Guatemala Travel Guide 2018

Geography has never been my strong suit. Prior to quitting our jobs to travel, I knew very little about Central America and what all it entails. Our trip began in Cancun, Mexico with the idea to travel South and spend a few weeks in each country. Guatemala was an unexpected pleasure full of beautiful landscapes and colonial architecture. We spent two weeks there and quickly fell in love with the country and all the unique experiences it had to offer. 

Arco De Santa Catalina

Currency: Quetzal (GTQ)  7 GTQ is about $1 USD

We entered from the border of Belize and headed to our first destination the town of Flores, the gateway to Tikal Mayan Ruins.

Flores is a little island on Lake Petén Itzá, a great place to spend a few nights if you're planning on going to see the Tikal Ruins. There isn't a ton to do in Flores, you can easily experience the city in one full day.

Things to do:

• Wander the cute colorful streets
• Go to "Cool Beans" coffee shop/ bar for good times and good views.
• Take a water taxi over to San Miguel and hike up to El Mirador (the lookout tower) for a beautiful panoramic view.

"Tuk Tuk" the Guatemalan taxi  

San Miguel

View from El Mirador 

• Visit the ancient Mayan city Tikal, one of the largest archaeologic sites of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Tikal is about an hour and a half from Flores, but well worth the trek. We took the tour with Tikal Go and had a lovely experience. 

From Flores, we took the miserable 10-hour overnight bus to Antigua. If you plan on taking the bus bundle up, I was wearing pants and a sweatshirt and I was freezing! There's also the option to fly, but the bus is much more cost effective for Q120 ($15 USD) each. 

We skipped Semuc Champey because it was so far out of the way, natural turquoise pools, cave tubing, etc. I've heard great things so check that out if you're up for an adventure!

Antigua one of my favorite cities with picturesque colorful streets and insane volcano views from every angle. The city is extremely clean with beautifully preserved colonial architecture, the perfect mix of local markets, restaurants, coffee shops as well as chains like Subway and Taco Bell. 

We spent a week in Antigua which is more than enough time but we loved it so much we stayed a while. We stayed in this cozy apartment from Airbnb for $25 a night, right in the heart of the city, walking distance to everything. If you've never used Airbnb, click here for a $40 travel credit.

Things to do: 

• Arco De Santa Catalina- obviously you can't go to Antigua without getting a picture with the famous arch. Protip go early if you want the shot without all the tourists/ cars.

• El Carmen Ruins Market- It's only set up outside on the street during the weekends (Saturday & Sunday)! So many goodies for an affordable price & don't be scared to negotiate!  

I mean how could you say no to this face?!

• The Cathedral Ruins- right by central park, the entrance fee was around Q15 ($2 USD)

• Antigua Brewing Co.- craft beer & volcano views

• Rincón Tipico- A delicious restaurant with typical plates for only Q30 (less than $4 USD)

• Hike Pacaya Volcano- My absolute favorite experience while in Guatemala and it only cost Q53 ($7 USD). Take the afternoon tour rather than the morning because there's a clearer view. The hike is about an hour and a half up, once you get towards the top you can see lava and you even hike through volcanic rock. When you get to the top you're above the clouds and the view is incredible!! We roasted marshmallows in the lava and it was amazing. Also, bring a jacket because it gets cold up there! 

Lake Atitlán is so beautiful and a must visit while in Guatemala! It is surrounded by several little villages with incredible mountain and volcano views. We stayed in San Marcos a cute yoga/hippy town filled with many backpackers, delicious healthy restaurants, and good vibes. 

You can easily catch a shuttle from Antigua for Q75 ($9.70 USD) and it takes just about two and a half hours to reach. Also, be sure to bring cash because most places don't take card and there's only one ATM in town (which didn't work while we were there). 

If you're looking for a place to stay, I absolutely loved our Airbnb! We considered it a little bit of a splurge for $45 per night, but this view was totally worth it! 

I absolutely loved Guatemala and I would highly recommend visiting! Such a beautiful country with so much to do and see, from exploring the colorful streets of Antigua to roasting marshmallows on top of a volcano! Now we're off to our next destination of our Central America travels, Costa Rica!!! 

Check out the video from our trip!!!

Follow along with our travels! xx

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