Practical tip: make a small exchange at the airport and then withdraw money from an ATM (check with your bank for bank charges abroad). 1 Quetzal = about 0.13 euros depending on the exchange rate…
Arrival in Guatemala?? starts with a few surprises, as when we get to baggage claim, we discover that only my bag is on the conveyor belt… the other two are still in Madrid 😉
It took 3 days for them to be delivered. An opportunity for us to try out travel insurance and do a bit of shopping for essentials.
From the airport, we take a cab? straight to Antigua, as there’s nothing special to see in Guatemala City and the city is said to be unsafe. The cab is no more expensive than a shuttle bus if there is more than one of you (about 30 euros).
We found a very good value, small hostel-style hotel with private rooms in the city center: El Extranjero. The rooms are simple, but the location is good. There are two shared bathrooms, as well as a fridge and microwave.
Antigua, touristy yet authentic
Antigua is a beautiful, peaceful town. No wonder it’s so popular with tourists: cobbled streets, colorful facades and theme park-style stores and restaurants! Add to this a backdrop of volcanoes… …. A change of scenery and awe guaranteed!
During the day, all you have to do is wander around and let yourself be guided… Of course, it’s impossible to miss the Santa Catalina Arch, Central Park with Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, its fountain and street vendors, the “Union Tank” arches or Hill of the Cross on the heights of the city for a lovely view.
To have lunch like the Guatemalans, the best thing to do is go to the mercado central, which has a place to sit and eat on a budget. Admittedly, it’s not great food, but it’s typical and the welcome is lovely 😉
Two not-to-be-missed activities: the chocolate workshop and the Acatenango volcano trek.
My first favorite: l’atelier du chocolat.
This activity is offered at the Choco Muséo near the main square. Put on your apron for 2 hours and discover in a group (around ten people) how cocoa is made into chocolate (workshop in English).
To get you in the mood, start by making your own chocolate bars or bonbons: a real treat for chocolate lovers!)
Once you’ve added the chocolate, all you have to do is add various ingredients: grated coconut pieces, cranberries, walnuts, salt, chilli… there’s something for everyone 😉 As soon as it’s ready, chill it in the fridge and take it away with you at the end of the workshop!
Our host (Joseline) then explained the different types of beans and the chocolate-making process.
Because to make chocolate, you need cocoa beans, and to get cocoa beans, you need to grow cocoa trees.
This tree, which produces the famous cocoa beans, does not grow everywhere. It is mainly grown in Africa, in hot, humid regions, but also in Latin America and South-East Asia.
Did you know? The fruit of the cocoa tree is called the pod. Rich in fat, it contains many seeds, the famous cocoa beans.
Today, there are 3 main varieties of cocoa.
The most widely grown is the Forastero, which accounts for 79% of harvests. With a strong, even bitter aroma, these beans are used mainly in pastries.
As for the Criollo variety, it’s the rarest, since it’s the least cultivated today, accounting for just 1% of harvests. Why is this so? Its cocoa tree is fragile, as is its fruit, the pod. In addition to being a fragile variety, the yield is not very high. Yellow, green or red, the pod contains pale-colored beans. Its delicately flowery fragrance and refined taste make it a delicious chocolate.
Finally, there’s the Trinitario (a name originating from Trinidad in Venezuela). It accounts for the remaining 20% of cocoa production. This is a so-called hybrid cocoa bean. In fact, it’s a cross between the Forastero (high yield) and Criollo (unique flavor) varieties. Red or orange in color, the pod produces beans with a taste and aroma similar to Criollo.
Once we have the pod, it takes 5 phases to prepare the cocoa:
- opening the fruit to recover the cocoa beans,
- leave to ferment for 10 days,
- then put the beans in the sun for 12 days,
- roasting process: the film is separated from the final bean. The film is used to make teas, beer…
To better understand each step, we’re put to the test. So, during the roasting process, everyone has to go through and introduce themselves, taking care not to burn the beans 🙂
We also try a tea made from the film, a 100% natural treat.
Now all that remains is the final cocoa bean 🙂
- the final step: crushing the cocoa
Here again, we have a little challenge: try to crush the cocoa beans by hand as quickly as possible, using a pestle.
Throughout the sequence, Joseline shows us how the Mayans originally used chocolate. For example, we learn that the Mayans celebrated the God they believed to be the one who planted the first cacao tree by drinking a drink made from 100% ground chocolate, Chile, pepper, honey and hot water. We prepare this mixture and then taste it… amazing!
Now that the cocoa is ready, all you have to do to make chocolate is add sugar. Allow 22 hours for this final step, and your chocolate is ready!
But can you make something other than chocolate with cocoa? The answer is yes!
A cocoa bean contains 75% cocoa butter and 15% cocoa. Cocoa butter can be used to make creams, balms and white chocolate.
My second favorite: climbing the Acatenango volcano
For the more courageous, I highly recommend climbing the volcano ? Acatenango volcano for 2 days and one night with Asoava Tour, a small local agency that supports around 20 people and owns the highest base camp! In my opinion, there’s no better way to see the erupting Fuego volcano than at Asoava Tour. Count 60 euros per person (return transport from your accommodation, loan of warm clothing, hats, gloves, park entrance, dinner + breakfast and water). It’s very basic, but more than enough for a night like this!
Be careful, though, as the climb is really tough with a 6/8 kg rucksack on your back. We climb to 3970 m and the difference in altitude is over 1700 m. However, if you wish, youcan have your bag carried (outward/return or outward only) or ride a horse for an extra charge.
I didn’t choose these options, and believe me, I blamed myself several times during the climb to the summit! Even though I’m athletic, the altitude difference was really hard for people like us who never hike. I’m mentally tough, so I didn’t give up, but once I got to the top I cracked! Tears of joy ran down my cheeks 🙂
Once up there, it’s possible to take 1 additional (paying) excursion: in the evening, to get even closer to the erupting Fuego volcano. We didn’t want to add another layer to our bodies already sore from almost 6 hours of walking, knowing that we would then have to go back down !!!!
Especially since the view from base camp was already intense and unforgettable. The sound of the erupting volcano spewing lava and the smoke that billows from it are breathtaking. You feel so small in the face of such powerful nature.
We were very lucky to be able to admire this during this time of year, as it’s not really the best season for climbing.
Surprisingly, while we usually prefer not to meet French people when we travel, this time I really liked the group we went with. There were even some people from Nantes! Geoffrey, Héloïse and Camille, Carole and Teddy …
Being able to talk during difficult times really helped me to overcome the difficulty!
Likewise, spending the night observing magical moments while being able to remake the world… Priceless! We were able to share our experiences as backpackers, which was really rich. We also crossed paths with Héloïse and Camille, and each time it was a pleasure to meet up again and share moments together. It’s such a small world when you think about it 😉
Before moving on to another place, I’d like to alert you to one thing. Some bloggers I follow on instagram tried to do a volcano on their own without a guide (the Agua volcano). They had the misfortune to be robbed during their ascent. More fear than harm (only equipment and jewelry stolen), but it’s a blatant example of why we recommend that you use small agencies for this kind of excursion, and make sure you get all the information you need before going to certain places. Similarly, avoid going out alone at night.
Marvel at Lake Atitlan
After these first thrills, we head for Panajachel near Lake Atitlan, considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world because it’s surrounded by volcanoes.
We took “chicken buses”, a local means of transport that costs very little and allows us to meet the local population.
Do they remind you of certain yellow buses?! They should! When American school buses reach the age of ten years or 100,000 kms, they are sold at auction. Many of these buses are shipped to Guatemala and other Central American countries, where they are prepared for their second life. These vehicles become buses, repainted and adorned with colorful motifs. They are the pride of their drivers and a pleasure to photograph.
From Antigua to Panajachel, you need to take a total of 4 buses. All you have to do is indicate your destination and the staff will guide you.
Here’s the route:
- Antigua -> Chimaltenango,
- Chimaltenango -> Los Encuentros,
- Los Encuentros -> Solola
- Solola -> Panajachel.
Honestly, it’s very easy because when you say where you’re going, you’re directed straight to the right bus. However, I advise you to keep your luggage with you.
It’s not as easy and safe as a shuttle bus transfer, but it’s a lot cheaper.
To visit the pretty villages around the lake, all you have to do is take a boat (called a “lancha”) or a small tuk tuk.
As for the hotel, we had found a youth hostel on Booking, but it bailed on us two hours before our arrival! The hazards of a round-the-world trip! So we stopped in the main street near the lake, where there are hotels all along the road, and asked for the rates.
On a tight budget, we finally found a room at the Hotel NIMBO, with two large, clean beds and hot water. Staying there for 4 nights, we were able to negotiate a good rate.
Do as we do: negotiate!
Don’t hesitate to do so to get better rates, as these kinds of small hotels aren’t necessarily listed on Booking and the like.
From Panajachel, we took advantage of our first day to discover San Juan la Laguna, then San Marco. San Juan la Laguna is a little paradise, my favorite city around the lake. With all its colors, its street art on the walls and its music, as you stroll around, you’re filled with wonder and lose all sense of time. The stroll is an enchantment.
Good to know, near the church on Saturdays and Sundays, the locals offer an inexpensive buffet with grilled chicken a la plancha to die for!
After so much beauty, however, it was a big disappointment to arrive at San Marco La Laguna. Indeed, if you’re not into hippie atmospheres or spiritual and mystical quests, there’s nothing to see here.
The last village we visited and particularly enjoyed around the lake was Santa Catarina Palopo. It’s about an hour’s walk from Panajachel. At the entrance to the village, I recommend you take the staircase on the left, which takes you up to the heights and through the steep alleyways. We loved the truly authentic atmosphere compared with other villages on the lake. There are even naturally warm thermal waters. Here you’ll find women taking showers.
Semuc Champey: enjoy the beauty of nature with its natural pools and howler monkeys.
On your way to Semuc Champey, I recommend you stop off in Chichicastenango, where Central America’s largest and oldest market is held every Thursday and Sunday. Take the opportunity to visit the cemetery, which is just as colorful as the villages, and witness some Mayan ceremonies.
Then, as always in Guatemala, there were two possible means of transport, either by shuttle bus, or by chicken bus or collectivos. We decided to do it in several stages so as to continue discovering the country. We made two stops: one in Uspatan and one in Coban before arriving in Lanquin, the town near the Semuc Champey site.
The room we found was perfect, I recommend it, it was the Casa Mary.
The next day, we find a pick-up to take us in the direction of Semuc Champey. It costs Q25 per person one way, and be warned: the road moves a lot and you’re on your feet, so you’ll have to hold on tight.
By the way, what is Semuc Champey?
This is a protected area in Guatemala’s Alta Verapaz department, near the Mayan town of Lanquín. The site is a series of turquoise pools in the middle of lush jungle. One of the country’s most beautiful sites, it offers a walk through the rainforest and an absolutely divine dip in the heavenly pools.
The entrance fee is around Q50 (€6). Once you’ve got your ticket, start by taking the 45-minute hike up to the mirador, an observation point offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the site.
Afterwards, you can go out again to eat local dishes and then come back for a swim for the rest of the afternoon.
Tikal and El Remate: the perfect end to your stay
After so many wonderful moments, it’s time for us to get back on the road in our collectivos for the last stop before Mexico: Tikal.
To get there, many stop in the town of Flores, but we preferred to stay nearby, in the small village of El Remate. No regrets! We highly recommend this solution!
Firstly, because the village is very peaceful and less touristy than Flores, and secondly, because it’s on the road to Tikal, only about thirty kilometers away. For example, we really appreciated being able to enjoy the lake, either like the locals with the diving board, or by using the facilities (pool, showers, pontoon) at the El Muelle hotel for 25Q per person per day.
Our accommodation, too, was a good choice: Jungle Place for rent. A loft on Airbnb located close to the center, but on the heights, on the edge of the forest. Extremely quiet, with all amenities (kitchen, filtered water…). At night, you can even hear howler monkeys in the nearby forest.
We spent at least 3 days there, which was ideal before heading off to Mexico.
The discovery of the archaeological site of Tikal is an unforgettable experience! Beware: bring mosquito repellent and/or long clothing. In the off-season, it was perfect, as there were very few people on site. We did the tour in half a day, arriving at the site around 7am. With our tight budget, we opted not to take a guide, especially as they often speak either English or Spanish. Instead, we downloaded a guidebook the day before.
Practical info :
We went by collectivo once again, using the 6:30 a.m. bus that passes through El Remate to take workers to the site (30 Q per person for the outward journey. For the return trip, it’s more like 40 Q. They’re smart and know you need to get back.
Bring your passport or a copy for the entrance + 150 Q for the park entrance.
Even if we’re not big fans of history and old stones, it’s impossible not to be captivated by the site of Tikal. Indeed, among the many pre-Columbian cities lost in the forests of the Mayan world, Tikal is clearly one of the most impressive, as much for the quality of its remains and their presentation as for the extent of its site and the beauty of its setting. The site is covered by a thick tropical forest, populated by an abundance of noisy wildlife! Coatis roam freely here, as do the many birds and howler monkeys.
Finally, we wandered through the narrow streets of Flores and its island. It was also an opportunity for us to make the rounds of the travel agencies to organize the trip between El Remate and Bacalar (in Mexico) via Belize.
I sincerely advise you to do this if you want to go to Mexico afterwards, as the agencies are really used to organizing these “convoys” and will check the papers you need to present, help you if necessary… In short, it’s more reassuring. Border crossings are always a tricky part of any trip, so if you can make things easier for yourself…
10 hours and 3 border crossings and we’re in Mexico! We managed to negotiate 350 Q / pers for the trip (you’ll also have to pay border taxes).
There you have it, folks, you know almost everything about our trip to Guatemala, the land of the quetzals, those rare birds that are symbols of the country and were even sacred to the Mayans. I hope I’ve inspired you to come and meet the Guatemalans and their beautiful country.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments, I’m always happy to help.
Finally, I wanted to share with you these little anecdotes that surprised me during the trip:
- Guatemalan women are the shortest in the world! 1m51 on average
- There are a lot of stray dogs in the country, but don’t worry, they’re very friendly and harmless.
- Tip for French travelers: check out Facebook groups such as “les français au Guatemala”, etc… you’ll find a wealth of information and tips 😉
- For ice cream fans, Guatemalans are very fond of it! You can find little vendors everywhere, and for a few quetzals you can enjoy lots of cones!
- The typical Guatemalan dish will always be tortillas, prepared by women, and kidney beans. They are almost always accompanied by rice and meat.
