Guatemala

Hello,
I will be adding information about this trip regularly (2007). I'll start with transportation and hotels, then sights.

Quick Tips:

Rent a car from Guatemala City to Flores (Tikal). Drop it off in Flores. Fly one way back to Guatemala City, then rent another car to stroll through the highlands. It is relatively cheap, and the convenience of going at your pace and stopping whenever and wherever you want is unbeatable.
We used Tabarini. They were very nice and a little cheaper.

Best Way To Get Around:

Given our limited time (9 days) and desire to hit most of the highlights (Guatemala City, Lago Izabal, Tikal, Antigua and Lago Atitlan), while avoiding organized trips, we decided to rent a car at airport La Aurora, and head to Rio Dulce immediately upon arrival. The ride was very pleasant and exciting (took about 4:30 hours) without rushing. From the airport we took Avenida 7 turned right at 5 Calle (Marti), and then it was straight all the way! Real easy and exciting to drive through the beautiful scenery. Sure locals drive a little bit crazy, but the road is actually really good despite some hilly sections, and once out of the suburbs there are less "chicken buses" so you have the road to yourself. After spending 2 days around Rio Dulce we continued onward to Flores. Again the ride was great, people really nice whenever we stopped for something, and we were able to maximize our time at each attraction and avoid having to accommodate our schedule to bus schedules. We dropped off the car in Flores (then flew back to Guatemala city for -). There was a one way charge but overall we paid - for a 4 days rental. We also went on some dirt roads and remote places around Lago Izabal which would have been really hard to get to otherwise. If you are not afraid of driving I would highly recommend it. You may pay a little more for extra insurance. The rental agencies do check for every scratch, but we had no problem. Once back in Guatemala City we rented another car and drove through smaller roads to Lago Atitlan and back. The roads were again good, we drove through wonderful villages where people were really nice, and we had the most magnificent vistas of the lake from up on the mountain. Since there are few roads, getting lost is almost impossible! Nothing beats the convenience of going at your own pace with a rental. I highly recommend it.

This "hotel" consists of a set of private bungalows right on the lake shore. There you can rest in a hammock and dive in the lake to cool down. The restaurant will serve fish just fished from the lake, along with large yummy dishes for pennies. Chicken, ducks, and other friendly animals roam freely around the property. It is located right across from the hot springs and a few kilometers from Canyon El Boqueron, both of which are well worth the dirt road trip (~30 minutes 1 way) from Rio Dulce. The Finca el Paraiso and its surrounding are indeed quite paradisiac. The locals are very friendly. A totally laid back environment; charming bungalows. Plus it is really cheap (I paid less than $30 for a private 2 bedroom bungalow). I would highly recommend it except for 1 major inconvenience. There is no air-conditioning and personally I couldn't sleep at night by 30 Celsius. Also on Sunday nights a nearby church/congregation blasts very loud and repetitive local music late in to the night.

When visiting Antigua you will have a multitude of hotels to choose from. However, unless you are on a budget, you should not miss the Casa Santo Domingo. It is only a few blocks away from the main square. This hotel is absolutely outstanding, a one of a kind you will not find elsewhere. This old monastery was entirely renovated and turned into a hotel decorated with the artifacts excavated during the lavish restoration. It's like sleeping in a museum. The garden with its parrots, the pool, fountains with flower petals, and the decor are magnificent. A true fairy-tale decor.

Now it's a little expensive for Guatemala (~$150), but it's really well worth it. In any case you should at least go to "visit" the hotel and the small museum. If you are looking to get married this is an ideal place too!

PS: This is where Bill Clinton and many other celebrities stayed when visiting Guatemala!

If you are travelling in the low season (I was there in May) there is definitely no need to reserve in advance. The island part of the town is so small (and cute!) that you can easily go around in one hour and pick the hotel you like best. Ours, Casazul, was a charming blue house. We had a balcony with view of the lake, comfortable beds, bath and a/c, all for $30. Other similarly priced hotels were a little run down and not super clean, which was not the case at all at Casazul. The minibus to Tikal stops by to pick you in the morning if you made arrangements. Note, it's not quite punctual. The 9 o'clock minibus we took goes around the island counter clockwise stopping at every hotel, and arrived at 9:30. From Flores it's a little more than one hour to Tikal.

If you make the effort to go to Finca el Paraiso, you might as well keep going another 15 minutes to beautiful Canyon el Boqueron. As the local will tell you, you really can't miss it. About 8 kilometers from the finca the road veers left and goes over a large river. Just park on the grass before you cross the river. There you will likely see a handful of women washing clothes and children swimming. Either a child or an adult will accept to take you up the river in his canoe for a few dollars. It's a short and peaceful ride through the splendid canyon until the river narrows and you reach a sand bank where people fish. At this point you can chat with the fishermen, check out small caves or keep exploring further on your own (be ready to swim!). The water is warm and fairly clear. The rock formations are amazing with vegetation growing all over the cliffs. The whole deal can take you as little as 30 minutes or the entire afternoon if you decide to explore further.