish from one of the many language schools in San Pedro (very common amongst backpackers)
• Visit Casa del Mundo (or stay there) with a day pass and enjoy the wonderful grounds

I attended Guatemaya Spanish Academy & would highly recommend them. Prices were very reasonable & the classrooms had beautiful views of the lake. The classes are 1:1 and the school also offers plenty of fun afternoon activities for the students like salsa dancing classes, visiting a group of women who still practice traditional fabric making, and hikes through farms. They also take care in selecting the host families that they place students in.

I also did a day trip to Chichicastenago Market which is said to be the most colorful market in Central America and it lived up to the hype. I took a tour (really it was just transportation) as it’s not super close, but I felt like I had plenty of time at the market.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Lake Atitlan is stunning and I loved spending 10 days here. I already look forward to returning here, maybe for more Spanish classes!

BUDGET FOR 24 DAYS IN GUATEMALA:

I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable Guatemala felt given I had heard prices had climbed with tourism.

• Accommodation: $490 (20$ per night) – this included 10 nights in a private room at a homestay
• Food: $360
• Activities: $622
• Local Transportation: $107
• Miscellaneous: $105

Total: $1,684 (Daily average: $70) 

Transportation to next destination: $400 (Flight back to California)