Before 6 AM on a clear morning in Panajachel, with the water still and the sky just beginning to lighten, the three volcanoes appear across the lake. San Pedro, Tolimán, Atitlán. All three, unobstructed. It takes your breath away. I’ve been watching this view my whole life and I still stand there for a few … Read more
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
The temazcal has been part of life in Guatemala for as long as anyone in my family can remember. Not as a wellness amenity. Not as a spiritual tourism offering. As something you went to when your body needed to be cleaned out, when a woman was recovering from childbirth, when someone came back from … 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 am … 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 10 days in Guatemala and not sure how to make every day count? … Read more
If you are looking for the best family hotel near Tikal Guatemala that gives you a real jungle experience, incredible wildlife on the property, 15 kilometers of trails you can walk or bike, a beautiful pool, and comfortable spacious rooms, all within 45 minutes of Tikal National Park, Hotel Villa Maya is the answer. I have … Read more
If you are looking for an affordable boutique hotel in Antigua Guatemala that is genuinely beautiful, has free parking, and does not feel like every other hotel in the city, Villa Colonial is the one I would tell you to book. I am Guatemalan, I grew up visiting Antigua, and I have stayed at a lot of hotels here … 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
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
