Guatemala - Land of the Eternal Spring

Hands down my favorite country in Latin America, Guatemala's climate stays temperate all year long, lending itself to its nickname "La tierra de la eterna primavera" or The Land of the Eternal Spring. We spent nine amazing days travelling from Tikal to Rio Dulce to Antigua and finally Lake Atitlan. From Mayan ruins to colonial towns, from visiting local families to sampling chocolate.

Tikal - Words can't describe what beheld us as we climbed up the steps to the top of the Mayan temple ruins. Looking out to the jungle all around us. Tikal is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Mayan empire.

Rio Dulce - Awoken at 3am to sounds of rustling underneath my over the river bungalows. Was it just birds or a hungry crocodile. Sleep evades for the rest of the night. The Rio Dulce River provides an important wetland ecosystem. Throughout the mangroves one can spot crocodiles, monkeys and manatees. After arriving at the lodge via boat, we relaxed before dinner.

I woke up early the next morning for a sunrise kayak trip thought the river into the mangrove estuary for bird watching and monkey spotting.

Later the same day, we took a boat trip down the Rio Dulce River to the mouth of the Caribbean Sea. Livingston plays an important role in Guatemala. It served as a port town, where ships could dock and restock before moving their cargo up the Rio Dulce to Fronteras and into the rest of Guatemala. Separated from the rest of the mainland, it also became a haven for people fleeing oppression: the Garifuna (Guatemala only black community) escaping the British in the 18th century and the Q’echi Maya escaping the Guatemalan army during the Civil War. On the outside Livingston looks rundown and poverty stricken but look deeper and you discover its distinct charm.

Getting back to the lodge, late afternoon many of us decided to go for a rainforest and canopy tour around the lodge.

Antigua - If Guatemala is my favorite country, then Antigua is hands down my favorite city. If you close your eyes, you can easily image yourself in Spain. Walking the cobblestone streets lined with Baroque style architecture and thriving textile scene, this former colonial capital is among Central America’s top destinations. Bakeries, restaurants and an amazing craft beer scene. The imposing Volcán de Agua to the south and the twin peaks of Volcán de Fuego and Acatenango to the west surround the city providing rich fertile soil.

On one of the free mornings, I took a free walking tour to explore the historical center of Antigua. From the stunning Arch of Santa Catarina built in 1694 as a walkway for nuns to a former convent of Santa Clara we learned about the rich history of this former capital.

The next day I did the challenging Volcano Pacaya hike. From Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Day Hike. Volcano Pacaya (8370ft/2552m) may not be Guatemala’s highest peak, however its slopes and unique landscapes are certainly of some of the most impressive volcanic landscapes in all of Central America. Set in its own National Park, Pacaya is a storybook volcano with a continuous plume of smoke drifting from its summit and a massive dried lava field forming the valley at the base of its caldera. Up the side of the volcano to view scenes of lava spewing from Volcano de Fuego. It was challenging going up the side of the volcano but worse as we skied down the loose gravel scree, slipping and sliding in the dark.

Lake Atitlan - The next day we left beautiful Antigua and made our way to Panajachel a port town along Lake Atitlan. Atitlan is an incredibly beautiful volcanic lake, set 1,500 meters above sea level and reaching a depth of 341 meters - making it the deepest lake in Central America. There are many small towns located around the lake. We took the water taxi to several towns including San Marcos, San Pedro and San Juan.

San Pedro La Laguna is backpacker centra filled with lots of restaurants and bars geared to tourism. It was a quick stop for lunch.

San Marcos La Laguna is a small village famous for its large population of yogi expats who have settled down on the shores of Atitlan. It is filled with yoga retreats, holistic healing centers and new age workshops. A hippie village, if you will. But it also boasts a lot of fantastic restaurants, good value hotels and beautiful lakefront areas.

San Juan La Laguna is one of the largest towns along Lake Atitlan. It has a more authentic feel with indigenous art collectives and Mayan craft shops greatly outnumbering tourist cafés and pubs. We stayed overnight in a homestay learning about family life.