Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

View of Lake Atitlan from San Pedro

From the north of Guatemala, most roads lead to Guatemala City, this most populated city in Central America and something of a crime hotspot, or so everyone tells me since arriving in Belize.

Considering there wasn't a whole lot that interested me there I took a pass and after a short stop in Antigua (a quaint little colonial town worthy of a couple days exploring) before heading to the shores of Lake Atitlan or some rest and relaxation.





The shoreline of the lake is peppered with small towns, with Panajachel being the easiest access point from surrounding towns, however there isn't a whole lot to do there. Other towns such as San Marcos, San Pedro and San Juan are much more tourist friendly with San Pedro being the most popular among travellers and expats alike. Santiago (as seen in the picture above) is the biggest town around the lake.

San Pedro is home to plenty of Spanish schools, cheap accommodation and cafes offering the usual tourist fodder along with traditional food indigenous to the area. Most tour operators have horse riding tours, kayaks for rental and hikes up the surrounding volcanoes with San Pedro volcano being one of the more popular given it's close proximity to the town. Volunteering in local schools with projects run by other expats is a possibility too. All in all, it's not difficult to see why many people end up staying here much longer than planned.

Lagoons and Caves of Semuc Champey, Guatemala

Getting around Guatemala is pretty easy, there are the chicken buses which everyone knows about, these take all day however and if you get a seat not next to a crying child or an animal you are doing well for yourself. The alternative is to take a minibus between towns, these are also a dime a dozen, not to mention much quicker (not on time, just quicker) and you're guaranteed a seat. By and large you'll get lazy and take one of these everytime but if you have a short journey somewhere the chicken bus is an interesting experience.

From Tikal, if you don't have a whole lot of time to spare or you want something different to Mayan ruins, the next logical destination is either Lanquin (which is just a stones throw away from the lagoons and cave of Semuc Champey), or Semuc Champey itself where there are a couple self sufficient hostels right on the river's edge, this was my preferred choice.

The setting is beautiful and well worth the bus ride down which can be a little bit of a pain, the final 12km from Lanquin to Semuc Champey are bumpy to say the least. The water down stream is a murky turquoise but further up where the lagoons are it is crystal clear, with about seven or so lagoons running into one another.

The lagoons are part of a park so you have to pay an entrance fee to enter, this is 50Q. Once in you can either walk parallel to the river or up the hill next door to the look out point before descending to the lagoons. This isn't too strenuous a hike and the view is well worth it.

If you go on your own steam you can just hang about in the pools, but if you go with a guide, which only costs a little more, they take you to the waterfall downstream and you can check out the cave behind it which is pretty cool. To get back to the hostel in Semuc just hug the riverbed, once there if you need to go back to Lanquin just hop on the back of someones pickup.

If you do the tour, you can also get to go tubing at the end of the day and go to one of the local caves with the group. This is a fun experience as you go through the cave with nothing but a candle to help you lead the way. The cave walk is mostly in water too deep to walk through takes you into the back of the cave where you can climb up the walls and jump into a pool but you have to go out the same way you came in, through waterfalls and tiny cracks.

This is a cool experience but best when done in small groups, there were 24 people in the group I was in and as a result it takes ages to get through the cave, it also gets a little chilly as you wait for everyone else. All in all this is a cracking day out but try to do it on a day when there are limited people around to get the most out of it. 

Introduction to the Mayan Civilization: Tikal, Guatemala

Just across the border from Belize, some 2 hours by minivan, is the little township of Flores which is an island connected to the nearby town of Santa Elena by a bridge. Flores is a small area where you can find a cheap hostel with a view of the lake and close to plenty of tour operators where you can book a Tikal tour, as well as onward travel and other tours.

Tikal is one of the largest Mayan sites in Mesoamerica and has been a World Heritage Site since 1979, as a result, restoration is now slow as it has to be all done by hand and not one of the buildings can be restored by more than 25%. Tikal National Park is some 576km2 and using infra red, NASA says there are between 16000 -17400 buildings in the park. Obviously not all of these are restored and when you to the park only a few temples and buildings are accessible in a 4km2 area in the centre of the park.

Getting here is easy if you book transport through a tour company, expect to pay around 60Q for round trip transport or 100Q for trasportation and an English speaking guide, totally worth it so you actually have an idea of what you are looking at. You can always try to get to Tikal on your own steam but unless you have your own vehicle, it's a lot of hassle when you could pay just a fraction more and get a shuttle bus there.

Entry at the park is 150Q and if you arrive before 6am it is an additional 100Q, no point trying to get here early for the sunrise, didn't hear anyone raving about it and you have to pay more for the priviledge. If you paid for a guide, he/ she will meet you and the rest of your group in the park and from here you proceed to Complex Q. If you don't have a guide then all you have to do is walk around the park at your own leisure, but as mentioned before it is better, in my opinion to see some of the highlights of the park whilst gaining some knowledge about it. You can always walk around after the guided tour has finished.

Most of the complexes comprise of similar buildings ranging from sacrifical pyramids with underground tombs to residences, from palaces to administritive buildings and stelae with carvings. The numbers 9 and 13 were very important in Mayan culture, with Complex Q, for example, having 9 stone stelae with sacrificial alters, to respresent the Gods (there are 22 in total), and four buildings (incuding two pyramids) to make up a total of 13, representing the underworld.

After here it's a short walk to the Great Plaza which houses the famous pyrmaids of Tikal, there are two that face each other, built in honour of a past monarch. The main pyramid, Temple I, standing at 45m in height, is in honour of King Jasaw Chan K'awil and the one directly opposite, Temple 2, is to commemorate his wife, this one stands at 38m in height. They are no longer accessible to tourists but the Northern Acropolis and Central Acropolis adjacent to them are free to be roamed on, the Northern one has some 278 rooms and you could easily lose yourself wandering around.

Close by are Temples III. IV and V, along with the El Mundo Perdido (The Lost World) and the Seven Temples Plaza. Temple IV is 70m tall and said to be the tallest structure in the Mayan world, Temple III is 57m tall and the second tallest in the park. From the top of Temple IV there are great panoramic views of the Great Plaza and Temple III, you aren't able to climb up Temple IV however. The Lost World has a few buildings but the Pyramid there dwarfes everything else, not so much in height but it is very wide. Whislt seeing these structures, the guide provides useful information and history at each spot.

Getting back to Flores is easy, by purchasing a ticket with a tour company there are various shuttles that go back to FLores and drop you off at your hostel at 1100, 1230, 1500 and 1700. A 0430 start is early for most people so many opt for the 1100 bus back, there's only so much you can take in and close to five hours in the park is plenty to see the highlights and more. I would definitley recommend doing this through a tour agency as it just makes things easier, especially as it is better to get to the park early before the crowds, and to pay just that little extra for a guide as it will make the experience that little more enjoyable.

Another Quick and Easy Border Crossing: Belize to Guatemala

Belize to Guatemala is a super easy border crossing with the main one being through Benque Viejo del Carmen in Belize to Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala. It's possible to take shuttle buses from Belize City to Flores ( for Tikal) or to Guatemala City itself but these are through private companies and much more expensive than doing it on your own steam. Also, if you go straight from Belize City you miss out on the attractions closer to the border in San Ignacio and the Cayo district itself.

Coming from San Ignacio and heading to the border is simple. There are a couple options available: you can either take a bus from the town to the border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen (Benque for short) and from there take a taxi from the bus station to the border, or you can just take a taxi from San Ignacio to the border which is much easier and less hassle. The second option is a $5 per person and takes less than 20 minutes.

Once at the border, proceedings are quick. After getting your exit stamp for Belize there is a short walk with your bag(s) to the Guatemalan entry point. Once your passport is stamped  there is a bridge to walk over and from here you can take buses to Guatemala City or shuttles to Flores (30 Questzales, Guatemalan currency) which takes about three hours. Be careful with these as they like to try to overcharge tourists and they don't go to Flores. They stop in Santa Elena and then a 10Q per person tuk-tuk is required to take you through to Flores which is just over the bridge, about 2k away. Of course you can walk this but if you are feeling lazy then the tuk-tuk is the simplest option.