Antigua Area

CHILDREN’S NATIVE DANCE PRESENTATION - Available every day "Niños con Bendición"

An excellent opportunity to see local culture and interact with the children. This program was designed to generate funds for the children to stay in school while also maintaining their cultural roots. The dance group is made up of 17 children ages 7-14 yrs. from some of the most impoverished families in the village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes (20 min from Antigua). The children present a few of the local / native (short) dances involving the crop planting and corn harvest as well as some native Guatemalan folk dances. A small snack (safe to eat) is presented after the dances. This is an excellent opportunity to see local culture in a "typical" home - try weaving, grinding corn, make tortillas and get a taste of daily life - as you interact directly with the children. Extra time for kids of all ages to play and share. Opportunity to shop for textiles and home made crafts. Proceeds from all sales go directly into the education fund. VERY INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE. http://www.supportlosninos.net 501(c)(3)

GUATEMALA VILLAGE TOUR

@ 8am - 4pm includes transports, translator and snack. Mon - Fri. 8:00am - Transport from your hotel or address in Antigua for a village located @ 1 hour from Antigua +/- with a stop in town if it is market day. Experience a day in a typical village; walk alongside villagers and experience everyday life before and after the impact of community development and infrastructure projects. Cook alongside the women, visit a family center or school and interact with the kids, help build a stove or work in a community garden. You can decide on a project (in advance is best) so we can set it up.The day is safely spent in rural Guatemala interacting with villagers to have a 1st hand experience of life and positive changes. Projects sponsored by Behrhorst Partners for Development (BPD). http://www.behrhorst.org/

"AROUND ANTIGUA VILLAGE TOUR"

@ 3 hour tour at time of your choice. WITH GUIDE. available every day. Driving tour of villages surrounding Antigua to include all or some of the following:
SAN ANTONIO AGUAS CALIENTES, CIUDAD VIEJA, SAN JUAN DEL OBISPO, SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, JOCOTENANGO, SAN FELIPE.

"RUINS" WALKING TOUR of Antigua.

@ 3 hour WALKING tour at time of your choice. WITH GUIDE. available every day. A private walking tour oriented to seeing some of the ruins and sights of Antigua. ~ THIS IS ESSENTIALLY FREE TIME IN ANTIGUA WITH A GUIDE ~

MAYAN MUSIC MUSEUM / COFFEE TOUR / HANDICRAFT STORE ("La Azotea")

@ 3 hours with or without guide. Mon. to Sat. mornings
Pick-up at HOTEL for La Azotea Cultural Complex. Free time to visit museums, store and restaurant. http://www.centroazotea.com/

"MAXIMON (Maya saint/god) San Andres Itzapa

@ 2 hour visit to the town of San Andres Itztapa (30 min. from Antigua), home of one of Guatemala's Mayan god figure, "Maximon". Can also be done en route to / from Panajachel or Chichicastenango with private transport

MAYAN & SPANISH RUINS OF IXIMCHE

@ 6 hour tour at time of your choice. WITH GUIDE. available every day.
Leave address in Antigua or Guatemala City for the small site of IXIMCHE (the first Mayan/Spanish Capital of Guatemala after the "conquest").
En route, travel through the Guatemala Highlands area rich in agriculture and colorful textiles. Pass though the mostly indigenous town of Tecpan.
After a visit to the site of IXIMCHE (where Mayan rituals are still conducted), enjoy lunch then return to your hotel.
Can also be done with the San Andres / Maximon tour and/or en route to / from Panajachel or Chichicastenango with private transport.

PACAYA VOLCANO CLIMB

Safe and escorted trip includes: Transports, bilingual guide, box lunch, park entrance fees.
8:00am - 3:00pm +/- Depending on availability and volcanic activity.

PACAYA VOLCANO IS AN ACTIVE VOLCANO LOCATED @ 1.5 HOURS FROM ANTIGUA. 2 HOUR HIKE UP TO THE TOP.
NEED GOOD/STURDY SHOES !

Pacaya, at a height of 8160 feet, is one of the smaller volcanoes of the country but certainly one of the most impressive. Set in its own National Park, Pacaya is a storybook volcano with a continuous plume of smoke drifting from its summit and a massive lava flow reforming the valley at the base of the cone. The group meets in Antigua at 8am for a morning hike. Before departure you can use the restroom and fill up your water bottles. It is just over a one hour drive in our private transport from Antigua to the park office and trail head, where we purchase your entrance to the park (included).

At that point your guide will gather information and decide on the best trail to approach the always changing Pacaya. With any luck the trail will lead to the active lava flows near the summit but at the very least the group will traverse lava flows that are just a few years old and experience the hot spots in the volcanoes crater. On the way down a picnic style meal is prepared by your guide (included) and served with the views of volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango as your table centerpiece!

From the base we load back up in our vehicle and return to Antigua usually between 3-5pm for the day hike.
Included in Trip Price:

• Round trip transportation from Antigua
• Entrance fees
• Picnic lunch
• Fully guided tour
• Bilingual guide - Guide is trained in 1st aid and carries a kit on him at all times.

Not included (what you need to bring) :
Closed toed shoes / Day pack (with rain cover if rainy season) / One warm layer or windbreaker / Toiletries or medications / Camera / Hat Sunglasses / Sunscreen / 2 liters of water per person.

PANAJACHEL

6:00 am - Transport from hotel / address for Pana.
Boat ride to 3 villages with local guide
4:00 pm - Return transport to Antigua
check for availability and cost.

"HISTORICAL/CULTURAL" WALKING TOUR OF ANTIGUA (with Elizabeth Bell).

9:30 am - 12:30 pm - 3 hour GROUP tour - Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat.
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Mon, Thurs.

An interesting group walking tour combining past and present history and culture of Antigua. English guide. $20. per person

VILLAGE TOUR II - GROUP TOUR

Mondays through Fridays 2pm-5pm

Guided tour of the surrounding villages with the Archbishop’s Palace in San Juan del Obispo, Ciudad Vieja, and the Maya town of San Antonio Aguas Calientes specializing in some the finest Maya authentic textiles. $35 per person.

"FUN DAY"

Summary - This takes the best of what Lake Atitlan has to offer and blends it into a fun day of activities and relaxation.  Great for kids, families and those who want to enjoy! Great day trip idea from Antigua as well!

Itinerary - The day begins from your hotel - your guide will meet you and bring you to the boat - to start your day in Santa Cruz. where spend the day with a bilingual guide and have activities with USA safety standards.  Kayak for an hour or so, then hike @ 20min through the local forest to a rock wall.  Safe rock climbing (harnesses, ropes, etc.) up @ 30-45 feet, then rappel down.   When ready, return to Santa Cruz for lunch and fee time to swim, kayak more, hang out - archery, trampoline, hammocks....  you can also schedule a professional massage, pedicure or manicure during this time.   Return to Pana @ 3pm.   You decide on your activities and ENJOY !

Cost includes bilingual guide, lunch, all activities, boat to/from Santa Cruz.

3 VILLAGE BOAT TOUR

In the morning, make your way to the boat dock in front of your hotel and join your bilingual guide for a 3-Village Private Boat Tour. This spectacular full day trip will take you from one end of the lake to the other. You will visit the villages of San Marcos, San Juan and Santiago, with time to explore each village. Easy walking is involved and the trip is approximately 5-6 hours. Your Itinerary may vary from the following, but just tell your guide what you are most interested in seeing or doing and he will do his best to accommodate:

Sample Itinerary:The day begins in Pana where you depart for the west end of the lake. You get to see the villages of El Jaibalito, Santa Cruz, Tzununa, San Marcos, and San Pablo as you make your way along the north shore. Your first stop is San Marcos, where you can stop for breakfast and optional cliff jumping. Then you will depart the north shore for San Juan, the “Swiss village” of Lake Atitlan. You will spend approximately 2 hours on a guided walking tour and visit art galleries, two woman's weaving cooperatives, a medicinal and curative plant garden, or you can learn about fishing and paddle a traditional cayuka (canoe).

Several famous painters are from San Juan so you will also visit their galleries to see them at work. Women Weavers and Nuestra Artesania includes demonstrations showing how the beautiful fabrics are made; from harvesting the cotton, to spinning it into yarn, dying the yarn, and then creating one of-a-kind fabrics with the back strap loom. The Qomaneel center is a medicinal and curative herb garden operated by the midwives of San Juan. You are guided through the garden and given samples of each plant along with a description of its curative powers. There are no entrance fees at the cooperatives. Your gift purchases or donations are how these centers function.

Your third stop is Santiago. The bay of Santiago is a photographer’s dream. We take a tour along the shore of the bay before we start our walking tour. Your first stop is a visitor center that offers insight into the life of the Tzutujile Maya. There are interpretive displays on the history of the traje (traditional clothing), spiritual beliefs and Maximon. We have lunch before we tour the local church and visit Maximon. The Mayan visit Maximon to ask for healthy crops, to help cure illness, to find love, or to cast a spell on a neighbor. Be sure to buy some candles, cigarettes, or liquor to make your own offering!!! A small fee is required for admittance.

Includes private boat transports and bilingual guide.
Discount for groups of 6 or more.

MODIFIED LAKE TOUR

Visit 2 or 3 villages on the west side of the Lake: El Jaibalito, Santa Cruz, Tzununa, San Marcos, or San Pablo.

3-4 hours.      Cost includes boat transports and bilingual guide.

HIKE THE LOWER MAYA TRAIL, VISIT TZUNUNA, EL JAIBALITO & SANTA CRUZ LA LAGUNA

Summary: Full day trip takes you to the north shore of Lake Atitlan.   Travel by private boat to the villages El Jaibalito and Tzununa with time to explore in each village.  Includes nature walks through 2 ecosystems, and a look at 3 non-profit organizations. Moderate hiking involved. English speaking guide.  3-4 hours.

Itinerary: The day begins from your hotel - your guide will meet you and bring you to the boat - where you depart for the rugged north shore and the remote village of Tzununa. The north shore of Lake Atitlan has no true road access, so you will be hiking along ancient paths that have been used by the Kachiquel Maya for centuries. You can view villagers going about their daily life, encounter farmers tending their maiz and coffee fields, and see some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. This rugged and remote section of Lake Atitlan has barely been touched by the outside world. Your hike takes you several hundred feet above the ever changing waters of Atitlan for breath taking views of the famous volcanoes, descending into the Pumpatin Canyon for a nature walk along the banks of the river.  You will experience two different ecosystems on your walk from the upper lakeshore into the narrow canyon. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the banks of the river (included) with free time for a swim.   After lunch, enter the village of Santa Cruz la Laguna by way of the canyon path. You can take some time to visit the various projects in works (optional). There are 3 non-profits working there; Amigos de Santa Cruz helps with the primary school and in nutritional programs -  tour the school, the school kitchen, a typical family home, and a vocational training center that is under construction . A second non-profit is the medical and dental clinic, and a third is a computer training center and library.  When you are ready, walk down to the lakeshore and meet the boat for the return trip to Panajachel.

Cost includes meals & refreshments + boat ride (Pana/Sta Cruz/ Pana)

HIKE THE UPPER MAYA TRAIL - CLOUD FOREST, MOUNTAIN VILLAGES, AND SOLOLA

Summary: Full day trip takes you high into the mountains on a very strenuous hike ending in Solola.  Explore the village of Santa Cruz la Laguna. Hike through maize fields, coffee fields, old growth forest, and into the cloud forest. Visit a sacred Mayan site. Hike ends in Solola with time to explore the market (Tuesday and Friday). Hike is at @7000ft altitude.   Be sure to book on Tuesday or Friday for market day.   English-speaking guide.

Itinerary:  The day begins from your hotel - your guide will meet you and bring you to the boat - to start your day in Santa Cruz and your hike. Visit the village of Santa Cruz la Laguna and then head high into the mountains. Hike along ancient paths that have been used by the Kachiquel Maya for centuries. You can  view villagers going about their daily life, encounter farmers tending their maize and coffee fields, and see some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. You may also visit a sacred Mayan site where rituals are performed by the local shamans, and make your own offering at the altar.

This rugged and remote area has barely been touched by the outside world.  The hike takes you 2500 feet above the waters of Atitlan for breath taking views and pristine scenery.

It is a difficult walk/climb, but is not overly challenging for those in good health. The walk is approx. 4-5 hours through magnificent scenery. Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way, or in a local comedor (included). Continue your walk though a remote Mayan village high in the mountains where you meet a road and  take a collectivo (shared van/pick-up) the last few miles into Solola. In Solola you can visit on of the largest (authentic) markets in Guatemala. When ready, return via "chicken bus" or pick up into Panajachel. This is a very full day and only advisable if you are in good health and excellent shape.

Cost includes bilingual guide, boat, lunch, other transportation listed.

1-DAY MULTI-SPORT PADDLE AND HIKE EXCURSION

Deluxe package Summary: This full day includes a kayak tour along the rugged north shore, and a hike back thru San Marcos, Tzununa, El Jaibalito and Santa Cruz la Laguna. Enjoy the hot springs along the lakeshore.

Itinerary: The day begins from your hotel - your guide will meet you and bring you to the boat - to start your day in Santa Cruz.  Best to gear up for a day of adventure in advance.  It is best to wear your swimsuit or other appropriate boating atire as you will get wet along the way.  Dry sacks are provided for your backpacks / extra clothes and other gear for the second part of the day.  Be sure to bring your camera, drinking water, and some sunscreen ! Paddle @ 1 ½ -2 hours along the shores of Santa Cruz la Laguna, El Jaibalito, and Tzununa, ending in San Marcos. You will have many up close encounters with Mayan men who fish from hand hewn cayukas as they have for centuries - share the lake with these proud fishermen who make Lake Atitlan so unique.  You paddle along rugged cliff faces filled with exotic plant and bird life with the opportunity to soak in the hot springs and cliff- jump into the crystal clear waters, or just enjoy a swim and sun.

At the Bay of San Marcos, gear up for the next part of your adventure!  The north shore of Lake Atitlan has no true road access, so you will be hiking along ancient paths that have been used by the Maya for centuries. You can view villagers going about their daily life, encounter farmers tending their maiz and coffee fields, and see some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. This rugged and remote section of Lake Atitlan has barely been touched by the outside world. The hike takes you several hundred feet above the ever changing waters of Atitlan for breath taking views of the famous volcanos.  End your hike in Santa Cruz la Laguna and take a boat back to Panajachel.

Cost includes bilingual guide and all equipment and activities listed + boat: Pana/Santa Cruz / Pana