Guatemala Travel Diary
An insider view into Guatemala with tips and recommendations for Antigua, San Marcos La Laguna and El Remate.
Marianne: As many of you may or may not know, I’m originally from Guatemala and usually spend 2 to 3 months each winter there. After 14 years living abroad, spending time in Guatemala, re-connecting with family and being inspired by the country’s lushness and abundance has become an essential yearly ritual for me.
This year, Natalie joined me in Guatemala for a couple of weeks of co-working, exploration and nourishment. Now that we’ve moved on to the next phase of our travels (we’re currently in Mexico City!), we’d love to share some insights from our trip including must-visit places (plus a few that you can feel free to skip).
Antigua
Natalie: Having never seen a volcano before, I was in complete awe to suddenly be surrounded by them when I arrived in Antigua. Antigua sits between three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. The only active one is Fuego, and you can hike Acatenango to watch lava eruptions from Fuego at night. We had initially planned to do this, but due to timing and perhaps feeling a bit unprepared (the excursion involved taking an hour-long shuttle at 11 p.m., hiking up from midnight to 5–6 a.m., then hiking four hours back down), we decided to save this for a future visit. We had heard left and right that this hike is known to make people cry from how intense it is, and not just because of the breathtaking view.
As an alternative, we decided to go on a hike in Finca El Pilar instead, a private nature reserve and recreational area just outside Antigua. It was a lot more manageable, and the best part was ending the hike by enjoying their natural pool (with fresh spring water from a mountain spring, so good!). Taking our post-hike wellness one step further, we went to Casa Donya Boutique Hotel & Spa afterward to make use of their temazcal. A temazcal is a traditional Mesoamerican sweat lodge, traditionally used by Indigenous cultures (especially the Maya and Nahua) for cleansing, healing, and spiritual renewal. This one was more spa-like than traditional, but the experience felt very grounding and cleansing nonetheless.
During our time in Antigua, we were happy to be working together in person again and spent most of our days co-working at various cafés. Our favorites were Artista de Café (go for the delicious food and drinks) and Café Boheme (go for the views and cacao). We usually ended our days with a yoga class at our favorite studio, Shakti Shala. Being in a place that doesn’t have an abundance of studios, you really see how community comes to life: people chatting before and after class, the teacher remembering your name, and classes that are always full and high energy.
Our favorite places to eat were Samsara for Ayurveda-inspired vegetarian and vegan food, Once Once for vegan comfort food (I’m still thinking about their buffalo cauliflower bites), and Santo Spirito for dinner (on the fancier side, but the interior, the food, everything is on point). For drinks and good music, Suaf is definitely the place to be, a sultry vinyl listening bar with some of the best people-watching. Last but not least, an absolute must-see is Luna Zorro, an impact-led design studio founded by Molly Berry. Their shop features artisan textiles, home goods, jewelry, and so much more. Next time, we’re planning on taking one of their creative workshops on site, like weaving or natural dyeing using local plants. You don’t need to travel all the way to Guatemala to check out Luna Zorro’s beautiful treasures, though, as White Label Project in Berlin has items from some of their designers including one of our favorites Nada Duele at their Mitte concept store.
Atitlán
Marianne: Lake Atitlán, specifically San Marcos, was somewhere I was so excited to take Natalie. San Marcos is a small town at the lake that I’ve kept coming back to over the past ten years. It’s where I first experienced cacao ceremonies and ecstatic dance, and also where I completed a 200hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in 2021.
One thing I love about Atitlán or Ati (if you’re Guatemalan) is that there are so many beautiful cabins you can stay at and easily find on Airbnb. They are often high up in the mountains and completely immersed in nature. Picture wooden decks, hammocks, outside showers and breathtaking sunsets. Our cabin this time around was a 15-min hike up a steep path so we had a built-in workout each day and the views were insane.
After visiting San Marcos often and at different stages in my life, I’ve noticed that some of the places that used to inspire me, don’t resonate with me anymore. We visited Eagle’s Nest which is known for it’s iconic yoga deck, but felt that the yoga class we attended was missing heart and that most people there were just there to create content.
A new discovery for me was Las Piramides del Ka Meditation Center where we took a Lucid Dreaming and Astral Travel class. I should clarify this school is new to me, but was actually founded in the 90s and was one of the first spiritual schools to pop up in San Marcos which is now known as a hotspot for yoga, meditation and adjacent practices.
Some of our other favorite spots in San Marcos were Circles Cafe & Bakery which is a must-visit for their ceremonial cacao with tahini drink, Dragon Moon for healthy bowls, Lush Hotel’s restaurant for vegetarian/ vegan Guatemalan food and Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve for tanning and swimming.
One last tip: Make sure to check out the Health Stores all over San Marcos where you can find local products including Kombucha from Love Probiotics and lavender body butter from Tuturi.
Tikal/ El Remate
The last stop of our trip was El Remate, a small rural village right on Lake Petén Itzá. We stayed at El Gringo Perdido (“The Lost Gringo”), an eco-lodge nestled between the jungle and the lake, which was incredibly relaxing and a true treat to be fully immersed in nature. We kayaked, read, and napped in hammocks, enjoying doing less instead of more.
We came here to visit Tikal National Park, one of the largest and most powerful ancient Maya cities. Seeing the ruins dispersed throughout the jungle and climbing to the tops of the temples to view the rainforest canopy from above was an unforgettable experience. We’d recommend booking a private tour (which we arranged through our hotel) and going early in the morning so you can see more wildlife in action. We were happy to beat the crowds and watch the spider monkeys at play.
