Guatemala

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We arrived on the Mayan land and we were delighted. Guatemala has one of the most friendly and smiling people in the world, a strong culture that still tries to keep their traditions and a relaxed vibe that holds you there. It was hard to leave and we were impressed with how many people never leave.

It’s been only 13 years after the civil war ended and people do not show many scars of its history, always keeping the smile of a happy life. 40% of the population is Mayan and many still retain their culture, an exotic admirable beauty. The country still has natural beauties to not miss, ruins and much more to entertain your time there. Just be careful … You may never want to leave!

What was worth it:The beautiful colonial city of Antigua, San Marcos La Laguna and its hippie and relaxed vibe and the natural wonder of Semuc Champey.
What we wanted to do but we didn’t: The more authentic market of Solola, the Pacaya Volcano that is still active and the town of Xela.

A few tips:

• TRANSPORT: Transport is basic and even the more expensive services, called Pullman, do not guarantee any comfort, because they crowd the bus and you may have to go standing for the same price. Not all destinations have frequent departures, but if you miss the direct bus you can catch others making some connections. It’s always worth checking shuttles offered by the agencies, the price difference can be small sometimes, and some roads are bad, so you can gain a lot of time.
• WHERE TO STAY IN ATITLAN LAKE: The lake has several small towns around and people often do not know where to go. Our favorite spot is San Marcos, which has a hippie vibe, with the village in the middle of the nature and no cars noise. It is very easy to meet people there and find things to relax and it was hard to leave the place. If we have to recommend, San Marcos will be. Panajachel is the point of arrival for the boat and it is more city like and San Pedro is the most popular of all, but has much more buildup and with cars noise and it is a destination for those looking for party. We did not like it.
• SEMUC CHAMPEY: To arrive in Semuc Champey can be tricky depending on your starting point, so we think the easiest way is doing a tour from Antigua for 3 days, which already includes all shuttles, 2 hotel nights in a dorm and the tour with all included for Semuc Champey, and in the end it is cheaper than doing on your own (we paid 55 USD per person, staying at the beautiful hotel El Portal, leaving Antigua and ending in Rio Dulce). The shuttles connect Semuc Champey with the cities of Antigua, Flores and Rio Dulce and you can choose your route. Even better, if you fall in love for Semuc Champey and want to saty longer, just talk to your hotel, they change the date of your next shuttle and you only pay for the extra nights of hotel.
• BETWEEN LIVINGSTONE AND RIO DULCE: If you want to visit this region the best option is to stay in a hotel in the middle of the river between Rio Dulce and Livingstone (in our case we stayed at Finca Tatin). They are right in the middle of the jungle, facing the river and will be a much more relaxing option than staying in the cities. The only downside is that to do anything you depend on the boat and you end up spending more, besides having to eat at the hotel. Yet we found that it was well worth it. You can kayak, cool off in the river and even visit villages in the middle of the jungle. Note: contact your hotel before going and perhaps they have transportation with their own boat from Rio Dulce, which is usually cheaper than the public boat (Q 125 per person one way – about 15 USD).
• SECURITY: Crime exists as throughout Latin America, but surely the risk increases significantly in the Capital. So, if you have no great interest in history and arts, delete the Capital of your itinerary and concentrate in small towns, where you will feel more secure. However, keep a responsible behavior and use common sense, without giving a chance for the worse.
• PANAMA TO MEXICO: If you just want to cross Central America inexpensively there is a bus service called Tica Bus, which takes you from Panama City to Chiapas in southern Mexico. The trip takes 5 days and all nights in the capital of each country you must pay for your accommodation. The total cost is USD 133 in tourist class and 172 USD in business class. But you can also buy just the sections between 2 countries, 3 countries, etc … Any section in their itinerary.

Our itinerary (18 days)

We crossed the border of Copan Ruins at El Florido with Guatemala and did a connection on Chiquimula to go to our first stop in Guatemala City. Then we took a chicken bus to Antigua and after 4 days again we took a chicken bus to Panajachel, where we took a boat to San Marcos La Lagun, in Atitlan lake. We spent six days relaxing at San Marcos, from where we visited on a day the Chichicastenango market. Then we took a shuttle to Antigua to make our tour to Semuc Champey with a shuttle Antigua-Semuc Champey-Rio Dulce. From Rio Dulce we took a boat to our hotel in the middle of the Tatin river and from there we visited Livingstone. After 3 days we returned by boat to Rio Dulce and took a Pullman bus to Flores, where we visited Tikal. Then we went by minivan to the border with Belize in Melchor de Mencos.

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