5-day getaway to Guatemala

Itinerary summary:

• Antigua Guatemala: 2 days

• Acatenango + Volcán del Fuego: 1 day

• Lake Atitlán: 2 days

I went back to visit Cosme in Mexico, and this time we wanted to do something a bit different: leave the country for a few days and visit somewhere neither of us had been before. We were looking for somewhere close to Mexico City, but above all, an adventure. Something we felt we might not do in a few years’ time (you’ll understand why later).

As always, I flew from Paris to Mexico City on Friday, we spent a few days there, and on Wednesday our trip began.

Day 1 - Wednesday

CDMX → Antigua Guatemala

✈️ 2-hour flight from CDMX to Guatemala City (La Aurora Airport).

When we arrived, we had a transfer arranged with the hotel where we were staying in Antigua Guatemala. The journey from the airport is about 45 minutes, although it depends quite a lot on traffic. We arrived in the late afternoon, so it took slightly longer than expected.

📍 Accommodation in Antigua

We stayed at Convento Boutique Hotel and it was an excellent choice. For me, the most important thing is always the location, and this one is right in the historic centre, just in front of the Convento de Las Capuchinas. The hotel itself is charming, and the staff were very attentive throughout our stay.

💰 The price is around 180 USD per night, although it varies depending on the time of year. We were there midweek (Wednesday to Friday), but at weekends it usually increases quite a bit.

Book here

That same evening we went out for a quick bite near the hotel and had an early night so we could make the most of the next day.

Day 2 – Thursday

Day in Antigua Guatemala

❗ First must-do: try Guatemalan coffee. We got up early and headed straight out. The first essential stop before you start exploring is to try a local coffee, as Guatemalan coffee is genuinely among the best you will find.

❗ One important thing to keep in mind when visiting this part of the world is the time of year. In our case it was June, so we were in the rainy season. If you go at this time, I recommend carrying a waterproof jacket. Even if it rains during the day, temperatures remain mild, so a light layer is enough.

Antigua is a city to explore on foot and simply get lost in its streets. Even so, there are a few places you should not miss:

• Arco de Santa Catalina

• Iglesia de la Merced

• Convento de las Capuchinas

• Ruinas de la Catedral

In the afternoon, I recommend heading towards the market area. It is full of stalls and is ideal for picking up souvenirs if you are doing a route like ours.

Although we didn’t have time to visit Cerro de la Cruz, it is well worth it for the views of Volcán del Agua.

Later on, we went back to the hotel to rest for a while and enjoy the pool, which is set in a green courtyard with a very relaxed atmosphere.

🍽️ We had dinner at Clios and really enjoyed it. It has several different spaces, and we were seated in a quiet courtyard, which made it even better. The food was excellent, and the cocktails were equally well executed. If you like frozen margaritas, try the Black Margarita with black lemon and coffee.

Afterwards, we went for drinks at Antigua Brewing Company, which had live music and a great atmosphere.

Other suggestions are:

Day 3 – Friday

Antigua → Acatenango + Volcán del Fuego

This is where the trip becomes more demanding, and one of the main reasons we chose Guatemala: climbing Volcán del Fuego.

We went with Volcán del Fuego, which I would highly recommend. They picked us up at the hotel in the morning and drove us to La Soledad, where the hike begins.

Hike to base camp

The camp is at around 3,600 metres. You can either hike up (4–6 hours) or go on horseback (around 3 hours). We chose horseback, although there are still sections that have to be done on foot.

❗ Only take the essentials. Even with horses, parts of the route are demanding, so the lighter your bag, the better.

If you don’t have equipment, you can rent it from the guide.

Arrival at base camp + hike to Volcán del Fuego

Once we arrived at camp, we settled into the cabins, had something to eat and rested before heading up to Volcán del Fuego.

There was no one else in our group, so we had Cristian (our guide) to ourselves, which made the experience even more special.

❗ The hike is demanding. It takes around 2 hours up and 2 hours down, and it is quite steep in places. Many people stay at base camp and watch from there, which is also a good option.

We made it to the top, but then the weather changed quickly. It started hailing, there was thunder, and lightning was striking extremely close to us, so we had to turn back for safety reasons. The descent was intense, but Cristian handled everything perfectly.

Was it tough? Yes.Was it worth it? Absolutely. Being that close to an erupting volcano is something I will not forget.

Night at camp

We got back completely soaked and exhausted, but happy. Cristian made us hot chocolate, lit a fire so we could dry off, and prepared dinner.

We went to sleep early because the next day we had a 4:00 am wake-up to watch the sunrise from the top of Acatenango.

Day 4 – Saturday

Sunrise on Acatenango → Lake Atitlán

We woke up at 4:00 to climb to the summit of Acatenango. This hike is shorter (around 2 hours in total), but it still felt challenging, especially because we had to put on wet clothes, which was not ideal...

Once at the top, we watched the sunrise before heading back down to camp for breakfast. Cristian made us coffee and something similar to rice pudding, which was excellent.

After breakfast, it was time to descend. We were going to walk, but Cosme’s boots broke, so we went down on horseback (I still think that was slightly convenient on his part and may not have been entirely accidental...).

Find below the contact info for this part of the trip:

📞Acatenango Outdoor Adventures phone number: +50257487084

💰The price is 100 USD per person, including accommodation, guide and food. Each horseback ride costs also 100 USD per person.

On the way to Lake Atitlán

A car took us to Panajachel (around 2h30). From there we took a boat to San Marcos, where we were staying, and it took around 20 minutes. The boats work like taxis, so there is no need to book anything in advance.

📍 Accommodation in Atitlán

We stayed in an Airbnb called Casa Paloma, and it was excellent, very authentic and exactly the kind of place I like.

💰Around 200 euros per night.

Book here

Day 5 – Sunday

Lake Atitlán

The plan in Atitlán is very simple: relax and, if you want to explore, move between villages by boat.

That morning, we took a boat from San Marcos to San Pedro (around 15 minutes). The system is very easy: you just go to the dock and wave the red flag until a boat sees you and comes and picks you up.

San Pedro and San Juan

🍽️ As soon as we arrived, we went for brunch at Sababa Restaurante. Definitely not to be missed, great food and an even better setting overlooking the lake.

After that, we walked to San Juan La Laguna (around 30 minutes), a colourful village that is easy to explore. We went up to the viewpoint, which has incredible views over the lake, and then visited its well-known umbrella street.

In the afternoon, we went back to the house to rest and enjoy a sauna. Atitlán is also a place to slow down and switch off.

🍽️ At night we had dinner at Lush, a restaurant located inside a small hotel. It is run by a Guatemalan family, with an all-Mayan women kitchen, which gives the place a very distinctive feel. The concept focuses on local ingredients with a modern approach to traditional dishes.

Everything we tried was excellent, especially the cauliflower steak.

Book here

If you are looking for nightlife, San Marcos is fairly quiet. For a livelier atmosphere, Panajachel is a better option. That said, Blind Lemon's in San Marcos offers live music.

Day 6 – End of the trip

We woke up early to enjoy the house a bit more and have one last swim in the lake before leaving. We went for a final brunch in San Marcos and then took the boat back to Panajachel.

From there, we went straight to the airport (around 3 hours), to go back to CDMX, saying goodbye to Cosme, and flying back to Paris.