Discover Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Tikal and Semuc Champey with practical tips, travel times and activities
Guatemala is a fantastic country in Central America with countless highlights for backpackers and adventurous travelers. From colorful colonial cities to spectacular volcanoes and impressive nature, Guatemala offers everything you’re looking for on a trip. We traveled in 4 weeks from Antigua to Flores and visited the most beautiful places along the way. In this blog, you’ll discover the best destinations in Guatemala, practical tips, and activities you don’t want to miss..
Antigua – the most beautiful city in Guatemala
Lake Atitlán – the backpacker’s paradise of Guatemala
Lanquín – home base for the impressive Semuc Champey
Flores – charming town and the perfect base for visiting Tikal
Río Dulce & Livingston – calm, tropical and perfect for relaxing
Our favorite hotels in Guatemala
Is Guatemala safe?
What is the best time to travel to guatemala?
How many days do you need for Guatemala?
Antigua – the most beautiful city in Guatemala
Antigua is zonder twijfel de mooiste stad van Guatemala. De koloniale gebouwen, kleurrijke straten, gezellige pleinen en kathedralen geven de stad een bijna Spaans sfeertje. Veel reizigers denken dat Antigua vooral voor luxe toeristen is, maar niets is minder waar: het is juist een heerlijke plek voor backpackers, met fijne hostels, lekkere eettentjeslekkere eettentjes en veel leuke activiteiten.
What to do in Antigua?
The city is surrounded by huge mountains and volcanoes, providing spectacular views. One of the most popular places to visit is Hobbitenango: a hobbit-themed attraction park with unique huts, fun activities, and stunning viewpoints over the valley and Antigua. It is touristy, but definitely worth a visit.
Entrance fee: The entrance fee is €8 per person; this also includes the truck that takes you up the mountain from the entrance.
On the same mountain, you’ll also find the viewpoint over Antigua: Cerro de la Cruz. You can easily get there by a short hike from the city or by taking a tuk-tuk or Uber. The entrance is completely free.
Climb the Acatenango volcano
One of the absolute must-dos in Guatemala is the Acatenango hike. With an organized tour, you climb the volcano and sleep at a basecamp, while continuously hearing and seeing the nearby Fuego volcano erupt (about every 20 minutes). This adventure is intense, but it might just be the coolest thing you can do while backpacking in Guatemala (at least, that’s what we thought).
Lake Atitlán – the backpacker’s paradise of Guatemala
The beautiful Lake Atitlán is a massive crater lake, surrounded by volcanoes and several small villages. This is the perfect place for backpackers who want to relax, hike, do yoga, or enjoy the local life around the lake. There are also plenty of great restaurants and cozy coffee shops here.
Where to stay at Lake Atitlán?
The most popular villages to stay in – and the ones we recommend – are:
- San Pedro: the perfect spot for backpackers, with great hostels and affordable restaurants.
- San Marcos: relaxed, spiritual, and perfect for yoga and trendy cafés.
With the water taxis, you can easily travel between the villages and explore multiple places without having to move all your belongings each time.
Activities around Lake Atitlán
- Sunrise hike to Indian Nose: from this spot, you get a stunning view over the lake while watching the sunrise. You do have to get up early though; you’re picked up at 3:00 AM to drive to the start of the hike.
- Kayaking on the lake: you can rent kayaks and SUPs at various spots around the lake.
- Visit viewpoints: such as the one in San Marcos, where you can also jump off a 12-meter-high platform.
- Explore local markets and Mayan villages. In the different villages, there are often markets selling everything from jewelry to food.
Lake Atitlán is really one of those places where you end up staying longer than planned.
Lanquín – home base for the impressive Semuc Champey
The village of Lanquín itself is not very remarkable. There aren’t many hotels or restaurants, but people come here for one main reason: it is the base for visiting Semuc Champey, one of the most beautiful natural wonders in Guatemala.
Visiting Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey consists of turquoise water pools cascading through the jungle; a unique place you’ll hardly find anywhere else in the world. The hike to the viewpoint is absolutely worth it, and once you’re down, you can enjoy swimming in the clear water. Even though the journey to Lanquín can be long, Semuc Champey is a must on any backpacking route through Guatemala.
Tip: bring water shoes and wear swimwear so you can enjoy cooling off in the water.
Flores – charming town and the perfect base for visiting Tikal
In the north of Guatemala lies the colorful and charming Flores, located on a small “island.” Although there isn’t an overwhelming amount to do in the town itself, it has a great atmosphere and plenty of nice waterfront restaurants. It’s also the ideal place to continue your travels to destinations like Belize or Mexico.
TipBook your shuttle to Belizeonline in advance. From there, you can also easily continue traveling to Mexico by public transport.
Visit the Maya city of Tikal
The main reason to visit Flores is of course Tikal: one of the most important and impressive Maya cities in the world. In the middle of the jungle, you’ll find massive temples, howler monkeys, and exotic birds. Tikal is an absolute must-see during a trip through Guatemala and is even more enjoyable to visit with a sunrise or sunset tour..
Price: The entrance fee is 150 quetzales per person.
Río Dulce & Livingston – calm, tropical and perfect for relaxing
Río Dulce is a small village along the river of the same name, which flows into the Caribbean Sea. You can stay in lovely lodges right on the water and take a boat trip to Livingston, a laid-back coastal town with Garifuna influences.
Although Río Dulce is a bit further off the standard route, many travelers consider it a great place to fully unwind. From this region, you can also easily continue your journey to Belize.
Is Guatemala safe?
Guatemala is safe to travel if you follow the standard backpacker route. We also recommend always traveling by shuttle instead of local buses, as robberies still occasionally occur on local buses. That said, there are backpackers who do take them and never experience any issues. Because it’s so easy to travel from one place to another by shuttle, the country is perfect for both beginner and experienced backpackers.
What is the best time to travel to guatemala?
The best time to travel is during the dry season, from November to May. During these months, you have the lowest chance of rain and the highest chance of good weather. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no rain at all during this period.
We were in Guatemala in April and May and experienced heavy rain showers in Lanquín that flooded the streets. When we continued to Flores, we were surprised by 42 degrees Celsius. The weather can vary greatly between places. In Lake Atitlán and Antigua, for example, the temperatures are much lower because these spots are located at higher altitudes.
How many days do you need for Guatemala?
In 2 weeks, you can visit almost all of these beautiful places. However, this means you’ll have a fairly tight schedule. We personally prefer slow travel, where there’s time to make plans on the day or just take it easy. If that applies to you as well, we would recommend setting aside at least 3 weeks for your trip through Guatemala.
-
About us
Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
-
Contact Info
Currently in The Netherlands info@graduatedtravelers.com
Hi! Ben jij blij met onze gratis tips over de mooiste plekken op de wereld? En heeft het jou geholpen met jouw volgende reis? Trakteer ons dan op een kopje koffie door op de onderstaande knop te klikken. Wij waarderen dat enorm en zo kunnen wij nog veel meer handige tips en tricks schrijven in het bijzijn van een heerlijk bakje koffie ;) Bedankt!
English 
Dutch