This fresco de suchiles recipe is one of the most iconic and culturally significant traditional Guatemalan drinks you’ll ever make. This lightly fermented, deeply aromatic Semana Santa drink that’s been poured in Guatemala City’s Zona 1 for generations. This is a unique traditional Guatemalan drink that almost nobody outside Guatemala has ever heard of. If … Read more
This fresco de chinchivir recipe is my version of one of Guatemala’s most distinctive and least-talked-about traditional drinks — a sharp, spiced lemon and ginger fresco that originated in the colonial city of Antigua Guatemala and has been quenching the thirst of Guatemalans during the hottest part of the year for generations. I tried chinchivir … Read more
This article contains affiliate links. If you book or buy something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products, places, and services I have personally used or vetted. Planning 7 days in Guatemala and tired of seeing the same recycled itinerary everywhere … Read more
This fresco de chilacayote recipe is one of those traditional Guatemalan drinks that’s been on Semana Santa tables for generations but somehow never makes it into the conversation outside of Guatemala. It’s made by simmering chilacayote squash with panela, cinnamon, cloves, fresh ginger, and allspice until the water turns a beautiful golden amber — then … Read more
If you are traveling to Guatemala in February or March 2026, you are arriving during one of the most culturally and spiritually rich times of the year, and most visitors have no idea. Everyone plans for Semana Santa. But Cuaresma, the 40-day Lenten season that begins on Ash Wednesday February 18 and runs through March … Read more
If you are planning Holy Week in Guatemala and trying to decide where to go, Semana Santa at Lake Atitlán offers something that no other destination in the country can match: twelve indigenous villages, each with its own Holy Week traditions, spread around one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. While most travelers … Read more
Maximón is Guatemala’s most mysterious and misunderstood spiritual figure, and possibly the most fascinating thing you will encounter in the entire country. He is a wooden deity who sits in a smoke-filled room accepting offerings of cigars and liquor, and he will grant petitions that no Catholic saint would touch. Want revenge on someone who … Read more
This guide is a complete, day-by-day account of Holy Week in Santiago Atitlán, what happens, when it happens, what you need to know to experience Semana Santa in Santiago Atitlán in the best way, and how to understand what you are seeing. If you are planning Holy Week in Guatemala and wondering whether … Read more
If you’re looking for one of the most unique experiences in Guatemala for nature and adventure lovers, rappelling in Guatemala at Finca El Barretal is it. This is the kind of exciting, once in a lifetime experience that makes travel unforgettable. El Barretal is a Guatemalan hidden gem. It is not touristy, and it is … Read more
I’ve been traveling with my family for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest travel memories are chaotic, sticky-fingered, suitcase-exploding, toddler-meltdown-filled trips. And I say that with love, because that’s what family travel really looks like. It’s messy, imperfect, and still magical if you plan it right. Why Finding the Right Vacation … Read more
