Guatemala

The Lonely Planet I brought with me to Guatemala summarized the country as “the most beautiful trainwreck you’ve ever seen.” I think this is a pretty apt description of this incredible and humbling place, and I don’t mean that with any offense at all. It’s at once chaotic and relaxing, commercial and rural, luxe and impoverished. It’s complicated.

We were only here for a short time, about a week, but wanted to see as much as we could of the spaces between Antigua and Panajachel, which are big tourist destinations. For us, it made sense to rent a car to accomplish that. For you, depending on your driving ability, tolerance for obstacles of every kind and sense of adventure, that may or may not be the right choice. There are many well-established ways to get from place to place without having your own set of wheels. However, I don’t think I would look back at the trip with quite the same fondness had some of our adventures not included driving miles on a one-lane dirt road through a sugarcane plantation, dodging chicken buses and actual chickens, and fording not one but two rivers in our ironically named Kia Rio.

Visit Guatemala. We got by on broken Spanish and everyone we met was kind and went out of their way to help us (as in, local miners helped us cross said river). The food is delicious. The scenery is spectacular. And it’s not going to break the bank.

Here was our (short) itinerary:
Antigua
Lake Atitlan (Panajachel)

Antigua

Antigua was a beautiful and relaxing way to spend several days with no itinerary besides poking around and eating. It’s easily walkable, has a number of great hotel options and offers tasty food of all kinds. Our days were spent sitting by the pool, making 4 trips to the same jeweler to buy more and more jade products and buying more souvenirs than we knew what to do with. Also, taking tons of pictures of the amazing colors and crumbling colonial buildings. Here are my top Antigua recommendations:

Where We Stayed:
Meson Panza Verde. I cannot recommend this boutique hotel highly enough. It’s located on the main street of Antigua but a bit outside the hustle and bustle and has ample parking if you come by car. The hotel was built in the 1980s but in a style that feels like it’s a few hundred years old, with leafy green plants throughout, nooks and crannies to curl up in, beautiful textiles and several roof terraces on which to sip a glass of wine and watch the sun set over the surrounding volcanoes. We stayed in room 4, on the ground floor, which had a living room, bedroom with two double beds, gorgeous bathroom and a lovely private patio with a table and chairs, fountain and a hammock. There is also a pool here, which is stunning – it runs alongside the outdoor tables in the restaurant, so can only be used before and between meals, but we had a lovely time reading books with our feet in the water in the late afternoon. Perhaps most importantly, the staff was top-notch – friendly, accommodating, and always ready with recommendations, from where to buy the best coffee to take home to where to have lunch within a 10 minute walk. They also arranged for us an incredible private volcano hike which I’ll outline below. This is one of my favorite places I’ve ever stayed, and I still can’t get it out of my head.

What We Ate:
Sabe Rico. We had a delicious lunch here one day in the garden which feels like a jungle, with tables and chairs tucked away here and there. The menu is pretty extensive, with a lot of vegetarian options, crowd pleasers and traditional Guatemalan food as well. I had an outstanding pork, beef and chicken stew (their specialty) and the best Michelada (my new favorite drink that no one else likes) I had in Guatemala.

Meson Panza Verde. The restaurant at Meson Panza Verde is, unsurprisingly, also lovely. The food is not Guatemalan, but international and delicious. Definitely on the pricier side but you pay for the impeccable service and also the ambiance. We sat in the “cave” which was beautiful (outside but covered), though so are the seats in the halls, which are lit by candles and have heaters. The night we were there they had live piano music as well. Great cocktails and wine list. A romantic spot!

La Fonda de la Calle Real. Great place to taste Guatemalan food. We did not have reservations and had a bit of a wait but it was well worth it. The kitchen is open and we loved watching the chefs making the dishes while we waited. All of our food was fantastic; we especially loved the Mayan chicken soup and the vegetarian pepian dish. Quick service and a lively atmosphere, and great prices to boot.

Angeline. Angeline is probably the finest dining option in Antigua. It’s a beautiful old house with indoor and outdoor seating just off of the main drag. We booked the 9-course tasting menu, which was delicious, but I think I would recommend ordering a la carte. I am probably one of about 100 people on earth who really love tasting menus, and I enjoyed every course, but the portions seemed much too large and it felt wasteful that we couldn’t come close to finishing them. That aside, the food is incredibly thoughtful and beautifully prepared, and you won’t regret a visit here, particularly for a special occasion.

What We Did:
Volcano hike. Do not miss this. We arranged a private tour through our hotel, but there are countless outfitters in town who can set something up for you as well. If you opt for the bare bones route, you will get transportation and a local Spanish-speaking guide, and you’ll have to pack a lunch. We were able to choose our pickup time and had the benefit of an additional English-speaking guide, named Karen Ayala, who was an archaeologist. Karen was absolutely fantastic and I would enthusiastically recommend her to anyone who is planning a trip (her Facebook page is here). The hike itself is a bit grueling at the beginning (especially because of the relatively high altitude) but could be done at a slow pace by most able-bodied people. There are great views, a lot of history and you get to (famously) roast a marshmallow in an old still-steaming crater. One of the highlights of our trip.

 

Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan was quite possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. I’ve been so lucky to see a lot of the world, but there are few that took my breath away like seeing 3 majestic volcanoes seemingly rise out of this enormous lake. There are a number of towns around the perimeter of the lake, each with its own vibe. We chose to stay near Panajachel, the largest (and most built-up, and most touristy) town because it was the easiest drive from Antigua and we could use it as a landing point for further exploration. Which, as it turns out, we did very little of because we really loved hanging by the pool.

Where We Stayed:
Hotel Atitlan. I will admit that, during dinnertime, Hotel Atitlan felt like we were on a strange stationary cruise ship, with lots of tour groups of middle-aged travelers descending upon the tables. Besides this one oddity, our time at the hotel was absolutely incredible. It is a rambling building set in expansive botanical gardens that are filled with wandering peacocks and manicured lawns that make you feel like you’re Alice in Wonderland. Also, a huge red parrot and a couple of toucans! From your balcony and from the pool there is no better view of the lake and the volcanoes. It is simply stunning. Our room was a triple, with three twin beds, and traditional décor (lots of wood and bright textiles). Perfectly comfortable but not luxurious. The pool area is a huge selling point, with lots of lounge chairs and a Jacuzzi where you can sip drinks and admire the view. The restaurant is also surprisingly really delicious. We ate lunch and dinner here a number of times and were happy with every meal, and the prices. The hotel is about half a mile from town, but on a very busy road, so a tuk-tuk ride (about $4) is the best mode of transportation. I would readily recommend Hotel Atitlan, especially if you’re looking to accomplish maximum relaxing.

What We Ate:
The Place Next to the Panajachel Dock. Unfortunately I do not know the name of this restaurant, but you should eat there. It is the closest thing to the Panajachel ferry, on your righthand side if you’re facing the water. It doesn’t look like much, but we had a blast there on our last night in Guatemala, watching the sun set on the lake. All of our food was top-notch (I had the seafood soup which contained a whole fish, a crab AND mussels) and my Michelada came in a goblet, which is all I could ever ask for. Service was fantastic and friendly. Highly recommend.

What We Did:
Visit lake towns. We almost didn’t leave Panajachel but quickly realized there is not much to do there if you’ve already bought every possible Guatemalan souvenir. It’s also not pretty. So get on a boat and go somewhere else for a few hours. You can easily accomplish this by walking down to the ferry and seeing who’s going where when, and for how much. It was already mid-afternoon so we chose a short trip over to Santa Catarina, a pretty remote town built steeply into the hillside. You can’t really spend more than an hour there, but there’s a beautiful white-washed church at the top and several great shops. A word of warning, BRING CASH. There is no ATM in this town. We were literally turning our pockets inside out for any currency when we each picked out about 10 pieces of traditional ceramics we wanted to buy that we hadn’t seen anywhere else. There’s also a beautiful shop where traditional Mayan weavers are making stunning scarves, tablecloths, etc. Come prepared! We spent all our money and had to get some more to pay our boat captain Andres (who was very understanding) when we got back to Panajachel.