I flew into Guatemala City and as I waited for my Uber moto I saw many tour groups at the airport from missionaries to student groups and hikers- a popular destination for all types of travelers. Guatemala holds beautiful landscapes, preserved Mayan ruins, and welcoming people who’s Spanish accent is quite easy to understand. I stayed in the city for one night and met some Guatemaltecos at a bar where I practiced some Spanish and they gave me insight to the country. The next morning after some lovely travel talk over breakfast at the hostel, I started to head towards Lago Atitlan. Funny enough I lost my key for the lock and the staff had to break it open off the locker. First time it’s happened to me. I’ve used that lock for years of travel. Anyways, I asked around how to get to Lago Atitlan and decided to take the buses rather than getting a shuttle.
Transportation:
Throughout the country these are your two main options for transportation. You can navigate through the local buses which are cheap but can take much longer or book a shuttle which picks you up along with others and takes you directly to your destination. It’s much more efficient but a little boring if you ask me. I used both and the shuttle definitely saved some time. The local buses and chicken buses leave whenever they fill up so you must wait. On my first bus from Guatemala to Panajachel I got on and waited over an hour for it to depart then we directly stopped for gas which took another half hour. However, it is the local way to get around and forces you to talk to people in Spanish to make sure you’re going the right way. I wasn’t positive it was the correct bus until after I saw the direction we were going since it was going to a different city but I had to get off en route. I took this main bus for most of the way, then got off and took two chicken buses into Panajachel then a boat to San Pedro de Laguna. The boats run frequently all around the lake.
Destinations:
In my week long trip I spent time around Lake Atitlan, Antigua, and the Acatenango hike. This turned out to be a great route and these places are a must in Guatemala. Other locations I would go to are to the southern coast, Semuc Champey, and work my way up to Flores.
Atitlan is a large lake surrounded by mountainous terrain and volcanos. There are many towns around the lake where you can hop around by boat. San Marcos has a spiritual psychedelic vibe with a cliff jumping spot. San Pedro is the backpackers hub. Panajachel is more built up and a larger town. I’ve heard many great things about Santa Cruz, so go to the lake and explore around!
Antigua is simply amazing and the absolute must. It is more touristic but for a good reason. Just by wandering the streets you can see the beauty and the city has a great mix of high end and cheaper places to eat and stay. From Antigua you must do the Acatenango hike. As long as you’re not completely out of shape you can do it. At least the main part of the hike, however I recommend the additional Fuego hike at night where you go up to the active volcano for a God’s view at sunset. You could go and do it on your own if you have the gear, otherwise I recommend going with the Pachamama group for the best price. It was around 40 USD for the basic package. It is an overnight hike and they provide sleeping accommodation and food. It is a very popular hike and the trail is filled with many groups. To my surprise the first half of the trail has shops where you can buy drinks and snacks so don’t worry too much about packing enough snacks.
Hostels:
Guatemala City- Tequila Sunrise
San Pedro- Mr. Mullets
Antigua- Many great ones