A Lovely Week in Guatemala

Guatemala was one of the three countries my friend Lena and I visited during our one month trip to Central America. After an amazing backpacking time in Mexico, it was hard to believe that it can get even better! I had no idea at that time what to expect of the country. Honestly, I didn't know much about it. I've only heard about the scary border between Mexico and Guatemala due to drug trafficking and that's it... In this blog post, I'll let you know, what places we managed to visit in the short time, encompassed by photos taken during our trip! 

Already crossing the boarder was quite of an experience, I guess we were two scared girls at the time. We continued the road to Panajachel with a chicken bus - the one you see below, which was, let's say a funny thing! It was a cheap ride but the long hours, the heat and the crowds made us tired at the end... but we were young and ready to do it all! :)

 

BTW. Try the transport with a look a like chicken bus - it's a bit more retro and with a feeling of a train - it is called the CA Express. It has reliable WiFi, Power Outlets, Comfortable seats, and a bar onboard. The fridge in the bar, the WiFi, and the power outlets are powered by solar panels on the roof.

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - "Chicken bus"
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - "Chicken bus"

Panajachel

With its 11,142 inhabitans, Panajachel is a small picturesque town in Guatemala. The street with the name "Calle Santander" is a famous though-way for tourists. I remember buying some cute souvenirs in one of the stands here and going out for dinner in a cool restaurant. It's the place to be in Guatemala! Especially the area at the beach was fascinating with many boats waiting to take the locals and tourists to the other side of the Lake Atitlan. 

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Local school in Panajachel
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Local school in Panajachel
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Panajachel
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Panajachel

Lake Atitlan

With its tranquility, lake Atitlan was a great balm for the soul. One day we rented a kayak and rowed a little bit to get a feeling of the lake while drinking a cactus drink we got the other day. I also remember some nice evening talks with my friend Lena at the lakeside and a chilly swim in the sunset hours. If you have the chance, make lake Atitlan as one of your travel destinations. 

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Kayaking at Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Kayaking at Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Lake Atitlan

What to Do and See at Lake Atitlan:

- Go kayaking

- Take a swim

- Order a drink at Buddha Bar

- Catch the sunset

- Meditate in one of its meditation centres

- Visit the thermal baths in San Pedro la Laguna

- Explore San Marcos

Antigua

Antigua - a city which is still on my mind, in all these years, after all travelled destinations. With its 45k inhabitants it is a small city, known for its Spanish colonial buildings. As far as I remember, I really liked it's lively vibe, all the cafes and restaurants, fantastic food and cute parks. Why I probably liked it so much was because of the bohemian touch it comes with. Our hostel had an epic terrace with a few hammocks. 

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Antigua
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Antigua
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Our Hostel in Antigua
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Our Hostel in Antigua

What to Do and See in Antigua:

- Santa Catalina Arch

- Saint Joseph Cathedral

- Parque Central

- Cerro de la Cruz

- Convento Santa Clara

- Antigua Market

- Organise a Tour to Volcano Pacaya

 

Make sure to check out the Spanish School, which offers internships, volunteering opportunities, Spanish and English teaching courses (TEFL/TESOL) in Guatemala!

Volcano Pacaya

The volcano Pacaya is an active volcano in Guatemala with its height of 2552 m. The last eruption took place in June 2015. Due to its activity it is a popular tourist attraction. From Guatemala City it is about 30 km by car. Climbing the volcano Pacaya was not as though as I imagined it to be. It was a 2-hour hike from the parking spot to which we were brought by one of the guides. Every minute that we spent on this volcano, was well worth it! The cherry on the top was the marshmallows we baked in the lawa. 

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Climbing the Volcano Pacaya
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Climbing the Volcano Pacaya
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Climbing the Volcano Pacaya
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Climbing the Volcano Pacaya
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Baking Marshmallows at Volcano Pacaya
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Baking Marshmallows at Volcano Pacaya

Boat Trip at the Rio Dulce

At the end of the week we went on a boat trip at the Rio Dulce river. The nature was beautiful and the girls that managed those wooden boats at this early age were fascinating too! 

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Girl in a Boat
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Girl in a Boat
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Livingstone
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Livingstone

Livingstone

If you are a big fan of the Caribbean, Livingstone will be your place. The reggae vibe comes in every corner. I really liked it. Livingstone was the last stop before we headed on to Belize. From the town we caught a boat to South of Belize. Quite an awesome way to cross the border.. :)

A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Livingstone
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Livingstone
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Locals Dancing
A Lovely Week in Guatemala - Locals Dancing

What to do and see in Livingstone:

- Hang out at Playa Blanca

- Do a boat tour

- Dance to reggae

Although we have spent only 1 week in total in this country, I have the feeling,  I got the vibe of Guatemala.  I still remember the good taste of their coffee, the delicious fruits, friendly locals, reggae music, and it's bohemian vibe. What I also won't forget how crazy humid it was while we were there. But still, Guatemala, hope to see you again, one day! :)


Have you travelled to Guatemala? What places did you visit? Please share it in the comment section below!

You might also like



Leave a comment

Write a comment

Comments: 13
  • #1

    Jessica Hill (Tuesday, 25 September 2018 01:29)

    I agree, Lake Atitlan NEEDS to be on travel lists!!

  • #2

    Andrea A (Tuesday, 02 October 2018 04:49)

    My name is Andrea and I am a reporter for the Valencia Bay-farer, which is a newspaper written at 826 Valencia by students ages eight to thirteen. I am writing about why should we visit Guatemala for the next issue, and I am wondering if I can interview you about the topic.

    My questions are :

    What is your favorite place to go in Guatemala?
    What did you find interesting to see in Guatemala?
    What is the difference between here and Guatemala?
    What is the weather like and what should I pack?
    Our articles must be written by October 8 at 6 pm., so if you could respond before, then that would be great! Thank you for your time.
    -Andrea

  • #3

    BlurSpy (Wednesday, 09 January 2019 17:04)

    I can feel your sense of elation Cheers to that ability to share your inner-riches got a good tips nice blog keep it up ill be looking forward to your next post. nice website I will bookmark this.

    <a href="https://www.blurspy.com/android-spy-software/">Android Spy</a>

  • #4

    Albania Tourism (Tuesday, 22 October 2019 10:44)

    If you are looking for a place to relax with your family, than Pogradec is the city for you. A walk or a swim by the Ohrid lake, a dinner in one of the many traditional restaurants are the perfect way to enjoy a quiet and a nice weekend getaway.
    http://albania.al/

  • #5

    Mickaël (Wednesday, 18 March 2020 09:38)

    Bonjour,

    Je vous écris afin de vous faire découvrir une infographie que nous venons de réaliser sur le thème du voyage et des grands espaces : "Comment organiser un Road Trip parfait en 7 étapes", que nous souhaitons faire connaître au plus grand nombre, et qui, nous avons pensé, pourrait peut-être vous intéresser, ainsi que les lecteurs de votre site Internet.

    En effet, à notre connaissance, il n’existe aucune infographie aussi complète et détaillée sur ce thème. Pourtant, c’est un sujet qui suscite un vif intérêt : les kombi Volkswagen reviennent à la mode, les films sur ce thème se multiplient, et même les influenceurs s’y mettent ! Pourtant, quand il s’agit de passer à l’action, beaucoup de questions surviennent rapidement : comment calculer son budget ? Comment optimiser ses déplacements ? Qu’est-ce qu’il faut emporter ?...etc.

    Et bien cette infographie répond précisément à toutes ces questions en s’appuyant sur l’expérience de plusieurs baroudeurs aguerris que nous avons interviewé ! Elle vous aide à bien préparer votre Road Trip, et vous donne des conseils et astuces pour réaliser des économies durant tout le voyage !

    Au travers de cette infographie, l’objectif est donc simplement de partager ces bonnes pratiques avec le plus grand nombre ! Et peut-être que cela pourrait intéresser vos lecteurs !

    Aussi, toutes les infographies que nous réalisons (en partenariat avec des professionnels de chaque secteur ; ici le voyage) sont libres de droits, et ont pour vocation d’être partagées avec le plus grand nombre de blogueurs et autres propriétaires de site Internet. Car notre philosophie est avant tout de mettre à la disposition de tous le maximum de ressources gratuites.

    L'infographie et son texte d’accompagnement sont visibles à l’adresse suivante :

    https://doublezvosventes.com/dossiers-conseils/developpement-personnel/road-trip/

    Si vous souhaitez relayer cette infographie sur votre site, vous seriez parmi les premiers à le faire. Cela ne pourrait que vous apporter de la visibilité supplémentaire, du contenu intéressant pour votre site, et peut-être même de nouveaux lecteurs !

    Si vous la jugez incomplète et souhaitez contribuer à l’améliorer, vos remarques sont également les bienvenues, car cette infographie a bien entendu pour vocation de faire l'objet d'améliorations successives. N’hésitez pas à nous contacter à ce sujet.

    Si www.doublezvosventes.com peut être remercié à travers un simple lien (au sein d’un article ou autre), alors c'est génial mais facultatif cependant.

    Qu'en pensez-vous ?

    Vous souhaitant une excellente journée.

  • #6

    Elisa Hope (Saturday, 02 May 2020 20:27)

    Your article is great and rewarding. I like it very much. I hope to read more posts from you.
    Visit: https://www.mocospy.com/

  • #7

    Cynthia Albert (Thursday, 24 March 2022 19:24)

    HACK VANISH RECOVERED MY LOST 19.78 BITCOIN AND AIDED ME FIX MY CREDIT REPORT

    In Dec, 2021, I invested the sum of 19.78 BTC with a fake blockchain impostor I met online, all the money I had saved up since 2014 got stolen just within a Month, my whole life almost crumbled, to crown it all my FICO score was so bad that I couldn't even afford securing a loan to help my kids, but everything became better after I joined a forum online where I met people testifying about HACK VANISH, a hacker who has been helping thousands of people all over the world. I decided to reach out to him via the following contact shared on the platform Text/Call/WhatsApp: + 1 (747) 293-8514, Email: hackvanish@ gmail. Com, they responded and requested for all necessary details needed in carrying out my JOB, to my greatest surprise my bitcoin was recovered and my credit report fixed, FICO score was boosted to 783 across all 3-credit bureau's, all negative items cleared just within 8 days. I can't stop expressing my profound gratitude to this great team of hackers, I strongly recommend them to anyone in need.

  • #8

    Tom Peacock (Saturday, 03 December 2022 20:56)

    My name is Tom Peacock from USA, I want to say thank you to Dr Emu for the good thing he has done for me, Though am not sure if this is the best forum to show my joy and happiness for what he has done for me but i can't hide my happiness and my joy so i have to share it with people, my marriage got crashed about two years ago and i tried all i could within my power but to no avail. I saw a post and testimonial about the good things Dr Emu has been doing so I decided to give it a try. though he is always a busy man but when he responded back to my email, he gave me 48 hours for my marriage to be restored really just like he said my marriage was restored since then I am happy and i am living happily i am so grateful to Dr Emu you can always email him here: {emutemple@gmail.com} or WhatsApp: {+2347012841542}

  • #9

    Laura Hobson (Saturday, 10 December 2022 01:05)

    I was really stressed by Acid reflux issues with my newborn and had consulted Chief Dr Lucky. He gave us a thorough consultation and the medicines were equally effective. In a couple of weeks there was big improvement in my son and we are very pleased with the progress. We cannot thank Chief Dr Lucky enough. Highly recommended.

    Email chiefdrlucky@gmail.com

    WhatsApp +2348132777335

    Facebook page http://facebook.com/chiefdrlucky

  • #10

    Thomas Gibson (Friday, 27 January 2023 08:00)

    I want to use this opportunity to tell the whole world on how I become rich and famous. I’m 93 years old. I was passing through difficulty in business and there was no hope of me coming out of my debt. I borrow money in my bank to do my business and I run at lost on the business I got frustrated and decided to be playing lottery to see if I can win and make my business grow and I have played for years now nothing good is coming my way on till I meet someone online talking about Dr Ayoola on the internet. He was taking about how this Dr Ayoola help him to win mega million lottery game. I said to myself if this is true and decide to contact him and told him to help me as well I later read more about this man and see how he has been helping people all over the world. I have faith in him and choose to work with him. After working with him he told me what I need to do for the number to be given to me which I did after he finish working he said I will have a dream and the number will be review to me in the dream. That night has I was sleeping I dream a number immediately he call me and gave me the same number I dream of and ask me to go and play the number. Today I’m here testifying of the good work he did for me I played the number and I won the sum of 1, 000,000 million dollars in a lotto max. You can contact Dr Ayoola for help if you want to win big in lottery game he has the gift of giving right number contact him today and thank me email him today Via email: drayoolasolutionhome@gmail. com or https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Ayoola-105640401516053/ text or call +14809032128

  • #11

    Vivian Marcus (Friday, 10 February 2023 14:48)

    Hello my name is Vivian Marcus from the United State, i'm so exciting writing this article to let people seek for help in any Break up Marriage and Relationship, Dr Kachi brought my Ex Boyfriend back to me, Thank you Sir Kachi for helped so many Relationship situation like mine to be restored, i was in pain until the day my aunt introduce me to Dr Kachi that she got her husband back with powerful love spell with help of Dr Kachi So i sent him an email telling him about my problem how my Boyfriend left me and cheating on me because of her boss lady at work i cry all day and night, but Dr Kachi told me my Boyfriend shall return back to me within 24hrs and to me everything he asked me to do the next day it was all like a dream when he text me and said please forgive me and accept me back exactly what i wanted, i am so happy now as we are back together again. because I never thought my Ex Boyfriend would be back to me so quickly with your spell. You are the best and the world greatest Dr Kachi. if you're having broke up Ex Lover or your husband left you and moved to another woman, You do want to get Pregnant do not feel sad anymore contact: drkachispellcast@gmail.com his Text Number Call: +1 (209) 893-8075

  • #12

    Gerald muswagon (Saturday, 11 February 2023 18:04)

    I want to genuinely thank Dr Ayoola for making my dream come through. I was on the internet when I saw people posting and talking about Dr Ayoola. On How he has help them in winning lottery. My name is Gerald Muswagon this is my story on how I win $10 million After reading the article about Dr Ayoola I contacted him I told him to help me win lottery he respond to me by saying he will help me after working with him he assured me that I will win. Which I believe. After working with Dr Ayoola he gave me a number and ask me to go and play it which I did today I’m here shearing a testimony about this same man Dr Ayoola help me to win $10 million dollars all thanks to you Dr I will keep taking about your good because you are a man of your word I hope people that really need this will come across it for you to help them as well. If you want to win big in lottery contact Dr Ayoola today and be rest assured of winning contact him via email drayoolasolutionhome@gmail. com or https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Ayoola-105640401516053/ text or call +14809032128

  • #13

    Olivia Lucas (Monday, 13 February 2023 06:18)

    Hi Everyone Join me as I share the wonderful work of Dr Kachi to say thank you for always making people smile with Lottery Winning Number Dr Kachi, who help me win a lot of money few weeks ago on lottery spell, I love playing lottery but I have never won, and i always have believe that I will win a huge amount in lottery game someday, I search online how to win a lottery and faithfully i came across Dr Kachi website when someone was testifying how Dr Kachi helped him to win a lottery Mega Millions, i contacted Dr Kachi and told him I need the lottery winning number to win my game. he gave me lucky winning numbers and tell me to go play my game Dr Kachi also instructed me on how to go about it, after played my Mega millions lottery ticket on Friday and to my greatest surprise my name came out as a winner, i won $60,000,000.00, Mega Millions i have never seen such money all my life, but with the help of Dr Kachi now i have that much. If you need lotto winning number do not give up contact him or you want money solution and become RICH just visit Dr Kachi:

    Email: drkachispellcast@gmail.com

    Call Number And Text: +1 (209) 893-8075