Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Footnotes
Guatemala
THE TRIP
The author travelled with Journey Latin America (020 3553 9647, journeylatinamerica.co.uk) on the 13-day Active Guatemala: Trekking in Style trip, costing from £2,836 per person. Includes four nights in Antigua, two nights in Lake Atitlán and one night in Chichicastenango on a B&B basis, plus a three-night glamping trek from Antigua to Lake Atitlán on a full-board basis, excursions, transfers and international flights with Aeromexico.
Vital statistics
Capital: Guatemala City Population: 16.6 million Languages: Spanish is the official language; there are more than 20 Maya languages spoken, especially in rural areas, as well as Garifuna on the Caribbean coast.
Time: GMT-6
International dialling code: +502 Visas: Not required by UK nationals for stays of up to 90 days.
Money: Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ) is currently around GTQ9.96 to the UK£. There are ATMs in cities and major towns, and credit cards are accepted at most hotels and shops but you’ll need cash for rural areas, markets and tipping.
When to go
Guatemala is a year-round destination. Tikal is hot and humid year-round and the highlands are usually hot and sunny during the day and cold at night.
November to April: This is the dry season. Hotel prices rise during Christmas, New Year and Easter, with Antigua being particularly busy, so book well in advance. May to October: The rainy season sees showers fall in the afternoon; September is the wettest month.
Health & safety
Recommended immunisations include tetanus. There’s a low to no risk of malaria throughout the country but be aware of the effects of altitude sickness, which can begin at 2,400m above sea level.
Getting there
Aeromexico (aeromexico.com, 0800 9775 533) flies from London Heathrow to Guatemala City via Mexico City, avoiding the need for an ESTA and long queues at US immigration. Flight time is from around 14 hours; return fares start from £622. There are also flights to Guatemala City via US hubs with other carriers.
Getting around
Multi-hued ‘chicken’ buses rattle along at breakneck speed; microbuses and shuttle buses ply the popular tourist routes; and a network of long-distance coaches are good value and comfortable. To save time getting to Tikal, fly from Guatemala City to Flores with TAG Airlines (tag.com.gt) or Avianca (avianca.com).
Cost of travel
If you’re on a budget you can get by on US$50 (£40) per day by sleeping and eating cheaply, or up to
⊳ US$130 (£100) per day if staying in a comfortable hotel, eating at better restaurants and taking tours. A more luxurious escape will set you back upwards of US$200 (£160) a day. Tip around 10% in restaurants.
Accommodation
In Antigua, Casa Encantada (casaencantada-antigua.com) is a leafy boutique hotel with a garden courtyard and B&B doubles from US$115 (£91). Also in Antigua, Villa Colonial (villasdeguatemala.com), is well-located and has an outdoor pool; B&B doubles from US$85 (£68).
In Lake Atitlán, Casa Palopó (casapalopo.com) in Santa Catarina Palopó has a pool and lakeside views; doubles from US$197 (£157). In Chichicastenango, Hotel Santo Tomás (hotelsantotomas.com.gt) is a short walk from its namesake church and has B&B doubles from US$95 (£75), while Hotel Museo Mayan Inn (mayaninn.com.gt) has something of a colonial vibe, with B&B doubles from US$100 (£80).
Food & drink
The national dish is pepián, a rich, spicy stew with meat, potato and
squash; wash it down with a Gallo beer or award-winning rum Zacapa.
Round off with tres leches, a sponge cake soaked in three forms of milk.
Further reading & information
Guatemala (Lonely Planet, 2016) www.visitguatemala.com – official tourism board site www.pintandoelcambio.com/eng – Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó