Guatemala Master Thread

[rivkyw]

Panajachel

[rivkyw]

This is a wonderful art gallery that provides art lessons and paint classes. this makes a beautiful souvenir from your trip and can be found several stores down the street from the Chabad house.

[rivkyw]

San Pedro

[Yaalili]

Continued from above..

From Lake Atitlan it was time to make the trip back to Guatemala City to catch a flight to Flores. It is about a 4 hour trip from San Pedro to Guatemala City, and you can either hire a private car for about $80-100 or you can take a shared shuttle for about $20-25 per person. Most shuttles from Atitlan (either San Pedro or Pana) will make their way to Guatemala City via Antigua Guatemala and from there you may change vehicles to another shuttle heading to the airport. From San Pedro, most shuttles to Antigua seems to leave at 5:30am, 8:30am or 2:30pm. There are some more options and times from Pana if you take the boat across to the other side of the lake.

There are only two domestic destinations from Guatemala City, one is to Puerto Barrios - a small port town on the Caribbean coast, and there is Flores, which is the airport for the Northern section of Guatemala and the closest airport to Tikal National Park. Flights can be pretty expensive for the short 45 minute flight to Flores, but TAG was running a promotion for RT tickets (must book RT) to be $95 RT, instead of the usual cost of $195 RT. This certainly beats making the long drive up north, and Flores/Tikal is incredible and was very worth it. Because there are almost no domestic flights, the domestic security at the airport only opens about 45 minutes before each flight, and there is a separate dedicated domestic departure area in the airport. No lounges or amenities, but you won't be spending much time in this area of the airport anyway.


View shortly after takeoff from Guatemala City on TAG Airlines.

Flights up and down were uneventful, smooth and quick. TAG does provide a bottle of water on the short flight, and they also provide a mask and small hand sanitizer bottle for each passenger. Other than that, not much else to speak of.


View shortly before landing in Flores on TAG Airlines.

A Tuk Tuk from the airport into the island of Flores is about $1.30 US for the 10 minute ride. There is one points hotel on the island of Flores, and it is the Ramada which can be booked for 7.5K Wyndham points per night, and it is a great option for staying on the island. Fast WiFi, excellent balcony view of Lake Petén, great service, assist with booking tours etc. There is also a SLH Hyatt about 20 minutes from Flores and it is category 4 property.


View of Lake Petén from the balcony at Ramada Flores.

The Island of Flores is very small, colorful and it takes about 20-25 minutes to walk a full circle around the island. There used to be Chabad in Flores on this island in 2018, but it seems they have since closed or moved away. The next day after arriving would be a long day exploring Tikal..

[Yaalili]

Day trip to Tikal National Park.

Scheduled a guided group tour through the Ramada Hotel for about $20/person for transportation and guide, and additional $20/person for the foreigner park entrance fee. The tour left from Flores at 8am, arriving to Tikal National Park about 9:30am. Leaving the park at 3pm and returning to Flores about 4:30pm. 5 hours was the perfect amount of time to get in most of the main sights of the park, and lots of hiking from place to place.


Map that gives a layout of the park and distances between areas.


Spider Monkeys up in the trees.

About 70% of ancient Tikal is still buried underground, some of the mounds noticeable as you walk through the grounds. With that, there are still many many structures that can be climbed, some on the steps of the structures, others on specially built staircases that go up the side of the structure.


View from the bottom of one of the unburied structures with specially built staircase on the side.


View from the bottom of one of the unburied structures with specially built staircase on the side.


View from the top of one of the structures.


View from the top of one of the structures.

The weather turned out to be a great day for the trip. It was hot (about 75-80) but not unbearably hot, as it was when we did Yucatan Sites in September. There was lots of shade throughout the site and trails.


One of the central Acropolis areas.


The most famous of the structures, usually seen when you Google Tikal National Park.


The most famous of the structures, usually seen when you Google Tikal National Park.


View of the main structure from a facing viewing tower.


Many many of these steps throughout the day.


Wrap of the day.

At about 3pm we packed back into the shared shuttle and made the 90 minute drive back to Flores, arriving before 5pm. Tikal was definitely a highlight of the Guatemala trip and worth making the trip up north to Flores. This was way better than any Yucatan sights I have been to, and more in line with Monte Alban, though not quite as grand as some sites in Peru IMO, specifically MP. Flores is also a great chilled place to spend a few days, very relaxing island and slow-paced.

[Yaalili]

Some pictures from around the island of Flores.

[Yaalili]

Flying back on TAG Airlines from Flores to Guatemala City.

[Yaalili]

For the last night in Guatemala, did a stay at the Hyatt Centric in Guatemala City about 10 minutes drive from the airport. Guatemala City is usually not high on any tourist list for Guatemala, though the area where the Hyatt (and other Hotels are) located is considered pretty safe, built up, and modern. Lots of new shipping complex malls around the area, lots of security and it feels safe. Had an early flight out of Guatemala City Airport so wanted to be close by, and had read good reviews about the Hyatt there, which is a Cat #2 hotel.


View from the hotel rooftop.


View from the hotel rooftop.

As a Globalist, was upgraded to a suite prior to arrival, which was spacious and comfortable. They have a Globalist perk at this Hyatt for a free private car transportation to the airport. Not a huge value, as Uber from here to the airport is about $2, but still a nice gesture. The rooftop pool is the highlight at this hotel with 360 views of downtown Guatemala City and the airport in the distance. Nice place to relax and have a drink. Globalist welcome amenity was a bottle of water and a trio of nuts. All in all was a comfortable stay near the airport.

Security at the airport on departure was again a breeze and took maybe 10 minutes at most between security and immigration to get past security. There is a nice PP lounge after security that is a good place to wait for your flight departure.

That sums up my Guatemala TR, hope someone will find this helpful for a future trip. Any other questions, feel free to post.

[wonderlust]

Going to Guatemala next week with some friends. As of now the itinerary is arrive in Monday
 6am and fly out Thur night 11pm both in/out GUA. Considering Antigua Monday & Chabad tour Monday night of the volcano Fuego. We would look to do the coffee tour and “horses in the cloud” tour of the other volcanoes as well Mon/Tue. Then head to Lake Atitlan and stay there Tue & Wednesday night and head back to GUA Thur:

Would love any feedback I can get on the following;
1- how is phone service/WiFi in hotels etc in these areas? Do outlets take reg chargers or need converter like Israel?
2- which hotels in Antigua & Lake Attila are recommended?
3- for Fuego, are there any other tours we should consider? Do they have flyovers helicopters/Cessna? We are looking to take the jeep up vs the 5 hr hike? Any idea what weather is like on top in august? Is it 30’s or warmer than that?
4- are there any mayan ruins near GUA/Antigua/Lake Attila? Same question regarding jungles/jaguar sanctuary or white water rafting or is that all in the north country?
5- any specific hikes/tours/activities we should make sure to do?

Thanks so much!

[ponash123]

Going to Guatemala next week with some friends. As of now the itinerary is arrive in Monday
 6am and fly out Thur night 11pm both in/out GUA. Considering Antigua Monday & Chabad tour Monday night of the volcano Fuego. We would look to do the coffee tour and “horses in the cloud” tour of the other volcanoes as well Mon/Tue. Then head to Lake Atitlan and stay there Tue & Wednesday night and head back to GUA Thur:

Would love any feedback I can get on the following;
1- how is phone service/WiFi in hotels etc in these areas? Do outlets take reg chargers or need converter like Israel?
2- which hotels in Antigua & Lake Attila are recommended?
3- for Fuego, are there any other tours we should consider? Do they have flyovers helicopters/Cessna? We are looking to take the jeep up vs the 5 hr hike? Any idea what weather is like on top in august? Is it 30’s or warmer than that?
4- are there any mayan ruins near GUA/Antigua/Lake Attila? Same question regarding jungles/jaguar sanctuary or white water rafting or is that all in the north country?
5- any specific hikes/tours/activities we should make sure to do?

Thanks so much!

1. Phone service was fine as far as I remember. You don't need a converter, it's like the US
2. Read my tr for my hotel info
3. I don't know about this. The hike is definitely quite hard, but it's a great thing to do
4. If you're going to the Lake, I would stop off The Iximche Mayan Ruins, which I believe is somewhat on the way / in between the two. Of course Tikal is the biggest and most famous, but that's on the other side of the country.
5. If you are feeling up to it, Pacaya Volcano is a good half day hike. It's different than Acatengango because you are on the actual volcano, can see the steam beneath your feet etc. I believe it's much easier
- Village tour - chocolate, macadamia, leather tour etc
- Markets
- Segway tour of the town
- On the outskirts of Antigua there are coffee plantations you can visit

[wonderlust]

1. Phone service was fine as far as I remember. You don't need a converter, it's like the US
2. Read my tr for my hotel info
3. I don't know about this. The hike is definitely quite hard, but it's a great thing to do
4. If you're going to the Lake, I would stop off The Iximche Mayan Ruins, which I believe is somewhat on the way / in between the two. Of course Tikal is the biggest and most famous, but that's on the other side of the country.
5. If you are feeling up to it, Pacaya Volcano is a good half day hike. It's different than Acatengango because you are on the actual volcano, can see the steam beneath your feet etc. I believe it's much easier
- Village tour - chocolate, macadamia, leather tour etc
- Markets
- Segway tour of the town
- On the outskirts of Antigua there are coffee plantations you can visit

Thanks! We actually just had an idea to fly to Flora on either Monday an Thur and see Tikal, seems they have daily shuttle flights there.

[wonderlust]

Day trip to Tikal National Park.

Scheduled a guided group tour through the Ramada Hotel for about $20/person for transportation and guide, and additional $20/person for the foreigner park entrance fee. The tour left from Flores at 8am, arriving to Tikal National Park about 9:30am. Leaving the park at 3pm and returning to Flores about 4:30pm. 5 hours was the perfect amount of time to get in most of the main sights of the park, and lots of hiking from place to place.


Map that gives a layout of the park and distances between areas.


Spider Monkeys up in the trees.

About 70% of ancient Tikal is still buried underground, some of the mounds noticeable as you walk through the grounds. With that, there are still many many structures that can be climbed, some on the steps of the structures, others on specially built staircases that go up the side of the structure.


View from the bottom of one of the unburied structures with specially built staircase on the side.


View from the bottom of one of the unburied structures with specially built staircase on the side.


View from the top of one of the structures.


View from the top of one of the structures.

The weather turned out to be a great day for the trip. It was hot (about 75-80) but not unbearably hot, as it was when we did Yucatan Sites in September. There was lots of shade throughout the site and trails.


One of the central Acropolis areas.


The most famous of the structures, usually seen when you Google Tikal National Park.


The most famous of the structures, usually seen when you Google Tikal National Park.


View of the main structure from a facing viewing tower.


Many many of these steps throughout the day.


Wrap of the day.

At about 3pm we packed back into the shared shuttle and made the 90 minute drive back to Flores, arriving before 5pm. Tikal was definitely a highlight of the Guatemala trip and worth making the trip up north to Flores. This was way better than any Yucatan sights I have been to, and more in line with Monte Alban, though not quite as grand as some sites in Peru IMO, specifically MP. Flores is also a great chilled place to spend a few days, very relaxing island and slow-paced.

There is a 9:00am flight from GUA to Flores and a return same day at either 5:00pm or 8:15 pm. Do you think the 5:00pm is enough time to get it all in (land 10:00am and back at airport ~4:00/4:30 so really only 6 hrs to work with) or should we take the 8:15? Are these flights subject to delay/cancelations or generally reliable and on time?

Thanks!

[ad120]

Going to Guatemala next week with some friends. As of now the itinerary is arrive in Monday
 6am and fly out Thur night 11pm both in/out GUA. Considering Antigua Monday & Chabad tour Monday night of the volcano Fuego. We would look to do the coffee tour and “horses in the cloud” tour of the other volcanoes as well Mon/Tue. Then head to Lake Atitlan and stay there Tue & Wednesday night and head back to GUA Thur:

Would love any feedback I can get on the following;
1- how is phone service/WiFi in hotels etc in these areas? Do outlets take reg chargers or need converter like Israel?
2- which hotels in Antigua & Lake Attila are recommended?
3- for Fuego, are there any other tours we should consider? Do they have flyovers helicopters/Cessna? We are looking to take the jeep up vs the 5 hr hike? Any idea what weather is like on top in august? Is it 30’s or warmer than that?
4- are there any mayan ruins near GUA/Antigua/Lake Attila? Same question regarding jungles/jaguar sanctuary or white water rafting or is that all in the north country?
5- any specific hikes/tours/activities we should make sure to do?

Thanks so much!

Atitlan is about 3.5 hours from the City and Antigua is only an hour. I therefore think that it’s better to that you start in Atitlan as you are arriving at 6 A.M. This will still allow you to enjoy a full day in Atitlan on arrival day and will save you time on the back end from Antigua. As far as Wi-Fi & Cellular Service is concerned, it’s pretty reliable. Although if you get a Claro SIM card it’s well worth it as you can make unlimited USA calls for cheap with good data options. It’ll be more expensive in the airport though. With regards to accommodations in Atitlan, the two resorts are Sababa in San Pedro or Selina in Pana. But I’d recommend renting a nice Airbnb on the lake in San Marcos or some of the other villages. If you are in Atitlan, Indian Nose is a must and have two amazing tour guides that I can refer you to. You can also do some workshops and get a message  while you are in Atitlan. The area is very tranquil and peaceful so just enjoy and relax. I think it’s also important for you to figure out what it is that you want to see because every village offers something else. It’s very diverse.

[ad120]

Atitlan is about 3.5 hours from the City and Antigua is only an hour. I therefore think that it’s better to that you start in Atitlan as you are arriving at 6 A.M. This will still allow you to enjoy a full day in Atitlan on arrival day and will save you time on the back end from Antigua. As far as Wi-Fi & Cellular Service is concerned, it’s pretty reliable. Although if you get a Claro SIM card it’s well worth it as you can make unlimited USA calls for cheap with good data options. It’ll be more expensive in the airport though. With regards to accommodations in Atitlan, the two resorts are Sababa in San Pedro or Selina in Pana. But I’d recommend renting a nice Airbnb on the lake in San Marcos or some of the other villages. If you are in Atitlan, Indian Nose is a must and have two amazing tour guides that I can refer you to. You can also do some workshops and get a message  while you are in Atitlan. The area is very tranquil and peaceful so just enjoy and relax. I think it’s also important for you to figure out what it is that you want to see because every village offers something else. It’s very diverse.

For Antigua, I’d recommend Hotel Casa Santa Domingo. It a really nice property with a rich history. The hotel even has a museum. It’s gorgeous. It is one of the only hotels in the city with a pool as well. In regards to the Volcanoes are concerned, Acentenango is not to be underestimated. It is an extremely tough and intense hike to base camp. It knocks you a out for the following day. You can see Fuego erupt and shoot out Lava at base camp but that is dependent on weather. So no guarantees. It is also very cold at base camp so make sure you bring enough layers and prepare yourself for an uncomfortable night’s sleep. As per hiking Fuego, most people don’t go there. In fact I spoke to someone who did, an Israeli basketball player who is very fit. He told me that it wasn’t worth it. I think you should Hike Picaya or take a Horse up, book Simoon Tours Mountain tour including Hobitenango. I wanted do El Pilar but didn’t have the time. While in the city, go to Cerro de La Cruz. The view of the city from there is amazing. Obviously go to the market. It quite Big. You definitely need to haggle as the prices are inflated.  There is a second hand market behind the market, just near the chicken bus station. Speaking of the chicken bus, I recommend you try it out. I took the bus from Antigua to Pana, it was a quite an experience. Though perhaps you should try it from Antigua to the city. For Guatemala itself cash is king. Most vendors don’t accept credit card, including Chabad in Antigua. In Atitlan, ATM’s are sparse. Especially in San Marcos where there is only one ATM that only works randomly 3 times a week. So make sure to take out enough cash before coming to Atitlan. There are also only one Supermarket in Atitlan. It’s located Pana. There are tiendas on the other side of the the lake but that’s it. So come stocked up. Another thing to note is that there are no taxis in Atitlan, just boats and tuk tuks. It cost 10Q per person to ride on the tuk tuk and the can only go to to the entrance of the next village over so if you need to go from let’s say San Juan to San Marcos you should take the boat.

[Yaalili]

There is a 9:00am flight from GUA to Flores and a return same day at either 5:00pm or 8:15 pm. Do you think the 5:00pm is enough time to get it all in (land 10:00am and back at airport ~4:00/4:30 so really only 6 hrs to work with) or should we take the 8:15? Are these flights subject to delay/cancelations or generally reliable and on time?

Thanks!

If you can swing it and your schedule is flexible, I would recommend an overnight stay on the island of Flores. It's a special lively place and fun place at night. It's also in a beautiful area surrounded by the lake and chirping birds.

Domestic flights were all on time during my trip. You also only need to come 30-45 minutes before the domestic flights and you will be bored if you show up much earlier. Keep in mind Tikal is a solid hour plus from FRS and the town of Flores, so you would be on the road for a few hours. If not staying the night, 5pm is probably doable but you may feel rushed in Tikal. We did a 3-4 hour Tikal guided tour and still felt that could of stayed there a little longer.

[mendyt]

The next major area on most tourists itinerary would be Lake Atitlan, a beautiful volcanic lake surrounded by mountains and volcanos on all sides, and dotted with both local and touristy towns on the lakeshore all around. The main town of interest to Frum travelers would be "San Pedro La Laguna" as you will find the Chabad house here (yellow flag) and 3 kosher restaurants. The town is very central on the southside of the lake and has beautiful views of the surrounding nature. 


View of the Lakeshore and Chabad.

You should be able to recognize the Chabad House in the above picture, with it's prime location right near the lake, and within a 2 minute walk from where the Lanchas (lake boats) depart from to other towns around the lake. The lanchas are cheap, with most rides around the lake costing around $1-3 US and they go generally as soon as they fill up, and frequently throughout the day.

The 2 main towns are San Pedro La Laguna - where the Chabad is - and Panajachel (or Pana as referred to), which is a larger town and closer to main highway, so it has more transportation options and connectivity. Between the 2, San Pedro has more to do, has a better view of the lake IMO, and closer to other attractions in the area, such as Indian Nose, Volcan de San Pedro, Coffee plantation tours etc. San Pedro to Panajachel is about a 25 minute boat ride across the lake, Pana is on the north side of the lake. Other towns around the lake include San Marcos (roughly equal distance to Pana and San Pedro), where people go for Yoga and Meditation retreats, energy healing, massage, spas etc.

Chabad here attracts mostly an Israeli crowd (unlike Antigua where you have many others too), and Hebrew is pretty much all you will hear being spoken. The same is true around the town of San Pedro, where you will hear Hebrew throughout town, probably more than Spanish, at least in the touristy part near the lakeshore. Chabad has 3 restaurants in San Pedro:

1) Espresso Café Bar - this is a dairy eatery. They serve Panini's, coffee, smoothies, pasta, pizza, and similar stuff. Prices are a bit on the higher end at this location, compared with drinks at other places around town.
2) Ha-Falafel - They sell Falafel - They also sell Shawarma, Pargiyot, Kebab etc.. Pretty small menu but all very reasonably prices, and the cheapest of the 3 places. Sandwiches ranges from $3.50-$6.00 or so. They are open from 10am to 10pm.
3) Jerusalem Restaurant - while the 2 above are located on either side of the Chabad house, this one is located in the Chabad house on the 2nd floor. Small menu of Schnitzel, Couscous, Burgers and one day a week they do Shakshuka, pretty sure that is the extent of it.


The main tourist "street" where Chabad is located.

If you are sensitive to noisy/loud places you may want to reconsider staying in San Pedro, or maybe just visiting as a day trip from another town. The town is NOISY! Between the nonstop loud music playing through the night, the backpacking partying, and the stray dogs barking throughout the late night and early morning, this is not a quiet place at night!

Thanks Yalili for your report!
Did you sleep in San Pedro?
Would love to get recommendations

[CanadianJew]

I stayed in Camino Real in Antigua. Really nice place, it's one of the top places in the city and is quite reasonably priced.

In Atitlan we stayed at this Airbnb: Beautiful view, nice pool (not heated so a little cold), private hot tubs. It is has a private dock where the lanchas can drop you off and pick you up. Couple minute walk from Santa Cruz. Highly recommend: https://abnb.me/m0E8b6NBswb

[mendyt]

I stayed in Camino Real in Antigua. Really nice place, it's one of the top places in the city and is quite reasonably priced.

In Atitlan we stayed at this Airbnb: Beautiful view, nice pool (not heated so a little cold), private hot tubs. It is has a private dock where the lanchas can drop you off and pick you up. Couple minute walk from Santa Cruz. Highly recommend: https://abnb.me/m0E8b6NBswb

Thanks for sharing, We will be 4 adults, so I need something larger than this.
Im tempted to sleep in San Pedro just for the food.
Do the water taxis operated at night? I doubt it.

[CanadianJew]

Thanks for sharing, We will be 4 adults, so I need something larger than this.
Im tempted to sleep in San Pedro just for the food.
Do the water taxis operated at night? I doubt it.

In San Pedro we stayed at Sababa. Not such a nice place, didn't feel clean at all, but I think it's the most upscale in San Pedro (San Pedro is pretty run down to say the least). The lanchas don't operate at night (you can arrange private I think if you're willing to pay)

[Yaalili]

Thanks Yalili for your report!
Did you sleep in San Pedro?
Would love to get recommendations

These are some of the best there.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/46664370?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&check_in=2023-01-10&check_out=2023-01-17&source_impression_id=p3_1673312579_HoKBWJ1NH92AFvZu

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/46664242?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&check_in=2023-01-15&check_out=2023-01-22&source_impression_id=p3_1673312581_a4RI6hepBvSuEeuD

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30792335?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&check_in=2023-01-17&check_out=2023-01-23&source_impression_id=p3_1673312598_h6a7glKtBtIJb%2FIs

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/46664455?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&check_in=2023-01-28&check_out=2023-02-03&source_impression_id=p3_1673312601_fyFxCWyBdRExewyQ

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30791853?adults=1&children=0&infants=0&pets=0&check_in=2023-02-10&check_out=2023-02-15&source_impression_id=p3_1673312606_LC%2FlUO0F0%2B8GzmKc