10 Epic Reasons to Visit Guatemala (Updated for 2024)

10 reasons to visit Guatemala, a cultural gem in Central America. With helpful tips to help you get the most out of your trip. Plus lots of pretty pictures.

Home to many Mayan cultural sights like Tikal, Iximché, and Yaxhá, Guatemala is known as the Mayan center of Central America. So, history buffs will love it here! If you’re a fan of beautiful scenery then, Guatemala has it in abundance. Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world (and is a great spot if you like to party!) and Semuc Champey, near the border with Honduras and its turquoise waterfalls, are breathtaking!

Plus, adventure lovers come to Guatemala in their droves every year to hike an active volcano – you can climb Pacaya, Acantenango, and Volcan Fuego in Guatemala!

To put it simply, Guatemala is one of our favorite countries in Central America and we loved the month we spent here recently!

So, what are you waiting for – read on for your daily dose of travel inspiration!

10 Best Reasons to Visit Guatemala

1. Stroll the cobbled streets of historic and colorful Antigua
2. Stay in unique accommodation
3. Explore the spectacular Tikal
4. Relax by day and party at night at Lake Atitlan
5. Explore Rio Dulce and stay in a unique hotel in the middle of the river
6. Because Guatemala is cheap!
7. Get a taste of the Caribbean lifestyle on Livingston Island
8. Visit the largest outdoor market in Central America – Chichicastenango
9. Experience a chicken bus (if you know you know)
10. Guatemala is one of the best countries to go backpacking

1. To visit Antigua, one of our favorite cities in the world

Antigua is like something from a movie. It’s a small city less than an hour outside Guatemala City with breathtaking views of volcanoes in almost every direction. The town itself is Spanish-colonial style with cobble-stoned streets. Both quirky and rustic with a little hint of danger, because those stunning volcanoes you can see from almost every direction are notoriously active.

We stayed in Antigua for a week but could have stayed for much longer. But Antigua also attracts a hell of a lot of tourists so try to avoid travelling there in peak periods like spring break or the months of July and August. After all, Antigua is one of the main reasons tourists come to Guatemala.

Here’s a list of the best accommodation in Antigua (be sure to book in advance!)

The best tours in Antigua

The coolest way to see Antigua is on this sunset ATV tour which is 4-5 hours long. You’ll get to drive an ATV up to El Cerro de la Cruz – one of the best sunset spots in the city. Before heading onto a local village and then to Hobbitenango a fairytale-like village that’s akin to Hobbiton (from the Lord of the Rings) This tour costs from $66 USD per person!

Another one of the most popular things to do in Antigua is to climb the mighty Acatenango Volcano – which is just an hour from the city! It’s a dormant volcano but from its summit, you can see the active Fuego volcano erupting in the distance! Would you believe, Fuego erupts about every 30 minutes or so?!

Anyway, this tour allows you to spend the night on Acatenango volcano and it’s really well rated. It’s also a bargain at just $100 USD a head. And that price includes your meals and hiking equipment!

Related Read: Another one of our favorite countries in Central America is El Salvador. You can check out our detailed guide to 10 best things to do in El Salvador here!

2. To stay in one of the most unique hotels we’ve ever stayed at

In the teeny-tiny village of El Remate close to Tikal, we stayed at one of the most unique and memorable hotels we’ve ever had the pleasure of staying at.

Posada del Cerro is designed like a treehouse, overlooking Lake Peten Itza. It looked like it had been constructed by Mother Nature herself. We stayed in a suite, which was essentially a massive balcony with a bed and the best view of the lake. There was no door to the suite, and the bed was simply covered by a massive mosquito net to keep the bugs away.

It was a 15-minute walk to the village, so we ate at the hotel’s restaurant every night. When I say restaurant –  it was essentially a local lady who came in and cooked you a meal from whatever local produce came in that day. It was to die for every time.

Book your stay at Posada del Cerro here!

3. To explore the spectacular Tikal

Our trip to Central America involved viewing A LOT of Mayan ruins. There are tons of them. But none as spectacular and awe-inspiring as Tikal.

The ruins here date back to the 1st Century when it was a city that housed up to 50,000 people. There are almost 3,000 structures within Tikal but the best ones to visit are the Lost World (Mundo Perdido) Pyramid, the Temple of the Grand Jaguar, and Temple IV, which stands tall at a whopping 70 meters. Try to visit Tikal at sunrise to avoid the crowds.

It’s as simple as this – if you’re in or near Guatemala MAKE SURE to put visiting Tikal at the top of your list.

There are loads of great guided tours of Tikal and most depart from Antigua. But one of the best and most memorable tours you can book is this flight into Tikal with a guided tour of the ruins! It’s a long day at 17 hours long but it includes a return flight from Antigua, lunch, a guided tour of the ruins, and the entrance fee.

4. To feel ‘zen’ at Lake Atitlan

There’s a lot of hippies on Lake Atitlan, can I say that? Okay, Lake Atitlan attracts a lot of ‘individual’ individuals, particularly the lakeside towns of San Pedro and San Marcos. There are a lot of harem pants and friendship bracelets within sight. We really enjoyed our time here, the food was magnificent – in particular, The 5th Dimension and Idea Connection both in San Pedro La Laguna (where we stayed).

It’s also a fantastic place to learn Spanish, a lot of other backpackers we met were doing homestays to brush up on their Spanish.

As you may know, there are several towns dotted along Lake Atitlan. With the most popular towns to stay in being Panajachel, San Marcos, San Pedro, San Juan, and Santa Cruz. As I said we based ourselves in San Pedro and loved – it’s the perfect mix of a tourist town and a hippy town! We stayed at Sababa Resort, one of the most luxurious resorts in Lake Atitlan and we couldn’t rate it more!

Please DON’T swim in the lake. It’s pretty to look at, for sure, but admire its beauty from afar. Lake Atitlan alone is a great reason to visit Guatemala.

5. To feel like Crocodile Dundee on the Rio Dulce

We stayed on the Rio Dulce, like right on the river, the only way in and out was by speedboat. The river itself is apparently infested with Crocodiles and the owner told us numerous stories of him waking up to a Crocodile sunbathing on the deck. The owner Gary is a true blue Australian and has brought a very distinctive Australian vibe to the hostel, he’s even named it Hotel Kangaroo. You can’t get much more Australian than that.

He and his Mexican wife run a great show here and they are full of ideas of what to do and what not to do in Guatemala. It’s a do-not-miss, that’s for sure.

From Hotel Kangaroo we did a great tour to Finca el Paraiso and the Rio Dulce waterfalls which was so much fun. We booked it through Gary, the owner. Finca el Paraiso was especially memorable as here you can relax in volcanically heated waters while taking in the wild jungle-like scenery!

Book your stay at Hotel Kangaroo here!

6. It’s cheap as chips!

Cheaper than chips in fact. Guatemala is well-known in the backpacker community for being an extremely reasonable destination. Budget travelers flock here in droves, generally during the Summer months of May to July.

A hotel room can cost as little as $20 USD a night, especially in Lake Atitlan and Flores, it can be slightly more costly in Antigua, however, especially during any school or public holidays. A meal here averages $5 USD. A bus journey varies from $1 to $15 USD depending on whether you’re willing to take a chicken bus or a luxury tour coach.

Cheap & cheerful – one of the better reasons to visit Guatemala!

7. Indulge in a slice of the Caribbean on Livingston island

An hour or so boat ride from Rio Dulce is the Caribbean island of Livingston. Truthfully, it’s still part of Guatemala, but an island off the mainland, and it couldn’t be more different to the distinctly Mayan culture of the rest of the country. Stepping of the boat is like stepping onto Jamaican soil.

The locals are of African descent and speak Creole. Seafood is served in abundance here. It’s definitely worth the boat journey to see this unique side of Guatemala.

There aren’t many accommodation options on Livingston Island, so be sure to book in advance!

8. Experience ‘true’ Guatemala at the Chichicastenango markets

Color, color, everywhere. ‘Chichi’ as it’s affectionately known by locals is for me what I imagined Guatemala to be before I even set foot in the country. Smells of fresh flowers, meats, and fresh fruit waft through the air. It’s jam-packed with locals carrying textiles on their heads and tourists touting cameras. It’s exciting and stressful at the same time, as anyone who’s been to a market in Central America will attest to.

You can find yourself a great bargain too, we enjoyed bartering with the friendly locals who own the stalls. For most of them, this is a major source of their income, so be nice. We’re told they drive up from the neighboring villages the night before and sleep in their stalls, before getting up at dawn to prepare.

There are many guided tours from Antigua to Chichicastenango daily! But be warned these are full-day tours and you will need to allow between 10-12 hours!

9. Live on the edge on a chicken bus

When I say ‘live on the edge’ I literally mean it, because you might be spending the entire journey on the edge of your seat. We have lots of funny stories from riding chicken buses in Guatemala, on one trip there was a bag full of alive squawking chickens at the back of the bus that kept attempting to fly at the window.

The buses themselves are essentially old American school buses but the bus drivers customize their buses so they look like something from Pimp my Ride and the Latin music is always blaring. All this together with the very-chatty locals you definitely won’t be getting any sleep on one, that’s for sure.

10. To find your backpacking groove

The familiar backpacking stomping ground of Guatemala is the perfect destination to start your descent or ascent (however you want to look at it) into backpacking. Guatemala is Westernized enough to still feel comfortable, there’s lots of transport options, lots of hotels and hostels in all the major towns, and lots of other backpackers for you to socialize with.

But go off the beaten track and you will find a side to Guatemala so unique and mesmerizing that you may not want to veer back onto the well-traveled backpacker trail again. Again, this is another one of the great reasons to visit Guatemala!

I feel that two weeks is the ideal amount of time to spend in Guatemala, this two week itinerary for Guatemala includes all the must-see places.

What is so special about Guatemala?

Guatemala is the Mayan center of Central America and one of the best places in the world to see historic sites, Tikal is amazing and should be added to everyone’s bucket list. Not only that, but, Guatemala is home to the largest outdoor market in Central America (Chichicastenango) and is one of the only places in the world you can camp on an active volcano.

It’s a cheap destination and you can find excellent accommodation for as little as $20 USD a night. It’s no wonder Guatemala is so popular with backpackers and budget travelers.

Thanks for Reading!

Tell me – what did you think of our 10 reasons to visit Guatemala?

I’ve also written lots more blog posts on my travels through Central America including 10 reasons to visit El Salvador, the ultimate El Salvador itinerary and what to do in Belize! I would be so appreciative if you could check them out!

PIN IT!

Last Updated on June 18, 2024 by snaphappytravel