We didn’t plan to go to Guatemala. In fact, a few months ago, I might’ve struggled to find it on a map. But after Plan A (a Princess cruise to Mexico) fell through, followed swiftly by Plan B (Holland America Line cruise to Mexico) and then Plan C (flying to Mexico City), it became clear: Mexico just wasn’t happening this year.
Enter Darren and his new best friend, ChatGPT, who suggested Guatemala as a worthy alternative. A little research revealed options for hiking, biking, and a vibrant, friendly Latino culture. Right up our alley.
Most of our recent travels have been in the US. Now don’t get me wrong, we lurve traveling in the US. But there’s something just a touch more tantalizing about going international. Going rogue! The chance to immerse ourselves in a different culture, with new sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. Plus, we had to dust off our backpacks, which hadn’t seen the light of day in a good few years.
To avoid you also having to look it up: Guatemala is in Central America, right next to Mexico (as it happens), bordered by Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.
After an overnight flight into Guatemala City, the smart move was to get the hell out of Guatemala City and head straight to Antigua, Guatemala — the place where the cool kids go. Not to be confused with Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean.
We eased into the Guatemalan culture gently: a nap, a walk to a viewpoint, and a rooftop brewery. Not a bad start.
We quickly fell in love with Antigua’s pastel-colored colonial buildings, its cosmopolitan vibe with al fresco coffee shops and bars, and its dramatic backdrop with three volcanoes. I especially loved the little ice cream carts in the main square, modeled after the colorful local ‘chicken buses.’
The chicken buses deserve a mention. These are vibrant, retrofitted American school buses decked out in chrome, with religious slogans and blaring music — each one with enough personality to rival a parade float. They’re the standard mode of transport for locals and a visual feast for visitors.
We embraced the local culture with a coffee-themed bike tour, starting with a ride through the streets of Antigua Guatemala. (I find the whole Antigua Guatemala thing a bit odd, like when Americans say Dallas, Texas or New York, New York—where it’s really not in any doubt which Dallas or New York you’re talking about. Henceforth, let it be called just Antigua, and I think we all know I’m referring to the one in Guatemala.)
The thing about Antigua is that the streets are cobbled. Quaint and charming that may be when you’re wandering around on foot. But it rises to a whole new level on two wheels. Every cobblestone becomes a mini speed bump, providing an unwelcome medieval massage and testing the integrity of your dental fillings.
Having survived the cobbles, we cycled through rustic villages and scenic countryside, past horses, dogs, and goats, to a coffee plantation on the lower slopes of Volcano Agua.
Surrounded by lush greenery in the plantation, we learned the life story of a coffee bean. Back at the family home, we helped turn the already shelled, fermented, and dried beans into a cup of the good stuff. We took turns roasting them over an open fire in a kitchen that looked like it time-traveled from the 1800s, then hand-ground them on a stone the couple had received as a wedding gift 25 years ago. By the time we brewed that coffee, we were spiritually bonded with it. No wonder it tasted so good.
After soaking up more of Antigua’s atmosphere, we took another (mercifully cobble-free) bike ride down to Panajachel on Lake Atitlán.
To reach Tzununa across Lake Atitlan, we had to cram into a small public boat with far too many people, most of whom had no concept of personal space, even if there had been any. The ride across the windiest lake ever was so bouncy I narrowly avoided biting my tongue clean off.
But it was worth it for a couple of truly relaxing, chilled-out days in a stunning setting. It’s times like these, you know you’re on holiday.
Guatemala wasn’t even on the cards earlier this year – but it turned out to be an awesome choice. Sometimes the best trips are the ones you never planned. And it’s not over yet – because there’s a volcano out there with our name on it.