January 30, 2024
To celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, my husband Brad and I spent a week in Guatemala (without the kids). Guatemala is full of color and culture — wonderful food, people, and activities which made for a perfect anniversary trip and I would love to bring our kids back someday.
We flew into Guatemala City and hired a driver in advance to meet us at the airport. We used Adrenalina Tours for all of our transportation throughout the country recommended by a friend who takes students to Guatemala at least yearly. We immediately drove to Antigua where we stayed for one night and then returned here at the end of our week for 2 more nights before heading back to Guatemala City to fly out.
Antigua
Antigua is a small city located in the southern part of Guatemala, surrounded by volcanos. It’s said to be one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial cities in Central America. It is beautiful and very walkable full of churches, ruins, markets, and city squares surrounded by stunning volcanos.
Where to stay
We chose to stay in 2 Airbnbs while in Antigua. They were both close to the city center, lovely and spacious and very reasonably priced.
What to Do & Eat
Antigua is a wonderful city to walk and explore. There are many Spanish schools located here so everyone is eager to help with the language. There are some ATMs in the city center, but I recommend bringing cash if you can.
Arco de Santa Catalina – This is iconic in Antigua – the yellow archway “clock tower” that dates back to the 1600s. It is surrounded by markets, and restaurants and they often have special events here throughout the year.
Plaza Mayor — is the central square always full of vendors and people selling goods.
Iglesia de la Merced — Destroyed twice by earthquakes, this 1548 church was rebuilt in the 1700s to withstand earthquakes and boasts a lovely yellow façade and a huge stone fountain, reputed to be the largest in Central America.
Meson Panza Verde — We stumbled upon several wonderful restaurants but on our last night we dined at Meson panza Verde (green belly restaurant) — recommended by our Guatemalan friends, this fine dining restaurant was lovely. We made reservations several weeks in advance.
Antigua Brewing Company — is a fun stop for local beer
Bonus: If you have more time in Antigua, you can hike a volcano, visit the local ruins, and find several weaving shops. Also, check out the Starbucks in town — it’s one of the most unique in the world!
Lake Atitlan
From Antigua, our driver took us to Lake Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is a volcanic lake located in Southwest Guatemala. It lies in a spectacular setting in the central highlands, nestled between three volcanoes; Atitlan, Toliman, and San Pedro. (On the way to Lake Atitlan, we stopped at Katok, another restaurant that came highly recommended) and ate the famous fundido which is like a luxurious cheese fondue with chorizo).
There are numerous towns surrounding the lake in the foothills of the volcanoes. The vast majority of Lake Atitlan’s population are Maya descendants who still treasure their traditions and customs. This has resulted in each village having its distinct personality and charm. Panajachel is the main gateway to Lake Atitlan with regular boats that take you to each village, but not an ideal town to stay.
Travel from town to town is by local boats or lanchas. Boats leave from the dock in each town and the men working there will point you in the direction of which boat to take for your destination. There isn’t a set schedule per se, instead, they tend to wait to fill up before leaving. Boats start running at 6:30am and the last boat leaves around 7:30pm. Prices seem to change quite regularly, but as a tourist, you’ll be charged more than a local. Again, cash is key.
Where to stay
We chose to stay in an Airbnb in San Marco (the “hippy town”) at a place called Lago Baba Yaga. This spot was magical (in the trees, gorgeous views of the lake)l BUT it was up over 200 steps from the ocean, and then up more steps to get into the town. It was a daily workout, but the views were worth it. There are tons of cute options in all of the towns.
What to Do & Eat
Kayaking on the Lake — Our Airbnb host had kayaks we could use and after paddling towards San Juan we discovered a jumping and swimming area on San Marco where we spent hours paddling, swimming, and floating (Brad jumped, I did not)
Take the Lanchas (public boats) to other towns & explore — our favorite town to visit was San Juan. Tons of art, food, and markets. Here we visited several local art galleries, but a highlight was visiting the local women’s weaving collective, Casa Flor Ixcaco. They do demonstrations by weavers, share the history of the area and craft and they have tons of woven products for sale. Each product has a tag with a picture of the weaver and how many hours she worked on that particular item.
La Casa Del Mundo — we took the public boat to this gorgeous hotel for lunch and a walk about.
Hiking Trails in San Marco — there are some fun trails in all of the towns and we enjoyed exploring in San Marco.
Circle Cafe — a lovely coffee shop/cafe in San Marco that we visited every day.
La Casa Zapote — this secret spot was recommended by my dear friend Jen who has spent a lot of time in Guatemala. Ask the locals for directions in San Marco where you will think you are lost in the yoga forest until you knock on a large wooden door & walk into a paradise courtyard. Order wine and the 24 cheese platter (all local) and stay for hours.
