That Cool Travel Couple

Guatemala is one of the most peaceful countries we have ever been to. We truly enjoyed the places we visited here and could definitely have spent much more time exploring. Here’s our itinerary, but as they say, one photo is worth a thousand words!

Practicalities

Everything you need to know for a successful trip to Guatemala.

Currency: Guatemalan quetzal

Recommended length of stay: one to two weeks 

Month of visit: November

CDC’s recommended vaccinations: Click here!

Packing List for Guatemala

• 2 pairs of shorts and light weight shirts
• 1 bathing suit
• Light sweater or jacket for evening
• Lightweight long pants
• Sandals
• Sneakers
• Bug Spray
• Sunscreen

Antigua

We took a direct overnight flight from LAX to Guatemala City, and wasted no time hopping on board a ~45 minute Uber to Antigua, which has to be one of my favorite cities in the world. Note – there is also a shuttle available. Its cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture transports you to another time completely. To add to the surreal nature, the backdrop of Antigua is a beautiful volcano! 

We stayed at Hotel El Convento which I wholeheartedly recommend. This small luxury boutique hotel is located in a renovated convent, with rooms complete with vaulted ceilings, fire places, chimneys and fountains. Ours even had an outdoor patio and private jacuzzi tub which was great for an evening soak after spending all day wandering around Antigua! 

Since we arrived in Antigua quite early, we started our day by hitting the streets and wandering around. Ruins are everywhere in Antigua, and eventually we wandered into Cafe Sky which has beautiful views of the volcano and quite good food as well. 

While wandering around the city, we also visited the artisan market Chichicastenango from which you can buy delicious food, clothes and souvenirs. A few must-see destinations include Santa Catalina Arch, San Francisco Church, Cathedral de Santiago and Iglesia La Merced. I highly recommend walking down Calle del Arco and the main square.

We had dinner at Aqua Antigua and an after-dinner drink at Tabacos y Vinos, and we have heard great things about Cafe No Se and Sobremesa for dinner. In terms of nightlife, we would recommend La Sala for salsa dancing and The Lucky Rabbit for drinks.

Lago de Atitlan

After what seemed like not enough time in Antigua, we were off to our next destination – Lago de Atitlan! We hired an Uber to drive us to Panajachel. This was quite difficult and drivers canceled on us four times before we found someone who was willing to take us, so if you can arrange your transport ahead of time that may be best! Upon arriving in Panajachel, which is a very cute but very vertical village on the edge of the lake, we boarded the Laguna Lodge Eco Resort boat as the hotel is only accessible by the lake. 

The resort is absolutely beautiful and we had a stunning view of the lake and volcanoes from our large balcony, as well as from the room from which breakfast, lunch and dinner is served. The hotel offers boat taxi services to Panajachel, which allowed us to explore the Atitlan Natural Reserve. We enjoyed the Butterly dome and walking on the suspension bridges by a waterfall. Afterwards we had a gorgeous lunch at Hotel Atitlan overlooking the lake. After lunch we explored the markets before heading back to the hotel. 

At the end of our trip, we were fortunate enough to come across the company Team Daytrip which we highly recommend. We were able to book our transfer back to Guatemala City and even had the option of making several stops on the way back. We chose to stop at Iximche which a Mayan ruins site. 

Can’t get enough of Central America? We can’t either! Head on over to our Belize page here!