12 Day Guatemalan Culture And Nature

Today we will head to San Cristóbal El Alto, where we can enjoy a nature experience and have breakfast with spectacular views of the volcanoes and over the City of Antigua. After breakfast, we will head to the Finca El Pilar, located in Guatemala's mountain forest. The finca has many trails leading through organic coffee plantations and excellent for bird watching. The vegetation in the reserve is mainly coffee, pine and oak forests with intermittent cloud forest, attracting the hummingbird’s who come to feed at the finca. In the afternoon, we will visit ruins, churches and museums of the city. The stories and legends of colonial times are still part of everyday culture and we will visit: La Merced Church, Convent Las Capuchinas, Saint Joseph Cathedral, Central Park, the local craft market & Chocolate Museum.

The Pacaya volcano is one of three active volcanos in Guatemala, standing at 2,552 metres elevation. The hike is a relatively easy ascent and offers spectacular views of the whole volcanic chain. If you prefer, you may hire a horse at the entrance to the park for the ascent. We will head along a trail through a pine forest to the volcanic ash and finally reach the volcano's cone. From the top, you can enjoy excellent views of the volcanoes. After enjoying our volcano adventure tour, we will descend to the foothills and hand back to the hotel.

Today we will head to the market town of Chichicastenango, where the Mayan and Catholic traditions come together in glorious and colourful fashion! The scent of incense and the people's mysticism offers a unique atmosphere found only in Guatemala. The combinations of tastes, smells and colours combine uniquely here and we will head for a traditional lunch with a local Mayan family for the full, cultural experience. After lunch, we will head to the town of Quetzaltenango, where we will spend the evening.

Early in the morning, we will visit Almolonga market, one of the best vegetable markets in Central America. Here you can appreciate the colours and unique aromas of the market and watch the people in their day to day lives, shopping and walking around with their children on their backs, in a brightly coloured tapestry! We will then, continue to the sub-tropical forest of Fuentes Georginas, to enjoy some birdwatching. This natural destination also has hot springs for a relaxing soak. In the afternoon, we will head to the colourful church of San Andres Xecul and Zunil.  The village is set in a valley surrounded by beautiful lush mountains and famous for the Patron Saint of San Simon, who watches over the village. We will then head to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan for the evening.

Today we will take a stunning boat ride across Lake Atitlan to Santiago Atitlan. On arrival, we will head to the Rey Tepepul Park for a short hike and the opportunity to see the Resplendent Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala. We will return to Santiago Atitlan to have breakfast and then visit the famous Maya God Maximon and learn about the textiles, spiritualism and beliefs of the T’zutujil Maya. Each year a different family houses the town's saint, taking care of their cigarette, smoking God. In the afternoon, we will visit San Juan La Laguna to see the women’s textile cooperative for hand weaving and natural dye processing of the textiles. We will also visit the homes of the famous naïf artists before we continue to Santiago Village. We will then head back to the hotel in Panajachel.

After breakfast, we will visit Los Tarrales Private Reserve. Los Tarrales is located to the southeast of the Atitlan Volcano and is the home to the rare Azure-rumped Tanager.  The reserve is home to different types of forests due to the altitude variation and is an important place for conservation, promoting bird monitoring and forest preservation.  We can choose between birdwatching, coffee tour or nature and butterfly activities in the park. After lunch, we will drive back to Guatemala City for the evening.

Bright and early, we will head to the airport for the short flight to Flores. After breakfast, we will head to Las Guacamayas station, located within the most extensive wetlands in Central America, on the banks of San Pedro River in the heart of the Mayan Biosphere. We will arrive at Paso Caballos village, where we will take a boat ride to see wildlife along the route. We will then head out on a short hike to Las Guacamayas lookout point, with fantastic views to enjoy the sunset. In the evening, we will head out to see some of the nocturnal species of the area.

We will wake up early once more to spot the birds and wildlife around the station. After breakfast, you will take the boat to start a jungle hike to discover the natural world around these spectacular wetlands of central America. After lunch, we will head out on a boat ride around the San Pedro river and Sacluc stream on the quest for more wildlife, including the colourful Agami Heron. Before dinner, you will enjoy a nocturnal aquatic boat ride around the San Pedro River and streams.

After breakfast, we will take a boat towards Paso Caballos and then by car to the famous Mayan ruins of Tikal National Park. On arrival, we will hike inside this incredible natural paradise to enjoy a wildlife exploration and a sunset from the top of one of the Mayan temples.

Today we will wake early once more to appreciate a birding and nature tour. The National Park is the perfect opportunity to discover the birds that are endemic to Tikal and Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys, butterflies, and an array of spectacular insects. The setting of the rainforest and the archaeological site, full of Mayan temples, offers one of the most spectacular settings for a historical explanation and even the opportunity to climb some temples. After lunch, we will head to the airport for your flight to Guatemala City, where we will spend our final evening.

After breakfast, we will take the shuttle from the hotel to the International Airport on time to catch your flight back home or on to your next exciting destination.