r/travel • u/AutoModerator • Jun 16 '15
Destination of the Week - Guatemala
Weekly topic thread, this week featuring Guatemala. Please contribute all and any questions/thoughts/suggestions/ideas/stories about Guatemala.
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u/DerKaiser023 Living in the US, for now. Jun 16 '15
I lived in Antigua, Guatemala for six months. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
Antigua in and of itself is a pretty amazing city, but full of tourists. It's the tourist capital of Central America and lots of Europeans go there, some days I heard more German than I did Spanish. But there's lots to do, some good restaurants, lots of great bars. I recommend Cafe No Se, it's an expat hole in the wall with their own brand of Mezcal that they have brought down from Mexico. Not very Guatemalan, but it's a fun trip. Monoloco is also a fun bar, just really touristy. Their nachos are awesome though.
Lago Atitlan is a must see. If you go anywhere in Guatemala, go there. 12+ towns around the lake, all with their own personality. Panajachel is fun but the most touristy. San Marcos and San Pedro are probably my favorite places. Close to there is Chichicastenango a massive open market.
Semuc Champey is a lot of fun too. Several springs connected, with lots of hiking around and a fun cave tour. The caves are filled with water and the guides give you a candle. You can bring a headlamp but that kind of ruins the fun if you ask me. Bring good water shoes for that one! The town nearby is lovely too.
I never cared much for Guatemala City. There didn't strike me as much to do, the museums there are just not that great and fairly disorganized.
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u/Alpenholic Jun 25 '15
I'm headed to lake Atitlan this Friday! It's my first trip to Guatemala, thanks for the great suggestions. I'll also be in Guatemala City and Antigua for 3 nights each. Let me know if there are other must sees.
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u/DerKaiser023 Living in the US, for now. Jun 25 '15
Atitlan is amazing! Seriously one of my favorite places in the world, well worth the time. If you can make the trip out to Chichicastenango it's worth it, depending on how much time you have around the lake.
Antigua is great, depends on what you like doing. Very relaxed, all around gorgeous city. But very small. If anything just sitting the Central Park and people watching is fun. If you can, see if you can take the day trip out to Volcan Pacaya to hike it. It's a hard hike, but lots of fun and you can roast marshmallows over the lava sometimes.
I consider Semuc Champey a must see if you have time. I didn't care for Guatemala City personally, so if you can divert time from that into something else I would consider it.
If you have questions, feel free to ask! Have an amazing trip.
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u/Alpenholic Jun 25 '15
I'll be with a an MBA group in Guatemala City so i won't be able to cut that short, but thanks for the suggestions.
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u/DerKaiser023 Living in the US, for now. Jun 25 '15
Ah, well hopefully you have a better experience than I did. There's certainly things to do, it's not like Guatemala City is really horrible. But there's just better things I thought.
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u/mhamm21 Jul 28 '15
I'm traveling there in December.. Which vaccines did you get?
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u/DerKaiser023 Living in the US, for now. Jul 28 '15
A shoot, I don't even remember. (It's been about six years.) I think I got a few Hepatitis vaccines that I needed caught up on anyway and one for a specific fever. But I would give your doctor a call real fast. They'll know.
I didn't take malaria medication either, which some people recommend. Antigua, where I was, didn't have any sort of major threat and I only went to a few places where it was a concern. (Did some reforestation in Santiago Ixcan that probably could have done with some medication, but I managed to get out unscathed.)
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u/fzt 27 countries on 4 continents Jun 16 '15 edited Jun 16 '15
When I went to Guatemala two years ago, I found it very similar to the neighboring Mexican state of Chiapas: many indigenous people, bad roads, gorgeous natural scenery, incredibly colorful decoration and clothes, backpacker-oriented tourist infrastructure.
Not many Mexicans want to travel there because they think it's unsafe. For example, some friends of mine had their car stereo stolen in Guatemala City; and a friend who used to work at the embassy told me that a recurring problem is that rich-looking people get their car checked at the border, only to be robbed some 50 km into Guatemala by people who are obviously colluded with the border agents. Also, firearm regulations are different, to the point that many banks have lockers outside so that customers can leave their guns there before going inside. That being said, I only spent five days in Guatemala and never felt unsafe. I guess you have to be reasonable and trust your instinct, and nothing bad will happen.
Xela (more common name for Quetzaltenango) is a nice little colonial town in the highlands. It has good hostels and cafés, and many tourists stay there a bit longer because of its multiple Spanish schools. The rainy season (May to October) can be really wet, so be sure to bring your raincoat. Trekking in the region is a highlight; the Laguna de Chicabal trail for example is an easy hike that leads to a lake in the crater of an extinct volcano.
You cannot go to Guatemala and not visit Lake Atitlán. Many tourist towns surround the lake, most called after a saint plus "La Laguna": San Pedro La Laguna, San Juan La Laguna, Santa Clara La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna, San Marcos La Laguna. And Panajachel. From what I've heard, most of them are almost the same: some tourist-oriented pedestrian lanes with lakefront fusion restaurants and hostels, a couple of nicer (and more expensive) hotels, and the town proper a bit uphill. Some other things to do are kayaking and hiking up the surrounding volcanoes.
The former capital Antigua reminded me a lot of some smaller Latin American colonial cities like San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Salta (Argentina) and Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay). It's built on what appears to be one of the only flat spots of the country and the city as well as the surrounding nature are really beautiful. I went there during Easter and the festivities were breathtaking. What I also liked was that the foreign community seems to be integrated into society, and the distinction between tourists, expats and locals tends to disappear.
The mean mode of transportation is the "chicken bus", which is nothing more than a flamboyantly painted old American school bus packed with locals and tourists alike. The luggage goes on top of the bus, but you don't really have to worry about it, nobody will care to steal it.
If you fly in from Europe, I would suggest you to check flights to Cancún with Condor and then move southwards by land. Condor's prices are really hard to beat. If you're flying to Guatemala City, try not to stay in town for too long. Its fame of being really unsafe is no joke.
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u/lorrieh Jun 16 '15
Semuc Champey is the highlight of Guatemala for me, although I didn't have time to visit Tikal.
I agree with other travelers who point out the advantages of visiting Chiapas, Mexico, and Guatemala in the same trip. These regions are similar in many ways, and there is plenty to see in both places.
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u/itsmejuli Mexico Jun 17 '15
Xela (more common name for Quetzaltenango)
Studying spanish in Xela is very affordable compared spanish schools in other areas. Most schools offer a home stay with a local family which includes all meals along with spanish lessons. There are schools that offer spanish group classes or you can find affordable private classes.
Check out this informative website listing several spanish schools in Xela http://www.xelapages.com/schools.htm
WiFi where available is good, just don't expect wifi everywhere. Many host families cannot afford a computer and wifi but you will find internet cafes in most neighborhoods.
http://elcuartitocafe.com/ is a nice cafe/bar that has decent wifi, good food and entertainment on the weekends
Check out this website for info on what's going on in Xela http://xelawho.com/
Safety is a concern in Xela after dark. Its not unheard of for unwary foreigners to be the targets of robbers who are often teen boys. Women should not walk alone after dark, walk in groups and be vigilant about your surroundings at all times. Also be aware that there are many street dogs in Xela. Be careful around the dogs, especially after dark when they form packs.
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u/jadeoracle (Do NOT PM/Chat me for Mod Questions) Jun 18 '15
One of my favorite unusual activities that I did in Guatemala was learning where Chocolate comes from and learning how to make various recipes from Cacao Tea, Mayan Hot Chocolate, to making my own candy bars. I did this in Antigua, a few blocks off the main square is the Choco museum. I highly recommend checking out the free museum and then if you have time take one of their workshops. However, note that the chocolate you will make will be dark chocolate (I'm a Milk Chocolate fan) and be prepared to eat/give it away quickly as it doesn't keep very long in my hot hostel!
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u/tabletopjoe Jun 23 '15
Hey all! Might be a bit late, but check out Guatemala Hostels. It's a travel info & hostel directory site I've been working on for some time. Look up hostels (great, quality photos) and check out what to do in an area.
Also, I have TONS of information about Guatemala travel -- I've been researching (traveling) for the site for the past 7 months straight. Feel free to message me!
Happy to answer anything I can.
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u/brovash Jan 17 '23
damn bruh I came across this post from a google search, was excited to see your directory, and saw that it's gone :(
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u/brteacher Jun 24 '15
I've eaten at El Tenedor del Cerro above Antigua several times and had outstanding food each time. And the views are breathtaking.
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u/Travelingman0 Jun 24 '15
check out the Macadamia nut farm outside ciudad vieja in Antigua, that place is great.
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u/wesypoomagoo Jun 17 '15
I spent about a month there in totally after a couple trips of a little over a week a piece. The cliche about Guatemala City being unsafe is no joke. One thing you will notice is the mirrored windows of the cars. That's not a trend thing. It's a safety thing, as to not be able to tell how many people are in the cars. If you have to walk the streets don't stop and chat. Act like you know we're you're going even if you don't. When I was there I saw someone get shot. So the safety is no joke. Just be careful and if you can have a guide. But that is pretty much the only "negative" of Guatemala. The people outside of Guatemala City in the villages are the nicest and happiest that iv seen in my travels. They are more than welcoming and I never felt unsafe once outside of the city. When I was there We were lucky enough to find a guide in a village at the base of Mt.picaya where we climbed to the summit of the volcano and is to this day one of the coolest things iv ever done. Also spent some time at Ixemche which is an old Mayan ruin where I got to participate in a ancient Mayan ritual with one of the few still practicing Mayan traditions. Finally I always went to Antigua. It's a beautiful colonial town that like many have said is a very touristy center with much to see and do. If you are into nature of any kind Guatemala is the place to go.
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u/ATasteforTravel Jun 19 '15
Guatemala is also home to one of the world's most undiscovered cuisines - a mix of Caribbean, Spanish and Maya traditions and flavours. Not only can you explore unique tastes such as coconut milk, and fresh-caught seafood in dishes such as tapado soup in Rio Dulce on the Caribbean coast, but the rich volcanic soil of the terraced hillsides in the highlands yield an exceptional bounty of produce such as maize, huisquil (chayote) and calabaza (squash). If you're a food adventurer, don't miss the unforgettable experience of shopping the open markets in Solola and Chichicastenango. I wrote a blog post about a cooking class in Panajachel where I learned to make Pulique, a ceremonial chicken dish popular among Kaqchikel indigenous Maya. Many of the Spanish language schools include cooking classes and market tours in their weekly schedules for students. The Mercado Central in Guatemala City is also a fascinating place to spend a half-day exploring and tasting unique foods such as chuchitos and tamalitos.
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u/FloridaBeachTravel Jul 12 '15
This guesthouse is in Antigua - it was very clean, included excellent food & the owners treat you like family - the website includes a lot of information for travelers, Spanish students and volunteers, check it out if you have plans to visit this UNESCO city - Antigua Guatemala
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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '15
Do yourself a favor and go trekking with Quetzaltrekkers.