Photo by: Andres Ch Mendez on Unsplash

Guatemala 🇬🇹

Hostel with rooftop bar with great views of the volcano, free popcorn, and $2 cocktails.

Antigua lodging

Craft beer, pizza, and cocktails in a beautiful garden.

Antigua food

Beautiful colonial city surrounded by volcanoes.

Antigua other

Coffee shop with nice freshly baked cookies and muffins. They also have a generator, which is perfect for when the rest of Xela loses power.

Xela food

Cute little asian cafe with boba tea, ramen, and sushi.

Xela food

National park beside lake Atitlan with decks for cliff diving.

Atitlan activity

Very good local coffee.

Xela food

Beautiful lake-front town.

other

Known as the Venice of Guatemala.

other

http://freecervezahostel.com/

Atitlan lodging

Nice thermal hot springs in the foggy mountains. The hottest pools are down a long set of steps, and require paying an additional 25 quetzales to access them.

Xela activity

Taproom for Ceveceria Catorce with great food and draft beer.

https://www.tiktok.com/@guatewhere/video/7312241926894390533

Antigua food

Down-to-earth ecolodge offering quirky cabins with valley views, plus 2 restaurants.

Antigua food

The best restaurant I found in San Pedro. Delicious flavors, large portions, great prices.

Atitlan food

Beautiful street with floating umbrellas.

Atitlan other

Scenic crater lake featuring lodging & eco-tours, plus hiking to the top of Atitlán volcano.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM6V1xV6e/

Transportation

Boats connect the various towns, leaving every thirty minutes or so (whenever they’re full.) In the afternoon the water can be extremely choppy, with waves entering the boats. It’s best to avoid the afternoon or put things inside waterproof bags.

The boats are run by a number of different companies, and they offer discounts for buying round trip tickets. I’d recommend opting for one-way, otherwise you could be waiting a long time for that single company’s boat rather than the next available.

Atitlan other

https://maps.google.com/?cid=12483505394415592892

other

Quiet coffeeshop with a terrace, bagels, and smoothies.

Xela food

Popular viewpoint looking out over the lake. It costs 30 quetzales and takes around 10 minutes to hike to the top.

Atitlan other

Protected rainforest shielding the remains of scores of ancient Mayan cities, temples & pyramids.

There are several multi-day treks here, including the popular 5-day trek from Carmelitas.

activity

Huge ancient archeological site.

other

Many Spanish schools and hikes to active volcanoes. Much quieter (with less to do) than Lake Atitlan.

Xela other

Hike with great views of the lake. It’s most popular for sunrises, but there are tours for sunsets as well. On a clear day you can see Volcano Acatenango erupting in the distance.

Atitlan activity

Colorful pueblo on the coast of Lake Atitlan.

Atitlan other

Lush, tropical park known for its sweeping jungle views, numerous caves & swimming holes.

activity

Mexican restaurant with delicious birria tacos.

Xela food

Expansive jungle setting featuring Mayan temples & ceremonial ruins dating to 900 BCE.

activity

This active volcano spews gas & ash throughout the day & has erupted multiple times since 2000.

There are two-day trips to camp on the sister volcan Acatenango, with great views of the volcano and its eruptions. It’s a difficult and very crowded hike, but worth it for the views.

Antigua other

http://parquenacional-yaxha-nakum-naranjo.com/

activity