Blogs from Guatemala, Central America Caribbean

Antigua Guatemala is the place where every visitor heads for at some stage on their trip to Guatemala. For this reason we were a bit wary of going there, but we booked anurl=https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/24201941?check_in=2024-01-24&check_out=2024-01-27&guests=1&adults=2&s=25&unique_share_id=79981e93-c9f9-4f8a-80d1-2a426ac31bad&fbclid=IwAR29QlJ65CEDwvowbOgI0vn4rCx63OlfNN4aWjYMAFH2QEUpeS4OxQ0Iugw&source_impression_id=p3_1707578583_rYLOQunsRpHUNH3C Air B&B so we were away from most of the action which suited us. Luckily we were located just a block away from where the bus dropped us off, and right opposite the office where my sunglasses would just arrive in the nick of time!! We enjoyed our time just wandering the picturesque cobbled streets. For us there was no need for excursions to climb a volcano or anything... read more

We were happy with our choice of taking an Uber from Guatemala City to Panajachel on Lake Atitlán. It was pretty speedy - a little too speedy at times - and got us to our hotel at check-in time with military precision! The url=https://www.booking.com/hotel/gt/posada-gutierrez.en-gb.html?aid=1769628&sid=ef6f4c27fb07edaed3e690c1da73a6edHotel Posada Gutierrez was a short walk out of town which we preferred as we had read that the bars could get quite lively. It was a bit expensive for what it was but we were generally satisfied with the place. Breakfast was good and there was always access to filtered water for our bottles. Walking down Calle Santander can be a bit hectic. That's where the loud bars are, and believe me they are loud! There are also some great restaurants there, offering pretty good value for decent quality meals. The street ... read more

While I was in the capital, my friend Carolyn was in Tikal, and then we continued our journey together to Antigua. This is a lovely old town, Unesco World Heritage site, and for a reason. There are so many beautiful buildings from 16th to 19th century with distinct architectural features, which our tour guide explained in detail (highly recommend Nelson from Guruwalk!). It used to be the capital, but after a major earthquake in 1773, the capital was moved to today's site. And when you look around, you'll see at least 3 volcanoes, one of which was very active, with smoke blowing up every day (but far enough from the city). We spent three days enjoying many, many lovely cafes, restaurants, various museums, including Museo de Cacao (ok, it's touristy, but it was a fun hour ... read more

What a lovely village! It's the only place where they won't sell land to outsiders, which makes it very authentic. It's an artsy place, which you notice as soon as you're off the boat, walking uphill on a narrow street with colourful stuff hanging above you. There are many murals, art galleries and art stores, and local handmade products such as traditional medicines, cosmetics, clothing, chocolates, etc. We visited a women's weaving co-op (Asociacion De Mujeres En Colores Botanico)where local women use old-style backstrap weaving techniques and natural colours to make traditional huipils (shirts) and other clothing, tablecloths, pillowcases (got one!), hair ribbon band (Carolyn got one!), and more. Then we had a nice (big) lunch at Alma De Colores, which is a project (including restaurant) that supports and hires people with disabilities. And finally, we ... read more

Ten days in Guatemala is just enough to get a glimpse into the history, culture, people, and customs of this beautiful country. First few days of the trip I spent alone in Guatemala City, which I really enjoyed. It's a very large and growing city with wide boulevards, bustling markets, and some amazing historic buildings. I took a city tour, which gave me a great overview and a chance to ask many questions, try some delicious food that the guide recommended (otherwise I wouldn't have known), take 360-pictures from top of a downtown building with a great restaurant, and see a parade (it was a week after Easter). Later on, I walked around zone 10 and found a very nice area with lots of restaurants and a great book store, where I got to buy a ... read more