Guatemala - Travel Blogs & Travel Guides: 2023

From Atitlan to Antigua, Guatemala

Find out why travelling from Lake Atitlan to Antigua in Guatemala is a wonderful journey.

We spent a few days close to Lake Atitlán. It’s a picture postcard view with the bold blue of the lake contrasting against the volcanoes and mountains around. Small towns are dotted on the sides. We stayed in Panajachel – a hippie market town with lively nightlife. The handicraft and jewellery stalls stretch for miles, and with a bit of bargaining you can get a very good deal! Specialities include woven fabric rugs and scarves, jade and precious stone jewellery and leather bags and shoes.

A homestay in Guatemala is an amazing way to get to know the culture.

While visiting Guatemala recently I took part in a homestay with a local family in the small village of San Jorge la Laguna. The location is spectacular, with Lake Atitlán below and volcanoes and mountains surrounding. The village is small, with a few basic shops, a primary school all children can attend, a pub with a handful of tables, and a large church. A group of three of us were invited into Dora’s home to spend a full evening with her family. She was very welcoming and her three cheeky sons made the evening very entertaining.

Wanderlust Chloe Guatemala Homestay Family

Using my basic Spanish, I found out that Dora is a stay at home mum, as are most women in the village. She spends her days looking after the kids, taking them to school, cooking, cleaning and shopping for food in the nearby market town. Life is simple, but they seemed content.

Rio Dulce in Guatemala is a stunning place to relax. Find out where to stay and what there is to do there.

From Flores in northern Guatemala we drove south east to the town of Rio Dulce (meaning sweet river) and caught a water taxi to the Tortugal Hotel. As the sun glinted off the water, it felt like we had arrived in paradise! Large boats were moored alongside floating platforms perfect for sunbathing on or diving into the water from.

Exploring Belize’s ATM Caves and Guatemala’s Tikal are two things you absolutely have to do if you visit Central America.

From the Belizian island of Caye Caulker, we returned to the mainland and travelled a few hours to the small town of San Ignacio. The town is home to a main square, large daily market, a few hotels, an iguana sanctuary and some ruins… But the main reason tourists visit the area is for the incredible Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves or the ATM Caves.

Taking A Tour Of The ATM Caves, Belize

This is one of the best things to do in Belize! The cave tour is not for the faint hearted, although apparently it has been done by kids as young as 4 and as old as 90! It’s a combination of a jungle trek, river crossing, cave swim, rock climb and historical tour. You’re kitted out with helmets with lights and reminded you will definitely get wet!

After 45 mins we had waded across three rivers, and trekked through an amazing jungle. We reached the entrance of the caves, clambered over some slippery rocks and swam the first part of the journey into the depths of the cave. Once in it was a case of manoeuvring over rocks, sliding down slopes, squeezing through tiny gaps while always wading through the cold water. It was an exhilarating journey and the caves were so beautiful inside. Walls glistened with crystals, and looking up it was hard not be impressed by the cathedral-like ceiling.