Guatemala

We arrived late to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. So rather than making the 90 minute(ish) trip to Antigua, we opted to stay in Guatemala City for the night, and spend the next day exploring the capital.

We stayed at Courtyard Guatemala City because of its proximity to the airport. About a 10 minute Uber ride (as an aside, Uber is an affordable, accessible, and reliable form of transportation in Guatemala). For a night or two in Guatemala City this hotel does the trick.

We didn’t get to the hotel until 9 pm, so we decided to eat at the restaurant there. The food was perfectly fine for a late night, last minute, meal. If we had more time we would’ve walked to Pecorino Italian Restaurant. Although we didn’t get to eat here, the reviews on Google are mostly positive.

The next morning we explored Guatemala City. We took a short walk to Plaza Espana and then took an Uber to the Historic District and walked through the massive underground central market. You can find anything you could ever want or need here. Cooked food, raw meat, produce, textiles, souvenirs, and more. Had we not just eaten breakfast I would have loved to try some of the food here. It all looked and smelled fantastic.

We did some more walking and found Amor Cafe. My fiancé got a smoothie she loved and I had my first real Guatemalan coffee. A delicious americano. I definitely recommend checking them out if you’re looking for a spot for food or coffee.

After our coffee and smoothie we headed back to the hotel. We needed to start our drive to Antigua where we had our pre-hike meeting at Ox Expeditions headquarters that evening (our chosen guide company to take us up Acatenango).

Before leaving Guatemala City we grabbed tacos from this little spot, Café Portalito, which I randomly stumbled upon, right around the corner from our hotel. The couple running the café were extremely kind and accommodating. My fiancé wanted tacos vegetales and they happily made them for her even though they weren’t on the menu. Our tacos were great. Our first authentic meal.

We took an Uber from Guatemala City to Antigua. There was a bit of traffic and the drive took just over 90 minutes. Pretty typical. But not a bad trip at all. There are no restrictions on exhaust in Guatemala, like most South American cities, and this route seems to be the main thoroughfare, so try to keep the windows up and the AC on. Otherwise expect some fumes, and maybe wear a mask. The Uber cost around $40.

For our one night before the hike we stayed at Casa Santa Rosa Boutique Hotel. We had a beautiful, spacious, historic room, with a short balcony that opened up to the courtyard (room number 1). We moved hotels after our hike, but in hindsight we could have easily stayed here for the remainder of our trip. The hotel is beautiful and is in one of the quieter corners of the city. Our two friends we were traveling with stayed here for a few nights and enjoyed their stay.

That evening we went to our pre-hike meeting (more about the hike below). After the meeting we ate dinner at Laurel Bistro. It wasn’t my favorite meal. In fact it was tied for my least favorite of our trip. The food was just pretty bland and unimaginative. Especially when compared to the food options available in Antigua. I wouldn’t recommend going.

After dinner we went back to our hotel to pack our gear for our hike of Acatenango the next morning, and went to bed early.

Hiking Acatenango

All of the pictures make it look like the trail is overcrowded. It gave me hesitation when booking it. I couldn’t imagine how it could be enjoyable with so many people hiking at once. Turns out, it was better than expected, and well worth it. It’s like that Yogi Berra saying, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”

But it’s not overcrowded. We started as a group of 30, and there were a lot of other groups going up. But it seemed like there were a number of different paths and stopping points on the way up, so it never felt too packed.

We chose Ox Expeditions because all the travel blogs we read listed them as being in the top 3 of guide groups. Also, they showed availability when we first looked online, while other companies looked to be fully booked (turns out that might not have been true). Regardless, we are so happy we went with them. We had an awesome trip. There’s nothing more I could have asked for from them.

How it Works

After going through all of the necessary online booking and signing of waivers, it is recommended that you show up to the pre-hike meeting the day before the hike begins. And I would agree. The meeting takes place at the Ox Expeditions headquarters which is within walking distance of any accommodation within Antigua. The meeting is at 4:45 pm, and runs about 1 hour.

During the meeting Ox will collect the remaining amount due for the tour in cash, as well as collect an ID from each person in the group to be held as collateral for returning any rental gear (rental gear is free, and even if you don’t think you’re going to rent anything they still require an ID, so bring one to the meeting). After that the lead guide, in our case Miguel, will go through a power point presentation that gives all the participants all the required information about the hike and what to expect.

Things like what size backpack to bring. They recommend a 50L backpack, which at first I thought was unnecessary, but quickly realized why it was needed (especially if you’re not using a porter and carrying all of your own stuff). You will need 4 - 5 L of water (there is no water sources on the mountain). You will want to bring some of your favorite snacks. Things like trail mix, protein/energy bars (I love RX Bars), maybe a piece of fruit or two. You will also need to pack warm weather clothes. We hiked in March and it was warm and sunny, but at night it gets cold, and you’re going to want layers.

Lastly, you’ll need to pack your lunch and dinner (provided by Ox Expeditions but you must carry it), as well as community food (something that I hadn’t realize beforehand). Lunch was a stromboli like sandwich. Dinner was a Tupperware of pasta that they mixed with what tasted like homemade sauce with vegetables. For the community food I had a bottle of wine in my bag. Some people had bagels or banana bread. Others had a jar of peanut butter, nutella, or jam for breakfast.

Additionally, only about a mile into day one of the hike 7 people dropped out of the trip and turned back. But we still had to carry up their community food. I ended up adding cheese and coffee to my pack to help out. My bag at this point was by no means full, but I’m glad I had the extra space.

During the meeting they will also go over what clothes to pack (see below), conditions on the trail, how long you’ll be hiking for, what time to meet in the morning and where, details on hiking to Fuego, details on the sunrise summit, how often you’ll break, and a lot more information. Definitely attend this meeting if you’re able to. A few people in our group got in too late to attend and did just fine. So don’t fret if you can’t make it.

Clothes and layers

I hiked up in Danner trail boots. Knee high, thin smart wool socks. Prana hiking pants. A dri-fit t-shirt. A long sleeve base layer. Hat, light buff (for nose and mouth coverage from the dust) and sunglasses. Some people were in shorts and t-shirts which was perfectly doable given our weather conditions, but I always prefer long sleeves and pants on sunny days to protect against the sun.

In my pack I had base layer pants, fleece, puffy jacket, rain jacket, warm hat, warm gloves, and an extra pair of socks that I changed into for the night and to sleep. And I’m happy I had all of it. Once the sun went down it got quite chilly. Even with the fire we had going I still had on all of my layers minus the rain jacket and gloves. Luckily we didn’t end up needing our rain jacket. I did wear my gloves for some of the early morning summit to Acatenango. But once the sun came up it was plenty warm and I didn’t need them.

Here’s a good site for very accurate weather information: https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Acatenango/forecasts/3976

Food and Water

I mentioned some of the food I brought above. But I ended up bringing too much. The sandwich they gave us was dense and filling, and there was a lot of pasta for dinner. They also put out banana bread and hot chocolate before dinner. I brought 2 apples, 2 bananas, ~6 protein/energy bars, trail mix, and 2 bags of plantain chips. I could have done with half of it and been fine.

Breakfast was a beautiful assortment of bagels, English muffins, avocado, peanut butter, Nutella, jams, coffee. I was happy I had the banana for my breakfast.

I brought up 5 L of water and I drank all of it. One piece of advice: make sure you hydrate the morning of your hike before you begin. My water bottle was in my bag which went on top of the bus that takes you to the trailhead. So from about 7 am, when we left Ox Expeditions offices, to around 9:30 am, when we got to the trailhead, I barely drank anything other than coffee at Rainbow Cafe (where Ox Expeditions had arranged for free breakfast for everyone before the restaurant opened). Eggs, beans, tortillas, and plantains. It was quite good, but I didn’t have any water.

So I killed 1 liter of water immediately at the beginning of the hike. Electrolyte packets are also a nice thing to have.

The Hike

Day 1 was challenging. I didn’t use a porter, but a lot of people did (it cost Q200 for one way). But if you’re not using one, expect to carry 30 - 40 lbs. Day 1 took around 5 hours to go just under 5 miles, gaining close to 4,000 ft. Not an easy feet. But it is totally DOABLE. Our guides gave us breaks for water, a snack, and to re-group every 30 minutes or so. Don’t give up. Keep going.

And if you want to use a porter, do it. Not only will it help you get to the top, but it also helps the local economy by giving someone a job for the day. You pay the porters directly, and if no one uses them, they don’t have work. Don’t be ashamed to use one.

The trail is dusty, loose, and tricky at parts, but nothing too technical. While we did have some people in our group turn back early on, we also had a couple of people who were older, ~60s, and without hiking experience, who made it up.

Sunset Hike to Fuego

A little less than half of our group did the additional sunset hike to Fuego. At the time it was not erupting and so I think many people decided it wasn’t worth it. But the people who went anyway were happy they did. The people who decided to stay back, myself included, and hang out at camp and shoot the shit around the fire, were equally as happy with their decision. The campsite overlooking Fuego is a beautiful place to spend the evening after a long day of hiking. I don’t think you can go wrong either way.

Having said that, if you think hiking to Fuego is going to impact your ability to summit the next morning, then I would say skip Fuego and do the sunrise summit of Acatenango.

Where We Slept

Ox Expeditions has 5 person cabins for anyone who books ahead of time. For people who show up the day before or day of to book sleep in tents. We got lucky and only had 4 people in our cabin. There’s sleeping bags and really cushiony sleeping pads with a small built on pillow. One thing we forgot was a sleeping bag liner. It is mandatory to sleep in one presumably to help keep the sleeping bags clean. If you have your own you can bring it, and if not they can let you borrow one.

Acatenango Sunrise Summit

We woke up at 4 am, and we were hiking by 4:30 am. There is no time for breakfast, coffee, or really a proper bathroom break. So plan accordingly. It’s just about getting up and going. But it is totally worth it, and not nearly as difficult as I had anticipated. I went up with 1 L of water and barely drank any of it. I also didn’t eat anything until I got back down. But some people did. Maybe bring a light snack.

Most of the trail on the way up is very loose sediment. I’m talking sinking a few inches in with each step (a little like snow shoeing). Especially on the way down. Expect to be “skiing” through the dirt.

The summit is about 1 mile each way (depending where you camp is on the mountain). In total the summit was about a 3 hour event. 90 minutes up, hanging out for 30 minutes or so, and around 60 minutes or less on the way down. Once you get back to camp it’s time to back up your cabin (or tent) and eat some breakfast before heading back down.

The Way Down

Getting down Acatenango was challenging at times. There are some very steep and slippery spots. But if you have hiking poles, which I definitely recommend having (you can rent them from Ox), you will be ok. The way down took under 3 hours. We ran the last mile or so because it was easier than sliding through the dirt.

Once you’re back down you’ll wait for the bus to take you back to Antigua.

Overall Thoughts on Acatenango

It was an amazing experience that far surpassed my expectations. I’ve been to different places around the world to hike and summit mountains, and this experience was up there with the best of them. It is challenging, but I think if you have some experience, and a real desire to get to the top, you can make it. And I can say that Ox was very accommodating and supportive in trying to get everyone to the top.

Antigua

Our two friends we were traveling with stayed in Antigua for a couple of nights after the hike before going to Lake Atitlan. If you’ve been researching things to do in Guatemala, surely Lake Atitlan has shown up. It is the one place that every local we met said we should visit. Still, my fiancé and I chose not to.

Depending on where you’re staying around the lake (there are a number of different small towns to choose from), it’s a 2.5 - 3 hour trip there from Antigua (drive + boat ride). My fiancé and I just didn’t feel like making that journey. We wanted to relax and explore every corner, café, restaurant, and ruin we possibly could in Antigua. Our friend’s pictures from Lake Atitlan looked amazing. But still, we’re happy we spent 5 nights after the hike in Antigua. We got to really know the city and try a lot of local places. We’ll visit Lake Atitlan on our next trip.

El Convento Boutique Hotel

For our time after the hike we stayed at El Convento. A small boutique hotel in the northeast corner of the city. As the name suggests it’s an old convent, like a lot of hotels in Antigua are, that was converted into a hotel. Our room, room 13, was a beautiful king suite. We booked this room for the outdoor soaking tub, but never actually got to use it. For one, we were out too much (we walked ~10 miles per day). Two, we couldn’t figure out how to fill it. Three, the one time we did ask the hotel to come and prepare it, as a sign posted above the tub suggests you do, they never showed up. Luckily the bathroom has a beautiful bath tub and so we just used that. It worked out just fine. Point is: maybe you don’t need the room with the soaking tub. All the rooms were beautiful.

We loved this hotel. My fiancé didn’t want to leave. We’re planning on getting married in Antigua next year and she wants to stay there again. It’s just a beautiful, comfortable, well decorated, and historic place to spend your nights. The breakfast wasn’t great, but with so many places to eat breakfast in Antigua I didn’t quite care. Even if it was good, I would’ve still wanted to go out and explore. And explore the food and coffee scene we did!

Restaurants/Cafés

It seems like there is a cool or historic restaurant or café around every corner of Antigua. We spent 5 nights in Antigua and every day we found a new place we wanted to go to. We left Antigua with over 40 places saved on our maps. We did our best to get to as many of them as possible, but we still missed some. But we’re planning on getting to them when we get married there next year.

Thursday - Day 1

Breakfast - Courtyard Guatemala City - Buffet style. Typical hotel breakfast.
Coffee Break - Amor Cafe: We loved it here. Located near the historic district we enjoyed talking to the owner, as well as an Americano and a delicious green smoothie.
Lunch - Café Portalito: A great little spot around the corner from the Courtyard Guatemala City. The food was great, the owners were friendly and accommodating.
Dinner - Laurel Bistro: Not my favorite meal. It was just very basic in a city filled with flavors. Skip it.

Friday - Day 2

Breakfast - Rainbow Cafe (with Ox Expeditions): Solid spot. Good coffee, and desayunos tipicos.
Lunch - Hiking
Dinner - Hiking

Jalapeño and Banana Chicken at Sobremesa

Saturday - Day 3

Breakfast - Hiking
Lunch - Café Boheme: We can hear straight from Ox Expeditions offices after returning from the hike. We all go something different, and everyone enjoys their meals. We would have come back if there weren’t so many good options in this city.
Coffee Break - Bru’d: Ok coffee. I got a cortado and was pretty underwhelmed by it. I never came back despite passing it multiple times during my stay. Skip it.
Dinner - Sobremesa: Good food. Kind of an Italian and Guatemalan fusion. I had an interesting dish called Jalapeño Chicken. If you want something that’s not exactly Guatemalan, give this place a try.

Sunday - Day 4

Breakfast - El Covento Hotel Breakfast: Breakfast at our hotel was completely mediocre. We ate here twice (first morning, last morning) because it was convenient and included, but it was pretty disappointing. They do give you a choice of oatmeal or yogurt, a choice of an egg dish, and a choice of a juice, plus coffee. A good amount of food/drink for breakfast, it just wasn’t very good.
Lunch - Chermol Empanadas: One of the best Jason y queso empanadas I’ve ever had. Our friends ended up eating 6 empanadas here. I would have had more if we weren’t planning on going to get street food after.
Lunch - Parque La Merced Street Food: In Parque La Merced is a food and shopping market. During the week there are not many vendors, but on the weekend it is filled. I highly recommend getting some food here. We go tacos and tostadas, and came back here a few times to eat.
Dinner - 27 Adentro: This restaurant is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google. A friend we were with was skeptical about the rating until we actually ate there. We shared an avocado salad, shrimp ceviche, and their shredded beef tostadas. I had the Chicken Pepian. The best chicken dish I’ve ever had in my life.

Monday - Day 5

Breakfast - Café Sol: The service here was rather slow, but the food was extremely delicious. I wanted to come back here but we just ran out of time. My fiance and I split oat pancakes which were insane. And we each got a smoothie. Our friends had egg dishes that they really enjoyed. Just be patient with the service.
Lunch - Y Tu Piña Tambien: This was one of our favorite meals. The food was awesome, I got the typical egg, plantain, beans, and tortilla dish. But the restaurant itself is worth going into because everything from the seats, tables, doors, and door frames, are all antiques and just gorgeous. We also experienced great service.
Coffee break - Del Otro Lado: This was a random stop for a coffee and I really enjoyed my Americano (cafe negro) from here. They also sell packaged foods, chocolates, and other things of that nature. They try to promote local. Definitely stop in here.
Dinner - Ta’Cool Taco Shop: We ended up at Tacool after not being able to get into Por Que No (see below). We were really hungry and just settled on this restaurant that we had seen busy ever since arriving in Antigua. We split 8 tacos (you have to order 4 of the same type) and nachos. The food really wasn’t bad, neither was the price. It just didn’t feel like the authentic taco experience we were looking for. Good spot if you’re in a pinch.

Tuesday - Day 6

Breakfast - Amanecer Juice Bar: Unbelievably delicious smoothies and smoothie bowls. The presentation of the smoothie bowls is also remarkable. We ended up coming back here the next day for lunch, and I got the same thing. It was that good. A small little spot. Totally worth the bit of wait for them to freshly prepare your food.
Lunch - Parque La Merced Street Food
Coffee Break - A Ver Quien Soy Cafe: A nice cafe negro doble. Cool little spot a little bit off the beaten path. I really enjoyed my coffee here.
Dinner - ¿Por Que No?: One of our favorite meals. Not just because of the food but also because of the decoration and ambience of the restaurant itself. It’s a very small place (probably less than 10 tables) and fills up quickly. The dishes are unique, the kitchen is small, and everything feels like it’s cooked with love. Definitely go here. The suggest making a reservation which you can do from their social media page.

Wednesday - Day 7

Breakfast - Caoba Farms: A small organic farm just outside of the city. From El Convento Hotel where we stayed it was an easy 20 minute walk. They have a farm, a full restaurant, and a great little store with a lot of unique and local products. I bought coffee and freshly made chocolate they were making in the back room. At the restaurant I had duck muffin. A duck sausage patty with an over easy egg, cheese, pickles, on a homemade brioche bun. My fiance had eggs Benedict and said it was the best hollandaise sauce she’s ever tasted. It comes with a bright side salad fresh from their garden.
Lunch - Amanecer Juice Bar
Lunch - Cactus Antigua: After the juice bar we were still a little peckish so we split 4 tacos here. I don’t recommend. They were fine, but they were just very cheesy and very saucy, and therefore very heavy.
Coffee Break - Café Condensa: Decent cafe negro double in the main square.
Dinner - 27 Adentro: The food here was so good that we had to come back for our last dinner. I got the beef stew the second time, but I wish I got the chicken pepian again, because as good as the beef stew was, the chicken was just next level.

Other places of note:

Fat Cat Coffee: Really good coffee. A very familiar cafe experience.
Fernando’s Kaffee: A great little spot off the beaten path.
Café La Parada: Cheaper coffee right near the food market. I really liked my cafe negro here and brought my fiance and friends later in the day. They didn’t like it as much as me. 🤷‍♀️

Overall Opinion of Guatemala

We loved our time in Guatemala, and specifically in Antigua. We found the food and coffee to be delicious, the people to be insanely friendly and helpful, the prices perfectly reasonable, and the whole city to just be magical. So much so that we will be back next year to get married. Don’t miss the chance to experience this historic and majestic city surrounded by volcanos, and filled with culture.

Guatemala: Acatenango and Antigua

Hiking Acatenango

Antigua

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