A Trip to Guatemala During Rainy Season

I recently returned home from a trip to Guatemala. Overall, it's a great country to visit with many incredible sights, but it falls short of being an all-time favorite. Here's what I thought.

Guatemala City:

  • Who it's for: People who love food. Guatemala City has a wide range of delicious Guatemalan and foreign dishes in establishments that range from street carts to fine dining. After flipping through various menus from all the places I visited, I concluded that Guatemala City has the best restaurants by far.
  • Cons: The central square was very underwhelming and shops around the historical center close early, leaving the city center deserted at night. Personally, I felt safe in the touristy parts, but it all depends on one's tolerance for city centers. Traffic is bad and I don't think the public transportation system does much to alleviate the issue.

Antigua:

  • Who it's for: People who even mildly enjoy Latin American colonial towns. Antigua is one of the best I've been to – the town lends itself well to walking, is home to many ruins, and has a stunning volcanic backdrop. It's not overrun by tour agencies, which is a huge plus. There are a few quality restaurants.
  • Cons: It's still a small town, which limits one's activities. The city center has a large foreign presence, which could bother people who want a more "authentic" experience.

Acatenango and Fuego:

  • Who it's for: Hikers of all skill levels interested in seeing a truly active, not just in the geological sense, volcano up close. It's true that Acatenango is a challenging hike, but tour guides ensure that slower climbers don't get left behind and groups take plenty of breaks. While the hike is undoubtedly more enjoyable with training, physical fitness is not a necessity. The additional Fuego hike is great for breathtaking closeup views of lava.
  • Cons: The base hike as well as the two optional hikes are difficult and require lots of physical exertion. According to AllTrails, the base hike alone is out and back 7.9 miles long with an elevation gain of 4,000 feet. The Fuego hike is inherently dangerous because the volcano is actively spewing lava. This could be specific to the tour that I booked, but the accommodations were very bare bones and the best I can say about the provided food is that it's edible. But hey, no one's hiking a volcano for comfort.

Lake Atitlan:

  • Who it's for: People who want to relax at a lake. The scenery is beautiful, especially the area around La Casa del Mundo. It was enjoyable to walk around San Juan and soak in the sights, sounds, and aroma of the lake from up high. Compared to other notable lakes around the world, this one is cheaper for Americans to get to and stay at. The best accommodations, in my opinion, are the ones further from the town centers.
  • Cons: While the nature was undoubtedly gorgeous, I was less impressed by the individual towns. Santa Cruz and San Marcos both had great views but abysmal food options and limited architectural beauty. I skipped Panajachel and San Pedro, but according to others both towns are livelier and have more to do. Some of the expats who live at Lake Atitlan are weirdos, making certain encounters unpleasant.

Chichicastenango:

  • Who it's for: People who like to wander around markets. On Thursdays and Sundays, the city center transforms into the largest indigenous market in Central America. It's quite lively with crowded walkways and the occasional basket of live chickens and chicks. Numerous vendors sell Mayan artisanal works that range from cloths to wooden carvings.
  • Cons: There's nothing else to do in Chichicastenango and one can find similar goods in other Guatemalan cities. If you've already been to several markets, the incremental benefit of visiting this one is minimal.

Flores Island:

  • Who it's for: People who enjoy cute, colorful towns with Caribbean adjacent architecture.
  • Cons: I'm certain everything on the island is overpriced; it's better to buy stuff in the main town. The humidity is off the charts, making the island hot and stuffy.

Tikal:

  • Who it's for: History lovers and anyone who likes exploring ruins situated in nature. Visitors can climb on top of the temples to soak in views of the park from up high. Tikal is located amid a rainforest, which means that visitors can spot and hear wildlife ranging from birds to monkeys to coatis.
  • Cons: It's hot and humid, and some of the best parts of the park don't have shade. I did the sunset tour and was accosted by swarms of flies despite adorning copious amounts of bug spray. The other tourists and I were constantly hopping around atop the pyramid.

Other sites in Guatemala that were popular among travelers include Semuc Champey and El Paredon. No one visits every attraction, so it's all about picking the ones that appeal to you. My ranking of the places that I visited is 1) Antigua/Acatenango 2) Flores/Tikal 3) Lake Atitlan 4) Guatemala City 5) Chichicastenango.

Transportation

I dislike using tourist shuttles in foreign countries, so I traveled around Guatemala using a mix of chicken buses, Ubers, sleeper buses, and flights. Public transportation in Guatemala gets a bad rap, but as someone who knows close to zero Spanish, I felt completely safe riding chicken buses, though the routes going in and out of Guatemala City were uncomfortably crowded. It's important to caveat that I only rode chicken buses during the day and I have experience navigating public transportation systems both abroad and back home. Ultimately, shuttles are only around $15 more per journey, so the extra cost is worth it if you're worried about safety.

I found it difficult to find information about public transportation routes and pricing online, so here's what I encountered on my trip:

Guatemala City (El Trebol) -> Antigua: 20Q

Antigua -> Chimaltenango (10) -> Los Encuentros (25) -> Solola (5) -> Panajachel (5): 45Q

Panajachel -> Solola (5) -> Chichicastenango (15): 20Q

Chichicastenango -> Guatemala City (El Trebol): 50Q

Water taxis around Lake Atitlan: 25Q no matter where you start and where you end. Ferry operators refused to accept a lower price even after I pointed out that an official fare chart listed prices lower than what they were charging.

Guatemala City -> Flores/Santa Elena: $35, the overnight bus was costlier and more uncomfortable than similar buses in South America

General Tourist Vibe

I don't know if it's because school's out, but the tourists that I met in Guatemala were on the younger side. In fact, Guatemala is possibly the "youngest" country I've visited (or maybe it's me who's getting older? What a scary thought). I bumped into lots of Americans, more than I usually do abroad, and many of them could speak conversational Spanish. The Europeans, on the other hand, could not speak Spanish. There were also many visitors from other Latin American countries. I felt that a higher proportion of Guatemalans spoke English compared to other Latin American nationalities.

About Rainy Season

As always, rainy season in the context of travel doesn't mean zero visibility, but rather that the weather becomes more inconsistent. Rainfall and cloudy skies translate into less time to enjoy views, but they also bring about cooler daytime temperatures. It's still best to visit Guatemala during the dry season, but don't let the prospect of rainy season hold you back from going if that's the best time for your schedule.

Author: Icy_Crescendo