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Hi Friends!
I recently spent some 3 months in Guatemala as a digital nomad, living, working, and just generally enjoying my best life while exploring the country.
While I was primarily based in San Pedro, a small village on Lake Atitlan (read more about that further on), I also spent quite a bit of time in the city of Antigua, and this was also my third visit to the country. So, after receiving questions from dozens of people, I compiled a review here to help y'all out and save myself time--you'd be surprised, answering questions by the boatload gets to be pretty time consuming.
Actually, that's why my friend Chaya Bar Chaim and I launched Jewish Girls Travel: to help people make the most of their travels, find valuable travel resources, and connect with a network of likeminded travelers. I originally shared this itinerary over on the JGT Facebook Forum, but I've since sent it to so many people that I decided to share it here on my own blog so that it's easier to find, and accessible to those of you who aren't part of our fabulous Facebook community.
This document is still in progress, but I hope you find it helpful even incomplete. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or comments.
If you've traveled Guatemala and have your own tips or info to share, please leave them in the comments below to help fellow travelers out!
Please feel welcome to follow my travel adventures over on Instagram.
Enjoy your travels!
xx
Essie
General Tips
Local currency is Guatemalan Quetzales (GTQ). $1 USD = 7.72 GTQ. You can usually get a 7.10 or so exchange rate, or maybe better.
In the big cities, you can use credit cards pretty much everywhere (check if yours has an international fee). Still, always have some cash for taxis, markets, smaller vendors, or in case of emergency.
The main (only?) airport in Guatemala is La Aurora International Guatemala Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City. From there, it’s about an hour to Antigua or about 5 hours to San Pedro on the lake.
There are 3 Chabad houses in Guatemala: Guatemala City, Antigua, and San Pedro La Laguna.
There is Uber in Guatemala, but only in the big cities, as far as I could see. It’s very cheap and pretty reliable.
Covid: in the cities (Antigua, Guat City, etc) they were super strict about masks and covid regulations. In the smaller towns, there aren’t any restrictions at all, for the most part, although there are curfews. When I was in Guat, bars had to close at 6 pm and other establishments at 9, so Antigua’s famous nightlife was nonexistent and San Pedro was pretty quiet at night, too.
Antigua
Antigua is a beautiful colonial city with beautiful Spanish architecture, gorgeous cobblestone streets, and lots of history. In fact, it’s actually a designated UNESCO world heritage site. There’s a lot to do, but here are just a couple of recommendations.
To Do in Antigua
Walk Around
Seriously, just go for a walk. It’s gorgeous and there’s lots to see! Wander through the streets and check out the vibe.
The Market
Like any self-respecting Latin American city, Antigua boasts a fascinating market that sells all manner of produce, food stuffs, and commodities. It’s a fun little trip and you can score some good finds.
The Artisan Market
Antigua has an awesome artisan’s market right next to the regular market. It’s a beautiful, peaceful oasis designed in the colonial Spanish style with expansive courtyards and tinkling fountains. Here, you can find jewelry (Guatemala is famous for Jade, so you can find cheap, lovely Jade pieces here), clothes, art, and all kinds of souvenirs.
Hobbitenango
It’s hard to explain what exactly Hobbitenango is, but I’ll try my best! It’s a restaurant/ resort/ interactive attraction in the mountains near Antigua with fantastic views of the valley and nearby volcanoes. It’s a super fun day trip, but be sure to go on a clear day or your views will be obstructed by clouds. There are lots of fun activities (think shops, axe throwing, arrow targets, bungee jumping, and lots of great Insta-worthy photo spots. It’s about a 20 minute drive from Antigua and you can grab an Uber for super cheap. Once you get there, Hobbitenango provides a free shuttle that takes you up the mountain to the actual resort. Grab a coffee or cocktail at the bar at the top of the mountain for a drink with a view!
Rent ATVs
It’s hard to drive on Antigua’s cobblestone streets, so ATVs are pretty popular here. You can rent one (with or without a guide) and tour the city for a few hours. They offer quite a few tours near the city that you can do with ATVs. You can even drive to Hobbitenango with your ATV--just be careful and wear a helmet!
Local Tours
Antigua is a big center of tourism, so you can walk into any tourism agency on the street and see what they offer. You can go to chocolate or coffee farms, horseback riding, visit local towns nearby, check out traditional textile factories, and so much more.
Pacaya Volcano
This is your chance to check off a major bucket list item and roast marshmallows (or in our case, light a cig) straight from a stream of molten lava! Seriously. Grab a tour from your hostel or any tourist agency. You’ll have to hike down about 30 minutes, and then do the same trek back uphill afterward, but you can always hire a horse if you’re feeling lazy. It’s definitely worthwhile! Before you book, check if the tour will let you stay for nightfall--we were there during the daytime and while that’s awesome, we couldn’t see the lava as clearly as you can in nighttime, when it’s dark out.
Acatenango
You’ve probably heard about this one already--it’s the infamous Acatenango hike! Acatenango is an inactive volcano that’s right next to an active volcano called Fuego. Hike about 6 hours up a steep volcano, camp at the top for the night, wake up at 3 am for another 1.5 hour trek to the peak of the mountain before making the 2.5 hour trip down. Sounds crazy? It is, but trust me--it’s worth it. It might be the hardest thing you’ll ever do, but camping next door to an active volcano, watching lava erupt from the top, sleeping alongside the rumble of the volcano and waking up on top of the clouds (quite literally) is a life changing experience and one you don’t want to miss.
Notes on Acatenango:
You can hire a horse to take you up if hiking is too difficult
You can pay a porter to carry your bags (you’ll be bringing lots of water, food, and supplies, it’s heavy!)
It’s FREEZING up top, so pack layers. And I mean it. Double up on leggings, socks, undershirts, grab a beanie, scarf, gloves… the whole nine yards. You can rent a jacket and other winter gear from the tourist agency. Some include it for free.
You can also book this trip through Chabad of Antigua.
Cerro de La Cruz
A beautiful viewpoint of the city of Antigua. You can take an uber up and walk back down (it’s quite close to Selina Antigua). It’s a gorgeous little afternoon trip that you can do in about an hour from start to finish.
Altamira
Never been here, but I hear it’s nice!
Antigua Food
Kosher
Chabad of Antigua has a restaurant with some of the most delicious kosher food I’ve ever had abroad. It’s not cheap, but it is delicious and super clean. The Rabbi is quite helpful when it comes to booking trips/ shuttles/ etc.
Vegan Eats
La Bruja - delicious, although a bit more expensive. Try the beyond meat burger!
Once Once - never tried this one.
Samsara - Decent, but some of the offerings are a bit strange, so maybe stick to tried-and-true.
Wachuma - I didn’t like the food here at all.
(I think there are more vegan places, but I’m not sure. Look it up!)
Chabad Antigua
They have a beautiful center and also offer hostel rooms within the chabad house (dorms and private). They have a restaurant, shabbat meals, and the Rabbi can help you organize shuttles and trips. They’re a bit far from the center, so expect to walk at least 15 minutes to chabad from wherever you’re staying.
Contact info
Website: Chabadantigua.com
Check their site before calling - they have all hostel, food, meals, trip, restaurant and booking info listed here and you can reserve everything on their site (shoutout to Moshe Fehler for creating an awesome site!)
Phone: Rabbi Chaim Chabad Antigua (whatsapp): +50258036770
Antigua Hostels
These are different hostels I stayed at/ visited and I would recommend all.
Selina - Selina here is great! They have a coworking space. The Dorms are decently priced, private rooms are expensive.
Bigfoot - party hostel
Somos - nice, quiet, small
Chabad - they have rooms. Personally it’s a bit much for me to stay *in* a Chabad house but they have some nice rooms.
Ojala - more quiet, older crowd, more of a boutique experience, more expensive, really nice!
Maya Papaya - owned by same people as Ojala but a younger, cheaper, more chill backpacking hostel
Working in Antigua
There’s a coworking space in Antigua called Impact Hub. IMHO it wasn’t amazing and was pretty expensive so don’t really recommend it. You can also try Selina (was pretty decent overall, probably the best wifi outside of private homes or luxury hotels), or check out Rooftop Cafe, which has amazing food, incredible views, and okay internet (really not great internet, honestly). Overall, the internet in Antigua really wasn’t great, actually, so keep that in mind.
Lanquin/ Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey is this incredible series of natural limestone freshwater pools located, quite frankly, in the jungles in the middle of nowhere. It’s quite the trek to get there (think a full day of travel in each direction if you’re coming from Antigua) but in my opinion, if you have the time/ability to go, it’s worthwhile. I’ve traveled quite a bit and it was one of my favorite destinations.
If you work or keep Shabbat, I would suggest going for the extended weekend.
Transit: Most hostels and tourist agencies in Antigua offer shuttles to Lanquin, which is the little town that’s right near Semuc Champey (about a 25 min drive from semuc). If you can get a group of about 8 or more people, you can book a private shuttle which will likely be cheaper and more convenient. I took a shuttle one way and booked a private one the way back. Both were fine, but if you book a private shuttle, confirm that they’ll give you a big van with AC etc, because otherwise you could get stuck in a tiny little van for 10+ hours.
You can also ask your driver to stop at the mall in Coban, a city halfway between Lanquin and Guatemala, if you want to do some grocery shopping or pick up things on the way.
When you get to Lanquin, it’s super super tiny, so don’t worry about getting lost - just ask anyone where your lodgings are and they’ll direct you (usually just a few mins walking). The lodgings often send someone out to the town center to pick up anyone who just arrived on the bus, so ask your lodging about that.
Accommodation:
I stayed at El Retiro Lodge. We quite enjoyed our stay. It’s on the river and we basically just hung out on the river all weekend.
If you want more posh lodgings, I’ve heard Zephyr Lodge or Oasis are great. I’ve also heard that there are some lodgings on the Semuc Champey reserve (or super close by) as well, but I didn’t try those firsthand.
To Do: go to Semuc Champey pools! They’re magnificent. I recomend going more than one day, if you can. THey’re that amazing. All you gotta do is pay for a ride there (ask any taxi or driver, or go with your lodge). Once there, you can explore the pools, hike to the top to the viewpoint (about 30-45 mins), etc. We didn’t go with a tour and it was great on our own. There are also caves you can explore by candlelight--those you gotta book with a tourguide and can find that in lanquin.
Go tubing down the river. Check out the local restaurants. Enjoy the incredible nature!
Notes: Keep in mind that Lanquin is literally a tiny tiny town in the middle of the Jungle. That means there isn’t a lot to do. Mostly you’ll just enjoy the local river and nature, hang out in your hostel, maybe grab something to eat, and explore Semuc Champey.
Because it’s so remote, the internet here is really bad. The most internet I got was in our hostel’s restaurant (there was no wifi in the rooms), and it wa about 1 mb. So yeah, don’t make this trip unless you’re good with unreliable internet for a few days. Allegedly there’s an internet cafe, but I didn’t see it… you can ask your hostel before you go.
There's no supermarkets in Lanquin, so if you're making shabbat or whatever, stock up before you get there. There's a local market that you can get to by foot or tuktuk but it's not v big or well stocked.
Lake Atitlan
Overview
Lake Atitlan is an historic lake surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. It actually was once a massive volcano that exploded and over the years became a lake, but that’s a story for another time :)
The lake is incredibly beautiful, scenic, and calm, and is surrounded by lots of little towns that are accessible by boat ride (or you can drive, but often taking a boat is faster, and some towns aren’t actually accessible by road). The lake is home to lots of local Maayan dialects and Maayan culture - there are 22 different dialects of the Maayan language spoken around the lake!
I based myself out of San Pedro, primarily because it was relatively developed and there’s a Chabad house there, but lots of people base themselves in San Marcos or other islands. Wherever you base yourself, you can take boats across the water to explore all the little towns.
Everyone kayaks here. The locals use kayaks as main transportation. You can actually Kayak around the entire lake, stopping at each town along the way. According to my friend Ali from Yorkshire, who did exactly that, you can do it in 2-3 days If u push yourself or 7-10 days If you take it chill like he did.
Note: this section isn't fully complete, but I jotted down some helpful info and links for now!
San Pedro
Where to start! Ask me anything about San Pedro, I lived here for 2.5 months so I can answer your questions.
San Pedro is home to Chabad Pedro, a lovely and fun Chabad house in the center of town.
The Chabad has 3 kosher restaurants, 2 of which are adjacent to the Bet Chabad and 1 which is inside the Chabad House itself.
Falafel, a meat restaurant where they serve falafel (obvs), shawarma, pargiyot, etc.
Espresso, a cute kosher dairy place with delicious dairy dishes, brunches, pastas, hot drinks and desserts.
The last one wasn’t open when I was there, but I believe it is meat and it is located upstairs in the Chabad house.
There’s also 2 vegan restaurants:
1. Fifth Dimension
2. Health Food store (can’t remember the name, but ask anyone) it’s a health food store but if you walk up the stairs they have a great vegan restaurant. Ask anyone where it is).
Lots of delicious (not kosher) restaurants that are also good to work in:
-La Terraza. Delicious food and shakes, great vibe and view, always space to sit, lovely staff. I worked here at least 2-3 times a week! Their shakshuka is a VIBE.
-Idea Connection: authentic Italian cafe run by 2 Italian guys. The best italian (and Guatemalan) pastries, desserts, pastas, croissants, breakfasts, etc. Great internet, great service, lovely vibe.
-Tzununya Cafe: this place is cool af. Excellent wifi (best outside of the Chabad house), great view, tons of space, tons of games and activities. The food is super guatemalan - not my type.
-TLV. Nice space and excellent food!
To do:
All of these things can be found by asking your hostel or going to any tour agency on the street.
Indian Nose hike - hike up this peak before sunrise and watch sunrise. It's a must-do! I went with Chabad and loved it- they serve a full breakfast, and hot drinks. You can also do it with any other tour agency.
Horseback riding (call +50254680658 to book)
Kayaking. Kayaking in the lake is the most incredible experience.
Painting classes - people seem to love these
Swim in the lake.
Coffee tours- nice.
Rent motorcycle and drive to the viewpoints and through the mountains . But please only do this if you ar ean experienced driver!! I was in a bad accident here years ago and met loads of people who got hurt. I did it again with an experienced driver and had a lovely experience.
Natural hot pools - they claim theyre naturally heated. Are they really? Well, who can prove otherwise? Either way, a fun night activity
Massages! Lots of great masseuses here, including Tammy and Angela. Ask anyone for their info. Pretty cheap (compared to the US)
Chill:) that's the beauty of San Pedro!
Accommodations:
Here are a few that I had experience with and are centrally located. There are more.
Casablanca - Israeli owned. excellent common space and views. 3 mins walk down the road from Chabad. a bit expensive and I didn't love the accommodations, but lots of people love it and it has a great vibe. Good restaurant.
Amigos - same owners as Casablanca. it has a kitchen, which is a perk. Kinda expensive and not great common area. but people liked it. 1 minute from chabad.
Zoola - further out (I would say 7 min walk to Chabad). they have a great bar and lots of parties, excellent outdoor chill areas. The owner, Moran, is the nicest person you'll ever meet! They also have a decent restaurant.
Villa del Lago - this was by far my favorite. they have 2 buildings - one overlooking the lake, and one on the other side of the road. Both are great, I prefer the one on the lake. It was the cheapest (until we filled up the hostel and they started overcharging everyone) but don't be afraid to bargain with them for the price you want. Tell Gladys (the lady who manages the one on the side of the lake) that Esther sent you! Also, they have kayaks that you can take for free, and a kitchen. 5 min from chabad.
Mr Mullets - this place is new, a bit of a party place, people seemed to like it. 1 min from chabad.
Sababa resort - pretty much the only luxury resort here. It's really nice. You can pay for day access and just hang at the bar and use the pool.
San Marcos
5 min boat ride from San Pedro.
Super hippy dippy. lots of parties, psychedelics, artsy things. Tulum vibes, but more... crunchy.
To do:
Yoga at either the Eagles Nest or the Yoga Forest
Cliff jump (40 feet!)
San Juan
Fabulous town that's 10-12 min tuktuk ride from San Pedro. So lovely!! Lots of art galleries, chocolate and coffee shops, cafes, souvenir shopping, nice views. Really great trip.
Santiago
This place is known for its big markets. You can bargain and get lots of stuff for cheap. Also some nice cafes. Huge Friday market.
Home to the mystical yoga farm, a rlly nice yoga retreat center where you can visit as a guest or as a volunteer. they serve 3 vegan meals a day and do lots of yoga, art, botanic and eco stuff.
Go to the dock on the other side of San Pedro to catch a boat to Santiago (ask anyone where the embarcadero a santiago is).
Santa Catalina
Blue town - they painted the whole town in blue patterns, it's super beautiful!!
How to get here: either take a boat (25 q each way) from san pedro to Panajachel, and then catch a pickup truck (ask anyone where you can find them, or just flag any pickup truck on the road for 5 q to santa catalina, or hire a private boat direct from san pedro which is way faster only 25 mins or so direct, but pretty pricey.
There’s not much to do there, but it’s super local, no tourists, they do a lot of local weaving and their products are very cheap. Check out the local market. It’s tiny but really fascinating and like taking a step back in time
San pablo
(locals) i didn't visit this place
San Lucas
(it's like going back in time) an awesome church with an incredible view.
San Pescado
fishing town. never visited
Santa Cruz
Santa Crus has 2 hostels:
Free Cerveza Hostel, 75 quetzales - unlimited beer and food for 2 hours. But dont stay there! Stay at Iguana Perdida hostel, which is rlly nice.
Go on a Sunday and all the churches have live music.
Santa Cruz has this cafe with the most incredible view. Must visit! Go grab a coffee or dessert or whatever and just soak it all in. Ask anyone where it is.
Jaibalito
La Casa del Mundo Hotel/resort. Beautiful place to chill for a day or more.
Panajachel
Pronounced "Panna-ha-tchel". Commonly referred to as "Panna."
Biggest town (basically a city) on the lake. you can drive here and take a ferry to san pedro, if you want.
Big supermarket and stores.
Butterfly and nature conservatory (when you get off the boat in Pana, ask any tuktuk to take you to the mariposas [thats spanish for butterflies]).
Famous ziplines
Selina hostel (it’s gorgeous!)
Local market
Chichicastenango
Commonly referred to as ChiChi (thankfully, bc it's a mouthful otherwise), this is Central America’s largest market.
Go early in the morning ( I went from san pedro, we organized a shuttle with a bunch of other travelers). 2 hours each way.
Not so cheap, actually. Just big and a cool experience.
Bargain! And if you keep kosher, pack food. it's a long day trip and there weren't any vegan (or even vegetarian) places that we could find bc it's super local and they serve Guatemalan fare, which is pretty meat-based.
Guatemala City
There's a Chabad here.
I didn't spend time here, but there is a major shopping mall
be careful, especially at night and especially in the outer zones. It's known to be quite dangerous.
Tikal
Ancient Mayan Ruins. This is very far from Antigua (7 hours? More?). Interesting if you're in the area, if you're not, I don't think it's worth shlepping out for. To get here, you have to go to the Island of Flores (a tiny town, not much to do here), and from there you can book your trip to Tikal.
I didn't visit these places but people do:
Rio Dulce
Livingston
El Paredon tiny surf town
I dont think I'll update this page futher, but you can definitely check back again in the future just in case!
Safe travels and have fun xx
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