One country that was never on my list but quickly turned into a favourite is Guatemala. A tiny country, south of Mexico it is a destination not a lot of travellers are aware of.
During my year long backpack trip, I spent the maximum amount of my time in two locations Antigua & Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan is the highest and deepest volcanic lake in Central America, it has a sunken hotel, it is surrounded by volcanoes and most of its flora and fauna is endemic to the lake.
There are 11 villages on the shores of the lake. Each with their own Mayan dialect and customs. These villages are beautiful, peaceful and unique. Hence, they should be on every travellers list.
Getting there
Reaching the lake is not difficult but it can be a costly affair. Additionally, it is a long journey.
Due to safety concerns in Guatemala, it is best to use reliable transport arranged by the place of your stay or your Spanish school.
Since boats on the lake stop functioning after 5 PM most people flying into Guatemala City, make a pit stop in Antigua for a few days.
Weather
The weather is great and it neither gets too hot or too cold throughout the year except for some rain between May and October, thus, making this a year long destination.
San Pedro
Life at San Pedro is simple, relaxed and slow. Locals are mostly engaged in fishing, farming and rearing animals for meat.
With a population of approx. 16,000, and a decent enough infrastructure of hotels, bars, restaurants and home-stays San Pedro is the most popular destination on the lake.
The night life boasts of good live music, amazing and cheap food. While water babies can go kayaking, paddle boarding or even diving to a sunken hotel in the middle of the lake.
Nature lovers can hike up to Indian Nose or Volcano San Pedro for unobstructed views of the lake at sunrise.
Sunday brunches are popular across several restaurants and the variety of food is also spectacular.
Learning Spanish
There are a large number of Spanish schools in the village and this is one of the biggest tourism attractions. It helps in generating a lot of employment.
While the quality is top notch. The best part is that the experience is quite immersive due to the structure in place.
I learnt at Co-operative Spanish school, for USD 210 per week, I got 6 days of 1 on 1 lessons for 4 hours, stay with a Mayan family, 3 meals per day and access to daily activities.
These activities were designed to help students to practise spoken Spanish by engaging in learning salsa, cooking lessons, watching Spanish movies, etc.
Community
Many schools function like co-operatives which help support the entire village. Due to this the elderly are well taken care of.
Local families are trained to cater to the needs of gringos (white people). They host students, thus getting part of the school fee helping them generate additional income.
Local football and basketball tournaments are hosted regularly and result in epic proportions of fun.
A large population of expats have also made this into their permanent home.
San Marcos
San Marcos, a smaller village, just 10 minutes on boat from San Pedro is one of the most beautiful and hippy destinations that I came across in my travels.
Although, It is smaller and quieter in comparison to San Pedro there is no dearth of activities and things to do.
Yoga retreats, vegan cafes, ceremonies like cacao, drum circle, learning to grow mushrooms, music classes and Spanish lessons are all activities you can take part in.
You can head over to a natural reserve on the shores of the lake and also go board jumping from 10 meters height or simply bask in the sun and read.
Whether you are looking for an expensive getaway with unobstructed views of the lake and volcanoes or budget accommodation, it has plenty to choose from.
Pro tip: If you have plenty of time and do not mind moving a bit, I would suggest staying on San Marcos for a few days/week. It will give you a totally different perspective about the life on this lake.
Last words
Guatemala has been getting a lot of bad press for a very long time. Let this not discourage you.
Although, you must be careful it is a place that has a lot to offer. I cannot express how lucky and happy I feel to have visited this country.
I hope that this account really intrigues you and makes you wanna pack your bags and travel to Guatemala.
