Guatemala Route and Recommendations
Guatemala is home to volcanoes, Mayan villages, rainforests, and coffee fields. Although it can be hectic, very dirty, and unsafe at times, it’s also full of culture and beauty.
But I need to be honest up front - looking back, I wish I had known more of what to expect. As someone who had only been on vacation style trips to places like Bahamas, Italy, and New York, this was the first stop of our backpacking trip and it was a SHOCK to me. Unfortunately, it affected how much I was able to enjoy it.
The crime, uncertainty, food poisoning, getting ripped off and difficulty with transportation are some of the things to be aware of. That being said, Guatemala is a place with endless adventures, incredible fresh fruit, history and beautiful scenery. If you’re willing to face the challenges and be kept on your toes, there are lots of incredible things to experience.
We only visited Antigua and Lake Atitlan, but the hike to Volcan Acatenango was worth the trip alone.
2 Weeks in Guatemala: Our Route
Antigua: 5 Days
Includes overnight trek to Volcan de Acatenango
Flew from Canada to Guatemala City, took bus to Antigua
Lake Atitlan: 6 Days
Recommend moving around to different towns on the lake, as each is different
Took bus from Antigua to Lake Atitlan
Antigua + Volcan Acatenango
We flew into Guatemala City on August 2 but went straight to Antigua from the airport, because of the city's reputation for being too dangerous for tourists. Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala, is a small city surrounded by volcanoes and full of colonial buildings and old colourful walls. There’s a huge street market every day in which you can walk around to see hundreds of locals selling fruits, vegetables, textiles, clothing, and even washing machines.
We stayed here for 5 days total, walking around the streets and (Erik) eating pretty much any cheap street food he could find. The best part was the hike on Acatenango Volcano. I’m tempted to say this is an absolute must if you’re going to Guatemala, but my opinion has changed since. This volcano sits beside Fuego, an active volcano that hadn’t erupted since the 80’s or something. But then in 2018, there was a huge explosion that killed many locals and tourists. While climbing a volcano is always a risk, I don’t know if I would go back and do it if I knew what I knew now.
In case you’re reading this and decided to risk it, I’ll include the details.
Hiking Volcan de Acatenango
How To Get There: Did the hike with Ox Adventures, staying at their hostel the night before. We booked the trip online a few months before. There was an information session the day before where the guides walked us through what to expect and bring. Send me an email if you want details on what gear we brought hiking. Tip: bring a WARM jacket. I thought my thin Patagonia puffer would do the trick but I still reference this hike as the coldest I’ve ever been in my life despite being in a hot country.
Other Things to Do in Antigua
Walk up Cerro de La Cruz for a view of the city
Take a photo of the yellow arch church of Santa Catalina
Visit the many little parks that sit between the cobblestone streets
Buy fresh fruit at the local market (this was my first time visiting a Central American market and nothing could have prepared me for the shock.)
Where We Stayed
Capitan Tom’s Hostel - would NOT recommend.
When we saw the $7-for-two-nights deal online, it seemed like a no-brainer. But as we stood on the dark street beside a stray dog, we couldn’t find the hostel. Eventually some guy with dreadlocks and ripped hippie pants walked out and we followed him into what ended up being our home for the next two nights.
This place was disgusting. At first I thought, oh my god, all hostels are going to be like this. But no. This one takes the cake. The bunk beds were made with old, faded cartoon sheets that also looked like they hadn’t been washed in months. There were bed bugs literally crawling on my pillow. A girl in the room was complaining about bites all over her face. The bathroom was moldy, the kitchen was full of dog hair and dirty dishes. You get the point - find somewhere else to stay!
Lake Atitlan
The 2-3 bus ride from Antigua to Lake Atitlan is an experience within itself. “Chicken buses” are old school buses turned into local transportation, stuffed with sweaty people and loud Spanish music.
Tip: Make sure you have enough cash to cover expenses in Lake Atitlan, as most places don’t accept credit card and the ATMs in the towns are sketchy (except in Panajachel).
There are a ton of towns on the lake to visit and/or stay. We stayed in Santa Cruz and San Marcos, but did day trips to San Pedro and San Juan. You get around to each town by taxi boat. The bus dropped us off at Pana, where we took a wet and windy boat ride to our first stop on the lake, Santa Cruz.
Tip: Tourists pay more than locals for the water taxis, which is something we just have to accept since we’re just visiting for a short time. However, the drivers will often try to rip you off, so try to get an idea of prices from them before you get on the boat. Pay the amount at the end, and if they ask for more tell them you know the price and they likely won’t argue. Rule of thumb is that every stop from Pana is another 5Q. So from Pana to Santa Cruz, it should be 10Q, and from Santa Cruz to San Marcos it would be 20Q, and so on.
Santa Cruz:
La Iguana Perdid Hostel: I chose this to base our stay out of because of what I had heard about La Iguana Perdida hostel. It was one of the best hostels we’ve stayed in to date. No wifi, relaxing atmosphere, fun communal dinners. There’s a hostel called Free Cerveza (“free beer”) down the shore that would be good for those looking to party, but we preferred the chill vibes at La Iguana Perdida.
The village: There isn’t much near the lake aside from the two hostels and some AirBnBs, so you’re fairly separated from the locals at the hostel. Take time to visit the village above, a ten minute walk from the hostel. Keep in mind that it’s not necessarily a good idea to have valuables in sight.
Paddle boarding: Borrow a paddle board or rent a kayak and take it for a trip around the shore, then find some good spots to cliff jump!
San Marcos:
Yoga, Swimming & Cooking:This town has a more hippie-dippie feel, so we embraced it full on and spent the days doing yoga, cooking local street produce, and swimming off the dock at our hostel, Hostel de Lago.
Cliff jumping: There’s a spot at the Ecolodge that you can jump off the rocks for 15Q. Highly recommend. But don’t do it in a storm like we did… or maybe do.
Healthy Food: Check out the Garden Cafe (Cafe Il Giardino) for some yummy, healthy food. Of course it’s technically not local cuisine, but part of the appeal of Lake Atitlan is visiting all the healthy organic spots even though they’re westernized (and you’re still supporting the local owners).
San Pedro:
Day trip: A party scene, so we didn't stay there. But we took a day trip to check it out. Lots of Israeli influence interestingly, so there are some Israeli inspired cafes with that style of food, like Sababba, which has a nice view of the water and cheap coffee. Can also walk up to the church for a cool view of the town, where a man will likely be there to let you in to go to the top.
San Juan:
Day trip: This was my favourite town of them all. Very pretty and quiet, with beautiful shops along the little main strip. You can do a coffee or chocolate tour here, which we almost went for but opted for cliff jumping in San Marcos that afternoon instead (since we had limited time).