GUATEMALA: Mondo Maya in Technicolour

30 JAN 2019: My recent trip to Guatemala was a “sentimental” journey as I was there as a hippy archaeology student in 1972. My professor’s son and I drove a station wagon from Toronto through Mexico and into Guatemala to join a dig. We rented a mud hut and hung out for about a month on Lake Atitlan. I never forgot the beauty of the lake, the fascinating Mayan people and their kaleidoscope of colourful costumes and customs.

If your clients decide to visit Guatemala, the top three destinations are the beautiful colonial city of Antiqua, the Mayan ruins at Tikal and unforgettable Lake Atitlan. Here’s my insider’s guide on where to pinch Quetzals or indulge in all three places.

ANTIGUA

The former capital of Guatemala and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antigua should be your first stop. Depending on traffic from Aurora Airport in Guatemala City, the drive will take about an hour. The streets and avenues, set out in a grid pattern (like New York) from the central square and 16th century Santiago Cathedral, unfold beneath three volcanoes. With the combination of pastel Spanish Colonial facades, a profusion of flowers indoors and out and the multi-coloured hand woven textiles worn and being sold by the local Mayan vendors, Antigua is colour on steroids. It’s also the most important place in the world where folks come to witness the many processions and ceremonies between Lent and Easter. If your clients have a desire to be there during Easter, they’ll have to make hotel reservations months in advance.

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Meson Panza Verde

You would never guess that this luxury boutique hotel and restaurant are just over two decades old (5 Avenida Sur, #19). The vaulted ceilings and antiqued patinas give it a 16th century ambience.  There are twelve exquisitely decorated rooms on two floors situated around a garden courtyard. The food and service are impeccable. Try the sea bass meunière or adobo chicken. www.panzaverde.com

Tartines Tartines (4 Calle Oriente, #1C), located at the heart of Antigua, has a charming terrace with spectacular views of the Ruins of the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Volcanoes. Come here for authentic French cuisine. The steak Béarnaise is terrific. www.tartines-antigua.com

Colibri

Although it’s tempting to haggle with the many vendors selling textiles on the streets, at Colibri, (4 Calle Oriente, #3B) you’ll get high quality products and your money goes to a good cause. In 1984 Vey Smithers started her store to help various groups of indigenous women who became widowed during the armed conflict in Guatemala. Colibri sells hand-woven textiles crafted on back strap looms in the homes of more than 500 Mayan women in 25 small villages. www.colibri-weavers.com

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Hotel D’Leyenda

Steps from the central plaza, Hotel D’Leyenda (4 Avenida Norte, #1) has six rooms off a central courtyard. You can take the (included) continental breakfast or a dip in a small pool on the rooftop second-floor terrace. The location is ideal and the staff (most of whom speak English) is helpful and friendly. Most rooms have a small fireplace, which in this highland altitude is a cozy treat on cool nights. Price is about $100 per night. www.dleyendahotel.com

Java Jolts

There are lots of coffee shops in Antiqua; in fact the town is surrounded by coffee plantations. I like The Refuge (7 Avenida Norte, #18A). Nothing fancy but terrific beans roasted and ground right there. Another good spot is the Bagel Barn  (5 Calle Poniente, #2). They offer a bunch of bagel sandwiches, good coffees, smoothies and, if you time it right, free movies. The documentary on Guatemalan “chicken buses” was most insightful. These ornately repainted American school buses were given this name because they pack their customers in “like chickens” and may carry livestock inside or on the roof.

Nim Pot

This enormous emporium of Guatemalan crafts (5 Avenida Norte, #29) sells everything from used hand-woven garments and textiles to masks, books, chocolate and posters. If you take the time to sort through the scattered piles of hupiles (Mayan blouses), skirts, belts and wall hangings, you will probably unearth some bargains. www.nimpotexport.com

Café Condesa

On the west side of the central plaza, this once 16th century mansion is now a bustling restaurant known for its Sunday brunch, great home baking, sandwiches and outstanding quiches. Enter through a bookstore with lots of English tomes and also the photography gallery of Jon Kaplan whose portraits of Mayans are mesmerizing. www.cafecondesa.com.gt

TIKAL

Our guide described Tikal as “a place of spirits and whispers.” In its prime, from approximately 200 BC to 900AD, Tikal became home to more than 100,000 people. After 900AD it was mysteriously abandoned and got covered in jungle vegetation. To date, archaeologists have uncovered six temples, an acropolis, a necropolis, a pelote ball court and more. Priests used the great temples that still tower above the jungle for elaborate ceremonies meant to please the gods and assure prosperity. What makes these structures even more impressive is that the Maya had no metal tools to aid in construction, had no beasts of burden to carry heavy loads, and never used wheels for anything except children’s toys. To see Tikal is to marvel.

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You could take a bus but it’s much more comfortable and time efficient to fly from Guatemala City to Flores. TAG airlines flies daily arriving in Flores early in the morning and leaving Flores late afternoon. www.tag.com.gt/en

Spend the night at the stylish Inmaculada Hotel (Zone 10) in Guatemala City. The rooms are large and comfortable with balconies overlooking a central courtyard and fountain. The small restaurant serves excellent food and coffee. www.inmaculadahotel.com

Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, about 20 minutes from Flores Airport is the place to indulge. The dining room has a huge window overlooking an infinity pool and the lagoon. The concierge will arrange wildlife tours on the property and also guided day trips to Tikal. After a day in the jungle, consider a massage on the private deck of your waterfront suite. www.laslagunashotel.com h

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The entrance fee to Tikal National Park is about $30. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, bring bottled water, sunscreen and insect repellent. By the time you’ve trekked through the jungle, climbed to the top of temple IV for the views, met oscellated turkeys, spider and howler monkeys and lots of tropical birds, you’ll be ready for some refreshments. There are places to buy food and drinks in the park, but Flores on Lake Petén is a fun town with all sorts of good bars and eateries along the shore. The day we visited, a number of local ladies had set up food stalls and were selling yummy baked goods.

LAKE ATITLAN

Lake Atitlan is arguably one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Certainly the blue waters mirroring three looming volcanoes and the colourful Mayan villages leave a lasting impression. You can hike to some villages, but the main mode of transportation is via “bus boats” that stop at public and private docks. In most villages, tuk-tuks are available to take you around.

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Hotel Atitlan

Located ten minutes from the centre of Panajachel (the main town on the lake where you’ll find ATMs, lots of shops and restaurants) Hotel Atitlan, once a coffee plantation now has 60 rooms, acres of botanical gardens and a swimming pool with fabulous lake and volcano views. The gift shop is stocked with unusual Guatemalan handicrafts and the restaurant serves excellent food, including a tasty French onion soup. If you aren’t a guest, you can pay a nominal fee to come in and tour the gardens. Stay for lunch and they will reimburse you for the entrance fee. www.hotelatitlan.com

Café el Artesano

Of all the villages on Lake Atitlan, San Juan is considered to be a model “Swiss” community. Among the clean and tidy streets, you can visit several art galleries, women’s weaving cooperatives and a medicinal garden run by the town’s midwives. San Juan also has a surprisingly good restaurant. At Café el Artesano you’ll enjoy fine cheeses (25 varieties, all produced locally and aged in-house), smoked meats and spreads are served under a delightful arbor, with wines personally selected by the Swiss manager. Reservations are recommended. www.cafeelartesano.com

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Casa del Mundo

Built atop a cliff overlooking the azure waters, this multi-terraced inn is a true gem. All the rooms have fantastic lake views, but those from Number 1 and Number 3 are the best. The owners, an American man and his Guatemalan wife, have decorated the rooms, patios and restaurant with local Mayan handicrafts. The food is delicious. Breakfast and lunch can be taken in the restaurant or on one of the many patios. Dinner is served inside the restaurant at a communal table so you can trade travel stories with your dining companions. The staff here is fantastic. www.lacasadelmundo.com

Los Elementos Adventure Center

At the west end of Santa Cruz La Laguna, Lee and Elaine Beal operate two businesses. Lee runs Los Elementos Adventure Center offering kayak rentals and tours of Lake Atitlan and other villages. Elaine gives terrific massages in her lakeside palapa and facials at her other location in the Iguana Perdida hotel in Santa Cruz. www.kayakguatemala.com

For tourist information on Guatemala: www.visitguatemala.com