Guatemala
“The place of a lot of trees”, volcanoes, Mayan culture, and many others: Welcome to Guatemala! I have been welcomed by a flurry, of blue flags (September 15th is Guatemala’s Independence Day), kind people, and a “Chapin” breakfast (the word used to denominate things and people from Guatemala). I have been thoroughly surprised by this country- not everything is what you hear- and I can assure you, this is a place you do not want to miss. From breathtaking volcano views to Mayan pyramids and even beaches- what are you waiting for?
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY Jessica Carreon
Estimated reading time: 2 min
🌋 Flores/ Tikal
Flores- very chill, laid-back, beautiful, can swim in the lake
Tikal- one of the major Mayan archeological sites
Shuttle from Flores to Antigua- 500 Q
Hotel Petén, Hostal Los Amigos
🌋 Antigua
Beautiful, cobblestone, cultural, good food, hub spot
Lots of restaurants and good international food
Party- Tropicana Hostel. Somos Hostel is a good place to chill. Selina- always good for digital nomads.
Surrounded by Acatenango, Fuego, and Water Volcanos.
🌋 Acatenango and Fuego Volcano
Highly recommend Wicho and Charlie’s- 75 USD, overnight camp, 2 breakfasts, one lunch, one dinner. Fuego volcano optional for 200Q. Beanies, jackets, scarves, and gloves included. Additionally, you can rent a bag (50 Q) trekking pole (20 Q)
BRUTAL Hike but so worth it
You can choose to do either the Volcano hike or the sunrise summit- or both- get ready, sleep your 8 hours, and don’t party too hard, as you’ll want to be ready for this.
Coolest things you'll do ever
🌋 Lake Atitlán
Panajachel- Hub for all the other spots along the lake and good for Digital nomading, good WiFi
San Pedro- Party
San Marcos- chill, yoga, retreat
San Juan- artsy, colorful, great vibes
Surrounded by Atitlán, Tolimán, and San Pedro volcanos
🌋 El Paredón, Samuc Champey
I only heard stories as I wasn't there but El Paredón is good for surfing and beach vibes and Samuc Champey for hiking and getting in touch with nature. I would def visit it when I'm back.
The tea ☕
I crossed into Guatemala’s Melchor de Menco from Belize. Do not recommend it- borders are hit-and-miss, but for me, it seemed unsafe and very difficult to get currency, pay with card, and move around. The people were nice but also not so used to travelers so they couldn’t help like a big town/city used to tourism could. I was so lucky again to have met Dulce from Belize, who crossed the border with me and with her friend on the Guatemala side, drove me to the nearest hotel. It was expensive, not nice at all, and a bit sketchy, but I was already there, and I needed to rest my head on a (questionable) pillow. I also could not pay with card and had no quetzales, so fortunately I was carrying USD and paid with that. TIP for you- Dollars are good to carry in some Latin American countries.
I finally made it to Flores, there’s a colectivo that takes you for around 20 quetzales (again… luckily and very randomly, I found a man in the street that was exchanging currencies for Quetzales and as I had spent my dollars in my expensive, run-down hotel and I only had 200 Mexican pesos with me. He took my pesos, and I was able to pay for my trip to Flores… I know… crazy :P) took a tuk-tuk once I arrived so they could take me to the “island” and wooow… so glad I had chosen to make a quick stop to see it! The Petén Itzá Lake, the third biggest lake in Guatemala (behind Lake Izabal and Lake Atitlán) hides mysteries beyond what the eye can see, there are boats going in and out in such a leisurely manner, and the locals treat you as one of them. There are tuk-tuks everywhere in small, cobbled stone street fashion. People swim here more than in Lake Atitlan (it’s supposed to be cleaner here as in Atitlán, the sewage system goes into the lake: locals told me this) where the weather was amazing and I had one episode of my phone falling into the lake in Flores (spoiler: I recovered it, thanks to very kind people who went into the lake and quickly retrieved it for me. I had gone myself and couldn’t find it, fully clothed and all. That was quite a day) to making it to Antigua and hiking the Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes anddd living in the lake- once you get there, you realize why it’s only referred to as if it was the only lake ever. It’s jaw-dropping, peaceful, plentiful, Zen, fun, everything at once, AND surrounded by volcanoes and mesmerizing views. One size fits all, I’d say- Guatemala surprised me, I loved living there even after a disappointing chapter of me rushing through the country to arrive at the lake, hopeful and romantic, even silly I might add- but in the end, it worked out because I found self-discovery, deep conversations and met one of my now best friends: Viv, my Berliner sister, (mirror, coach, and guide to Techno parties: forever thankful for you and all our similar stories) I moved from one village to the next, amid co-working spaces in Selina, laughs between the rainy evenings, Viv and our very productive days, Nylah and the small family we formed in Selina’s kitchen, cooking dinner- I don’t think I could have been happier if it wasn’t for the people I met along the way.
It always works out, guys: one way or another, you find what you are meant to find, you get the experiences you want to have, and the people make all the difference. If you want to be engulfed by nature, find alternative experiences, fulfillment, and a variety of “local meets foreigner” don’t miss Guatemala. 😉
