Guatemala Maya Route

Day 1 - Country of origin -  Arrival Antigua
It is a long flight, but after a transfer in America you arrive in Guatemala the same day. You will be met at the airport by our tour guide who will take you to our hotel in the city center. Antigua is not the capital (that is Guatemala City) but it is not far from it. It is an hour from the airport to our hotel.

Day 2 - Antigua - Panajachel
We have the morning to explore old Antigua. Antiqua is the former capital of Guatemala and was previously called Santiago de los Caballeros. After a number of serious earthquakes, the capital was moved to Guatemala City in 1776. After that, Antiqua fell into oblivion. Now Antigua is experiencing a new period of prosperity, and the old city center has largely been restored to its former glory. You are now walking through a city where time seems to have stood still for more than 200 years. After lunch we leave Antigua and turn off the main road and drive on a small, unpaved road to Lake Atitlan. Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, surrounded by three impressive volcanoes. Here you can enjoy a fantastic view over the mountainous area. We spend the night in the pleasant, but also touristy town of Panajachel.



Day 3 - Panajachel - Quetzaltenango
In the morning we drive around the entire lake. This route is partly unpaved and offers beautiful views over the water. We then follow an unpaved route for the mountains towards the west. The road becomes narrower after a few small villages and we climb over a mountain ridge. When we get out of here we are suddenly close to the larger town of Quetzaltenango. Before we enter the city we visit the old colonial church.

Day 4 - Quetzaltenango - Chichicastenango
We drive on a good asphalt road towards the north. Then follows a beautiful unpaved path with many hairpin bends, which takes you through narrow plantation paths to the other side of the mountain range. Here we pick up the highway again and arrive in Chichicastenango. The quiet mountain village with bumpy cobblestone streets seems isolated from developments in the rest of the country. But on several days a week there is a colorful Mayan Indian market on the square in front of the colonial church. During market days the town fills up with Indians from all over the area. It is a fascinating experience to be among these as an outsider. It is the busiest and most colorful market of the Mayan Indians in the highlands.



Day 5 - Chichicastenango - Coban
Today we drive on a challenging unpaved road that will test your (off-road) driving skills. We drive over one of the highest mountains in Guatemala with breathtaking views. It can be quite cold, but the temperature will quickly rise again to tropical warmth as it descends. Along the way you regularly look out over the Alta Verapaz region. In the afternoon we arrive at the town of Santa Cruz de Verapaz, which is not far from Coban.

Day 6 - Coban - Sayaxche
We drive along the main road to Coban, the main city of the Alta Verapaz region, famous for its coffee plantations. Scenically, this area is perhaps one of the most beautiful in the country, with several turquoise lakes, rivers and a 300-meter-long naturally formed bridge. At the town of Lanquin we leave this beautiful hilly landscape and descend to the flat lowlands. Here we really enter the lowland rainforest. You also feel that because it becomes very warm and clammy. We then follow the road to Chisec, located in the remote jungle areas of the Peten, near the border of Mexico. The first 70 kilometers are unpaved and this makes it one of the more adventurous routes of the tour. There are only a few roads to this area and therefore the jungle remains mostly untouched. Peten is still the last refuge for exotic birds, boars, jaguars and other endangered animals. We pass a number of Mayan villages and have lunch in a basic 'comedor' of the local Indians before spending the night in Sayaxche, in a small lodge overlooking the Rio "La Passion".



Day 7 - Sayaxche - Tikal
The Peten region has the largest concentration of Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Today we visit the special Ceibal, Mayan ruin just 12 km from Sayaxche. A muddy dirt road leads to the ruins hidden in the dense jungle. Because Ceibal is quite remote and difficult to reach, few tourists come here. After lunch we cross the river "La Passion" in a ferry and go to the Lago Peten Itza. We drive along the lake on the east side and reach our lodge which is located on the edge of the lake.

Day 8 - Tikal - Accommodation
Today's highlight is the visit to Tikal, one of the largest and most impressive of all ancient Mayan cities, located 40 km north of Lake Peten Itza. Tikal's massive ruins are concentrated in groups surrounded by the dense rainforest. High up in the huge ceiba cedar trees you can see howler and spider monkeys jump from one tree to another. A specialized guide leads us to routes through the forests to all major archaeological groups. Return in the afternoon to Lake Peten Itza where we will spend another night in a jungle lodge right by the lake and enjoy a late afternoon swim.

Day 9 - Lago Peten Itza - Rio Dulce
We drive back a short distance on the same road back through the jungle before turning towards the border with Belize. In Poptun we stop for lunch and continue following the asphalt road to Lake Izabel. Here is the town of Rio Dulce and here we board the boat to the town of Livingston. This special African place is only accessible by waterway. At the end of the afternoon we sail back to spend the night in Rio Dulce.

Day 10 - Rio Dulce - day trip Livingstone
In the morning we jump in the boat and make the crossing to Livingstone. This is a village on the coast where mainly African residents live. The village is only accessible by boat. There are many wild animals to see along the way, such as birds and crocodiles. At the end of the afternoon we will be back in Rio Dulce.

Day 11 -  Rio Dulce - Zacapa
We follow a route between the big lake and the border with Honduras. We didn't find any nice off-road paths. It is a beautiful area that is hardly visited by tourists. The ruins of Quirigua are on the route, which we can optionally visit. Then we follow narrow paths in the border area, sometimes difficult, depending on the weather. There are only a few simple hotels in Zacape.



Day 12 - Zacapa - Lake Ayarza
Another challenging route close to the border with Honduras. Narrow paths through forests and plantations. We end at the beautiful Ayarca lake. This is not a much visited lake, but there are a few nice hotels on the shore.

Day 13 - Ayarza - Antigua
We also found beautiful paths for this last driving day so that we do not have to go through the busy area of ​​Guatemala City and can avoid the major roads. We drive past the double lakes of Amaltiltan and return to beautiful Antigua from the south side.

Day 14 - Antigua - departure
Transfer to the airport for the flight home.

Day 15 - Arrival - Country of origin