Disclosure: 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 places and services I have personally used or vetted. A cacao ceremony at Lake Atitlán sounds, from the outside, like an extraordinary thing. … Read more
Disclosure: This may contain 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 places and services I have personally used or vetted. The temazcal has been part of life in Guatemala for as long as anyone … Read more
Mayan ceremonies in Guatemala are not a travel trend. They are the living spiritual heartbeat of my country — traditions that have survived colonial suppression, forced conversion, and five centuries of outside pressure, and are still practiced today by communities across the highlands, the lake shores, the cloud forests, and the jungles of Petén. I … 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
La Quema del Diablo in Antigua Guatemala is one of the most unique Guatemalan traditions and one of the most unforgettable festivals you can experience in December. If you are traveling to Guatemala in December and want to see a cultural event that blends community, history, fire, humor, and deep symbolism, this is it. Even … Read more
La Quema del Diablo is one of the first Guatemalan Christmas traditions that truly marks the beginning of the season, and it is also one of the most fascinating. When people ask me what La Quema del Diablo is, why Guatemalans burn the devil, or what the meaning of La Quema del Diablo really is, … Read more
The Festival of Light in Antigua Guatemala 2025 is one of the most magical events I’ve ever experienced, and it’s something I look forward to every year. This amazing light festival takes place in July as part of the Fiestas Patronales de Santiago Apóstol, and it transforms Antigua’s historic streets, churches, and parks into glowing … Read more
