Tikal
Having visited Tikal over 20 years ago and making many recent trips in the last few years I have to say not much has changed but what should I have expected from an archeological site dating back to 600 B.C. The uniqueness of this place is second to none and while many might go to Mexico to see ruins lets be clear that those ruins are reconstructed for members of cruiseships to see what Mayan life was like but Tikal is a much more authentic archeological site.
You will need to get to the area of Flores where you will probably take the long ride from the City of Guatemala or the easier option which is a quick 35 minute Avianca flight you can probably buy for $80’s not including luggage. Once you arrive to the International Airport of Flores which I think is called International because it occasionally has one flight to Belize you will be about an hour from the entrance of Tikal.
Here you have visitors lining up in the the morning and waiting to the be the first to get a glimpse of the main plaza. Please please porfavor do everyone a favor and get a guide. These guides know their history and it is important that you do to. There is so much to Tikal besides big stone structures.
We as a family prefer to show up to Tikal around 10pm at night when it is already closed and as a UNESCO site you can imagine its pretty controlled. With our connection and tour guide we get a legal pass that takes us another 1 and a half hour into the deep jungle of Tikal. Here we spend the night glamping under the stars in the area where the Mayans discovered the 365 day calendar and to this day it is exact only off by 16 seconds.
What I am describing is a unique experience that the rest of the 2,000 tourist that visit daily dont take part in but if you are interested in this magical experience you are in the right place and feel free to email me.
While Tikal gets many visitors its still a spot that never feels very crowded just because of the mass size of it. There are plenty of temples for everyone and if you are with the right guide he can take you to the look out points that allow you to see the jungle top and the most amount of temple peaks.
Antigua
Arguably the most beautiful town in all of Latin America or certainly the most colonial town in all of Central America. Another UNESCO site with cobblestone streets its hard to find a place to park but with tuk-tuks and easy walking the cobblestone streets makes traffic as pretty slow making it for a perfect place to park your car for three days and just enjoy the countless things to do in the area.
Here you will find 5 – Star fancy hotels to hostels and restaurants of all types all in uniform with the UNESCO colonial building codes. The one building code that really wasnt enforced by set the stage for town are the three volcanos that surround it. The main Volcano is Agua, followed by the constantly erupting volcano of Fuego, and then the popular hiking Volcano of Acatenango all which you can see from almost anywhere on Antigua streets or rooftop restaurants (ABC Antigua Brewery Company) we suggest for a nice look at all three volcanos.
A second foto shot seen round the world is the famou yellow arch on one of hte main streets of Antigua with the Volcan de Agua in the backdrop. Many people will get up at 5:30am to get the shot feeling like they are the only ones in the street because if not there is usually a wait of three or four people wanting the solo shot with the arch and the Volcano.
Just like Tikal we could go on and on about Antigua but we will save that for a different post but all you need to know here is that it is a must visit when going to Guatemala and not far from the Guatemala City airport either.
Pacayas Volcano
One of my favorite and easiest volcanos to climb in Guatemala is Pacayas Volcano. This probably isnt fair to say but the highlight of making it to the peak of the Pacayas volcano is actually not the Pacayas but all the other Volcanos you see from the summit. Dont get me wrong being on the edge of the Pacayas is like being inches away from the perfectly cone-shaped volcano you drew in kindergarten as compared to some countries that have more odd shaped Volcanos, Guatemala mostly has cone-shaped volcanos which just adds that extra “wow” factor to the eye.
Another thing we really enjoy is the hike up and down this volcano. Talk about two totally different worlds. We will make the hike up the through the forest and the hike down through the loose ash. We prefer the sunset hike because no only are you the only tourist around but there is something about being in the jungle at night that everyone should experience and if you add an active volcano to that it makes it that much more cool.
Again, we have our separate post on Pacayas where you can find more information but we wanted to let you know because of its proximity to Guatemala city and Antigua this is a must do visit when in Guatemala.
Acatenango Volcano
The famous Acatenango and can I do it or should I do it and the answer is yes. If you feel like its a little out of your league go ahead and train for it. I know I do and my wife never does and she is a centenary dentist all day with not much physical activity and she does great.
The beauty of making it to the top of Acatenango is not only are you above the clouds but you have the best view of the Fuego (Fire) Volcano which at the time of this blog in Sept 2024 was erupting every 15 minutes. This is a favorite event for our family and we have climbed the Acatenango more times than we can count and we dont plan on stopping anytime soon.
For more information check out our more indepth blog on hiking Acatenango with the option of hiking from the bottom or if you have some money to spend taking a 4×4 to a spot that will put you around 2+ hours from the top of the Volcano.
Lake Atitlan
The most beautiful lake I have seen in person and I will include in that list the mediterranean sea. It reminds me of a Cinque Tierra in Italy but surrounded by Volcanos. The lake is usually accessed by the town of Panajache and from there you can visit 11 different towns around the lake. Of these towns there are probably 5 to 8 really worth visiting all different in their own way. The lake is thought to be a mega-volcano which last eruption left material in the US state of Florida. It measures down almost 900ft deep or around 300m.
Two of our favorite spots to visit are the town of Santiago which is still very authentic and Mayan and then also the town of San Juan where you can experience the famous process of the Mayan textile.
There is so much to write about the lake and we have plenty more to share so visit our blog on Lake Atitlan on how to get around, things to do, places to stay, and more places to visit.
