Trip Report: Guatemala
Visited in March 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have a winner. Guatemala was my last country in Central America, and I would say it was easily the best. In March 2024, Kati and I traveled to the westernmost nation of Central America. This article delves into the reasons Guatemala was an incredible destination and why you shouldn’t wait much longer to visit.
I’ll skip the lengthy details about Guatemala and dive into our itinerary. We entered Guatemala through the land border from Belize. The border crossing was straightforward, and we reached our first stop Flores in northern Guatemala by Thursday evening. It was a long day. Since our bus had a delay of three hours, it took almost twelve hours from Caye Caulker in Belize to Flores.
Flores serves as the entry point to Tikal National Park, one of Guatemala’n’s main attractions. We made sure to explore this ancient Mayan site, as it was one of our main priorities in the country. Our visit coincided with the tail end of Semana Santa, the Easter week, when many locals are on holiday, resulting in crowded places, parades during the days and parties at night. Therefore, we also encountered many people at the national park.
From Flores, we took a flight to Guatemala City, then an Uber from the capital’s airport to Antigua, which is about 50 minutes away. Alternatively, a bus ride from Flores would have cost us $50 and taken 12 hours. We chose the quicker, albeit pricier, combination of flight and Uber.
Antigua was our home base for the remainder of our journey. It’s the most visited destination in Guatemala, packed with activities to fill two to three days, even without day-trips. Moreover, Antigua is perfect for enjoying the pleasant weather, savoring delicious food, and meeting friendly people. It’s a city we immediately liked.
We ventured beyond Antigua as well. Our initial excursion led us to Lago de Atitlán, another popular spot in Guatemala. Lake Atitlan is where traditional Guatemalan culture thrives, with many residents being Maya descendants. The lake is encircled by various towns, attracting tourists who often visit several and stay a few days to soak in the serene ambiance.
Due to the limited time in Guatemala, Lake Atitlan would have been my first candidate to be eliminated. However, we didn’t want to miss out on the lake completely, so we visited it on a very long day trip. We visited three villages and got a brief impression of the region. In hindsight, however, I was okay with the fact that we didn’t spend two or three days there.
We also visited Hobbitenago, Guatemala’s answer to New Zealand’s Hobbiton. In contrast to New Zealand, where you pay the equivalent of over $70, the Hobbitenago costs almost 11 times less, namely $6.40. You can play all sorts of games there, such as archery, axe-throwing, mini-golf etc., and if the weather is good, you also have a tremendous view.
The highlight for us, however, was the Acatenango overnight hike. Like most other countries in Central America, Guatemala has a large number of volcanoes, some of which are active. The Acatenango overnight hike is a two-day hike up the volcano of the same name. The star of this hike is not the Acatenango, but the Volcan de Fuego opposite, which erupts every 15 minutes.
Is there anything we didn’t do? Yes, we didn’t have enough time for all the activities in Guatemala. For example, we didn’t visit Semuy Champey, a nature reserve with pools for swimming, as it is relatively time-consuming to get there. There are also other towns in the west of the country, Quetzaltenango and Chimaltenango, which attract many tourists.
We even could have visited another volcano near Antigua, Pacaya, where you can see lava once you reach the top. However, since we were going to do the Acatenango overnight hike, we thought that one volcano was actually enough.
Let’s come back to my statement at the very beginning: Guatemala is the best country in Central America. And here are the reasons why:
In my view, Guatemala boasts the two most impressive attractions in all of Central America: Acatenango and Tikal. Of course, this is subjective, but after visiting nearly all the significant sites in the area, this is the conclusion I’ve reached.
The Acatenango volcano is also probably one of the most spectacular natural phenomena that you can see as a traveler (at a reasonably reasonable price). However, it requires a rather strenuous hike. It is often described as the most challenging hike some have ever faced. Indeed, it is exhausting, but with adequate stamina, it is doable.
Tikal stands out as the most fascinating Indigenous site I’ve encountered across North, Central, and South America. Its expansive grounds offer an authentic jungle experience, complete with the chance to spot wildlife. Unlike Chichén Itzá, Tikal also allows visitors to climb some of its pyramids.
Tikal National Park, in my experience, was not as crowded as Machu Picchu, even during Semana Santa when visitor numbers typically surge. We departed from Flores at 6 a.m. to sidestep the larger crowds. For those who prefer extra peace of mind, booking a sunrise tour ensures you can enjoy the park with fewer people around initially.
The next reason why Guatemala is so awesome is Antigua. On the one hand, because this city is a perfect base for seeing a large part of the country. Theoretically, you could stay here for over a week and take day trips to all sorts of places. Although Guatemala is not small, the country is compact in terms of tourist attractions. Most of them are close to Antigua.
On the other hand, Antigua is one of the best cities in Central America, and I guess some would even call it their favorite. I liked it too. Antigua is super touristy, but the colorful houses are beautiful, plus the nature around the city (with the Volcan de Agua, which you can see on a clear day) and the cobblestoned streets. In my personal ranking, only Panama City would be higher in Central America, but that’s because I’m just a fan of big cities.
If you then add Lake Atitlan and its villages, the Pacaya Volcano and Semuc Champey to the attractions or places already listed, Guatemala offers the most varied mix in Central America in my opinion.
And in other categories, Guatemala is at least no worse than the competition: I didn’t find the country as cheap as Nicaragua, but all in all the prices were okay and better value than money than in overpriced Costa Rica, for example. The people were also very nice, but that was the case in all Central American countries.
Are there any downsides to Guatemala? Honestly, any complaints would be minor. Antigua, a destination that everyone will visit in Guatemala, might be considered too touristy. As a matter of fact, it offers everything from McDonald’s to Burger King and Starbucks. Guatemala is obviously no longer an insider’s tip and those who prefer to experience something off the beaten tourist track are better off going to El Salvador. However, there are also (good) reasons why more and more tourists are coming to this country.
Furthermore, you could perhaps say that some of the best activities, such as seeing the Acatenango or Pacaya, are associated with physical exertion. Those who prefer to take it easy or are not quite as physically fit will not be able to enjoy these sights. Nevertheless, it must be mentioned that the Acatenango hike was also super-busy. I would estimate that at least 200 people a day hike up the volcano in high season.
Last but not least, some people may complain that Guatemala has hardly any good beaches despite its coastline. And that is true. It’s not that I would have seen any beach in Guatemala, but I simply wouldn’t have known where to go. To be fair, although there are some good beaches in Central America, this is not the best region for a beach vacation anyway.
So, what is my conclusion about Guatemala? I think that’s already obvious. I absolutely loved it. Guatemala was not only the best country in Central America for me, but also easily a top 20 country out of the 170 countries I’ve already seen. For this reason, I would also say that Guatemala is a country that every traveler must see at least once.
For us, Guatemala was the end of a three-week trip to Central America, the grand finale so to speak. After all, you should save the best for last. It was also most likely my last trip to Central America, at least before I visited all 197 countries. Unless I need to transfer in Panama City, who knows.
What I might do differently next time would be to avoid Guatemala during Semana Santa. It’s not that we were incredibly affected, but the hotel prices were significantly more expensive than usual and the tourist attractions, especially Tikal National Park, were busier too. So if you have the choice and do not care about the festivities, maybe look for a better time than this week.
Would I come back to Guatemala again? Definitely at some point, yes. It’s not that I need to catch up on the places I missed on this trip as soon as possible. However, it would certainly be exciting to come back at some point in the distant future and see how the country has changed.
Click here to find the trip reports of the 170+ other countries I have visited so far!
Definitely saved the best to last! Guatemala is great, Tikal was magical. But also the only place I’ve had anything of note stolen (on a public bus). Bad luck, I guess.