Travel Tutoring – Guatemala 🇬🇹
Woohoo! I’m happy as hell you have decided to visit one of my favorite countries — Guatemala. I’m sure you are going to have an incredible time. Before you go, you must know that your trip will be 100x easier if you ask locals for help, especially when taking local busses or asking for directions somewhere. Also, pack a sweater! The nights here get quite chilly. ¡Buen viaje!
Places to Go
Guatemala City – Wild and chaotic! If you spend time here, check out Zona 4. It’s probably the coolest area of the city.
Antigua – The tourist hub of Guatemala. If you want to escape gringos, don’t come here. This is the best place to work though. Check out – Impact Hub.
Quetzaltenango (Xela) – 2nd largest city in Guatemala. Great cafĂ©s, food, and bakeries (Xela Pan).
Nebaj – Only come here if you want to hike from Nebaj to Todos Santos. Use GuĂas Ixiles!
LanquĂn/ Semuc Champey – Beautiful, chill place tucked into the jungle that serves as a base for visiting Semuc Champey.
Chichicastenango – The best market in Guatemala hands-down. (Thursday & Sunday)
RĂo Dulce – A nice place to relax. An inlet off the caribbean with a fair amount of tourists.
Flores – A beautiful little village to spend a night on the way to or from Tikal.
Tikal – The most impressive Mayan ruins you will ever see.
Lake AtĂtlan – Home.
– San Marcos de la Laguna – “The Hippy Center of Central America”/
– San Pedro de la Laguna – More of a backpacker/ party vibe, but tons of coole places.
– Panajachel – The tourist center of the lake. Not much to see here.
– San Juan la Laguna – My favorite little village. Hike to the Indian Nose!
– Santiago AtĂtlan – The largest town on the lake and home to some awesome artisanry.
Hiking
I highly recommend asking around town to find local, affordable tour companies. Everything that you see online is going to be much more expensive and owned by foreigners.
Indian Nose – an awesome hike to see an incredible view of Lake AtĂtlan. Easy to do independently.
Volcano Santa MarĂa – A bit of a challenge, but the 3rd highest peak in Guatemala.
Acatenango (overnight) – Camp on this volcano for a spectacular view of active volcano Fuego at night.
Xela – Lago AtĂtlan – a 2-3 day trek that a few companies do. Super badass.
Volcano San Pedro – One of the easiest hikes to do with a tour group in San Pedro.
Foods to Try
PepĂan – The most traditional of Guatemalan foods. Sort of like mole, but there is no standard pepĂan.
Rellenitos – Sweet plantains filled with bean paste.
Chuchitos – tamales!
Arroz con leche – a classic breakfast treat. Great during cold mornings.
Helpful Tools
AtĂtlan Living – A guide to events and living around Lake AtĂtlan.
Horario de Buses – This site is the closest you will find to the correct bus times in Central America. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to ask at the market when certain busses leave.
Thorn Tree – Lonely Planet’s open travel forum that is packed with personal information.
R/Travel – Reddit’s “Destination of the Week – Guatemala” page.
amigo mono 