Cerro de la Cruz Visitor’s Guide – Plus Stuff TripAdvisor Misses!

I’d been waiting to go up to Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) for some time now. I wanted to show you some pictures from this gorgeous lookout point, but the rainy weather (which runs from May to October), was making a muddy mess of my plans.

The best days to visit are cloudless days, or at least when the view towards Agua Volcano is clear. It’s a great picnic spot. There are snack vendors on the hill, in case you want to buy bottled water, soft drinks, nachos, or potato chips.

Hiking to Cerro de la Cruz

The road to Cerro de La Cruz, while very close to Antigua, has been the scene of holdups, so Tourism Police advise everyone to wait around Central Park and at designated times, Police provides an escort to the top. As we were leaving, we actually saw a Police truck arrive with two tourists on board. Incidentally, there was a Police Officer at Cerro de la Cruz and saw more than three officers patrolling the area on foot, motorcycles, and a truck.

Since we were driving, this wasn’t really a concern. The uphill road is fairly deserted, so it’s best to hike up during daylight hours.

After the two-minute car ride up, we approached the clearly marked entrance.

There’s actually another point of attraction near Cerro de la Cruz, which I’ll show you later. The same uphill road takes you to Aldea El Hato, a small village where EarthLodge is located.

Driving To Cerro de la Cruz

Signs for Cerro de la Cruz

Admittance to Cerro de la Cruz is free, although if you drive up, there’s a parking fee of 5Q for cars, bikes, and taxis.

Parking lot fees

The place where the actual cross is located is called “Mirador de la Cruz” (Cross’ Lookout).

At the top of the hill

When To See The Best Views

The view of Volcan Agua was great. This time of year, mornings are the best time to go. It often gets cloudy in the afternoons, making the vista a bit less scenic.

During summer, the volcano looks stunning on late afternoons.

View of Antigua

That’s what I call “breakfast with a view”!

Nice place for a picnic

One can actually see all three volcanoes from here. From left to right, Volcan Agua, Volcan Fuego (quiet that morning – usually spewing smoke) and Volcan Acatenango.

All three volcanos in view – From left to right: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango

Since the last time I was here, they’ve added steps and have begun to decorate the landscape with flowers. According to the landscapers that we spoke to, the city allocated some money to “pretty up” Cerro de la Cruz. Unfortunately, the Mayor was recently thrown in jail for misallocation of funds and they’ve stopped working on the project about a week ago. Hopefully, the issue gets resolved and they can complete the work since it’s a really nice area that seems like it has potential to be a very pretty attraction. It’s all finished and pretty now!

The famous stone cross was installed in 1930. The road between Guatemala City and Antigua Guatemala were damaged when Guatemala was hit by a massive earthquake in 1976. Huge American Chinook helicopters landed on this hill when it was time to deliver medicine and supplies to Antigua.

The famous cross atop the hill

Plaza del Apostol (Apostle’s Plaza)

After breakfast, we headed to the other attraction at Cerro de la Cruz. Plaza del Apostol Santiago is pretty much that: A plaza and a statue.

The statue was donated by Spain and installed in 1971. Santiago Apostol (Apostle James) was the patron saint of the conquering Spaniards, back in 1543 and remains Antigua’s patron saint to this day.

According to legend, when Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado was in his genocidal quest to submit the Mayas, he saw a vision of Saint James coming to his aid on a white horse during a crucial battle, which he took as a sign he was on God’s side. When de Alvarado was defeated, he decided to burn the Kaqchikel Mayas’ capital of Tecpan and settle in Panchoy Valley, naming the new capital after Santiago.

Saint James, it seems, didn’t like other races very much – iconography in Guatemala and Spain frequently depicted him on a horse, stomping on whatever race happened to be at war with Spain, whether the Mayas in Guatemala or the Arabs in Spain. In fact, he’s often referred to as Santiago Matamoros (James the Moor-slayer).

It’s always baffled me that the Municipal Palace displays a distinguished, life-sized portrait of de Alvarado and has a festival to honor Maya-slayer Saint James – no such portrait exists of Mayan heroes, like Tecún Umán. But such is the complex history of Guatemala and a subtle reminder of who still rules over who.

Saint James in battle gear ready to stomp on the Mayans

There’s also a great view from Volcan Agua from here.

Another view of Agua Volcano

Cerro de la Cruz is a “can’t miss” attraction if you ever visit Antigua Guatemala.

NOTE: Article was originally published on 11/9/12 and was updated on 4/22/2018.

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See more activities here: https://okantigua.com/things-to-do-in-antigua-guatemala/

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Have you visited this place?

I’d like to hear about it!

Sumpango Giant Kite Festival – Barriletes Gigantes De Guatemala

November 1st, All-Saints Day in Guatemala, holds a very special meaning to its people. It seems almost everyone pours out to the cemeteries to pay a visit to the dearly departed.

There are two important events on November 1st: The Giant Kite Festivals (held simultaneously in Santiago Sacatepequez and Sumpango) and the Todos Santos Drunken Horse Race. Since it’s physically impossible to visit both places in one day (unless one gets a hold of a helicopter, and even then it’s quite a trek), we chose to attend Sumpango’s much nearer Giant Kite Festival (Festival de Barriletes Gigantes).

Getting to the Sumpango Festival of Giant Kites

Getting to Sumpango is not hard since the town is located on CA-1 (Pan-American Highway), about a 35-minute ride from Antigua Guatemala. Since we had heard there would be massive traffic jams later in the day, we chose to arrive by 9:00 AM. and ahead of the crowds.

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones thinking about the same plan. After we parked in a private lot, we spotted crowds already heading towards the soccer field on the outskirts of Sumpango. Later that night, we heard on TV that close to 125,000 people had attended the event.

Sumpango´s main road

The soccer field is located on a hill, right next to Sumpango’s cemetery. While not a particularly hard climb, it made up for it in length.

Not a big crowd if you go early

Food stalls were being set-up on both sides of the road, and not-quite-ready yet. It was early in the morning, but the smell of grilled churrasco meat and sausage was making me hungry again.

We packed a lunch and bought some fresh-baked bread to avoid the temptation to eat at the street stalls. I’m okay with never have indigestion ever again in my life. Skipping on delicious-looking food is a small price to pay.

Typical food everywhere

Also sweets

Roasted meats

Kite sellers were everywhere. Was almost tempted to buy one, but held off and decided that taking photographs would keep me plenty busy.

Traditional paper kites for sale everywhere

Plastic kites also – probably from China

As we climbed one hill after another, we unexpectedly came upon the colorful cemetery, full of activity. It was a sight to behold.

Sumpango’s cemetery

I was somewhat surprised by the significant number of foreign tourists. While there were all sorts of vendors and a happy atmosphere throughout, I still felt slightly uneasy watching tourists laughing it up and happily snapping pics of the colorfully decorated graves. Sometimes as somber family members were standing right next to them.

I took a few discreet pics from a distance and quickly hurried out of there.

Entrance to cemetery

Colorful crypts

Wide alleys

Relatives decorate burial grounds

Busy locals

Sumpango Kite Festival (27)

Besides cleaning tombs, relatives spend time with the deceased

As we approached the soccer field, we spotted the giant kites.

Sumpango Kite Festival (24)

Kite field is behind cemetery

Kite construction is not only labor-intensive but cost-intensive as well. For the bigger kites, it can take as long as 3-4 months to build and when materials’ costs are added, the price can climb to well over Q40,000 ($5,000).

Families take on kite-building as a project, others do it as a group effort.

Sumpango Kite Festival (23)

Building kite frame

The story of how this festival got started is similar to that of Halloween. According to residents, spirits came out on November 1st to annoy and bother Sumpango’s residents. Exasperated, they asked a witch doctor what they should to do to scare away these spirits.

The witch doctor suggested they take big pieces of paper, let them fly in the wind and make lots of noise. Eventually, somebody figured out that kites were a more efficient spirit-scaring device. And thus, a tradition was born, one which has been recorded as occurring as far back as the 1940’s.

Sumpango Kite Festival (22)

Even Police get in on the pic-taking action

The real event is a competition. Kites are slotted into categories, according to their size. The biggest kites, while flight-ready, rarely get off the ground due to the lack of a strong enough wind.

These guys prepared to lift up their kite off the ground…

Sumpango Kite Festival (21)

… but the size and wind were high enough that the pole supposed to hold it broke.

The smaller kites get to fly first and are graded on design and actual flight time.

Sumpango Kite Festival (19)

“Small” giant kite

We found a great place to check out the scene, high up on a hill facing the soccer field. Watching huge kites take off and smack people in the crowd as they came down brought a lot of amusement to the crowd.

The crowds were massive, and even Optimus Prime and BumbleBee made time to check out the kites (see if you can spot the Transformers below):

Sumpango Kite Festival (17)

Giant kite field

After checking out the show for a good three hours, it was time to head back home. We also took the opportunity to take some pics of the kites up close, now that they were all in place.

Sumpango Kite Festival (16)

More kites

Messages asking spirits to leave residents alone have been replaced by messages preaching love, peace, and understanding.

Sumpango Kite Festival (15)

Giant kites up close

Sumpango Kite Festival (14)

Sumpango Kite Festival (13)

Sumpango Kite Festival (12)

Sumpango Kite Festival (11)

Sumpango Kite Festival (10)

The “butterfly kite” below was one of the more creative ones.

Sumpango Kite Festival (9)

Sumpango Kite Festival (8)

Sumpango Kite Festival (7)

Gotta do the ol’ perspective shot ;) …

Sumpango Kite Festival (6)

Took one last pic of the cemetery on my way out.

Sumpango Kite Festival (4)

This guy below was drawing a crowd with his busking act.

Sumpango Kite Festival (3)

Found the “Internet” sign amusing, as this town is not a hub of commerce or tourist activity. The Internet has reached far and wide.

Sumpango Kite Festival (2)

I have to say Sumpango is one of the least picturesque towns I’ve visited in Guatemala…

Sumpango Kite Festival (1) Sumpango’s main plaza

… but I have to say they certainly work hard to put on a good show every year.

Had a great time at the Sumpango Kite Festival and would at least think about coming back in the future.

Santo Domingo Del Cerro, Antigua Guatemala: Visitors Guide

Santo Domingo del Cerro is quite the attraction. All rolled into one, Santo Domingo del Cerro has a restaurant “Tenedor del Cerro,” two museums, art gallery, aviary, zip lines, playgrounds for kids, event facilities, and all around marvelous place to spend a lazy morning or afternoon – all for the grand price of $0.

Yup, no admission charge. Of course, if you want to enjoy the Italian restaurant at the summit you’ll have to pay. I had breakfast here – expensive compared to prices in Central America, but well-worth the experience.

While Cerro de la Cruz gets all the accolades when it comes to getting a birds-eye view of the valley, the view from Santo Domingo del Cerro is outstanding. Plus, you won’t need a Police escort as you do at Cerro de la Cruz.

Getting to Santo Domingo del Cerro

The free shuttle departing every 15 minutes from Casa Santo Domingo Hotel (even for non-guests). I recommend it since it’s a very long, steep walk if you attempt to walk your way up the hill. If you want to drive up, it’s a 10Q fee to park, payable when you exit the premises.

Once you make it to the top of the hill (while admiring all kinds of art sculptures scattered all throughout the grounds), you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous view from the top.

Below is a view of Antigua. Notice La Merced Church, the distinctive yellow building near the center of the picture.

View from Santo Domingo del Cerro

You also get a clear view of always-smoky Volcan Fuego, which put on a show last September (2012) and most recently in July 2017.

Active Fuego Volcano

Santo Domingo del Cerro offers a great view of Volcan Agua, which looms large over Antigua Guatemala.

Dormant Agua Volcano

El Tenedor del Cerro

El Tenedor del Cerro (translated as “Hill’s Fork”) is a white-tablecloth restaurant, open Tuesday through Sunday. The food is good (though I’ve heard others complain when it first opened) and prices are comparable to US-based chains Applebee’s’ or Chili’s. Here’s a look at their menu.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays). These are their hours
Breakfast 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Lunch – 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Dinner – 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

El Tenedor del Cerro

Sculptures at Santo Domingo del Cerro

Various artists were commissioned to create the sculptures that now dot the grounds. But this place is a showcase for one man. Known as Guatemala’s Picasso, he’s one of Guatemala’s most beloved artist. More below.

Santo Domingo del Cerro (1) — Sculpture, Santo Domingo del Cerro

Santo Domingo del Cerro (13) — More sculptures, Santo Domingo del Cerro

Santo Domingo del Cerro (26) — More strange art, Santo Domingo del Cerro

Efrain Recinos Outdoor Gallery

Efraín Recinos was a remarkable man. And I’m sad to say I never had a chance to meet him, as he passed away October of 2011.

By all accounts, he was a genuinely humble man with many, many, many accomplishments. He was an architect, sculptor, painter, muralist, inventor and all-around artistic legend.

Oh, and he was also an Olympic athlete (triathlon), and a member of the National Basketball team. Imagine Leonardo DaVinci, but with athletic skills.

And he also designed Guatemala’s coolest building, the National Theater (Centro Cultural Miguel Angel Asturias). Designed to look like a jaguar (sacred Mayan deity), this is the closest anyone has come to actually building Thundera, home of the Thundercats.

Recinos personally supervised the murals’ construction. He passed away just five days after attending the unveiling of his statue (below), installed permanently at Santo Domingo del Cerro.

Efrain Recinos sculpture

Outdoor Murals

Recinos previously designed the murals, now at Santo Domingo del Cerro, for an international competition. His vision for the paintings was finally realized here.

Each mural depicts a different form of “Communication.” A recurring theme of Recino’s art is the recurring appearance of his artistic depiction of “Guatemalita” (loosely translated as “little Guatemalan woman,” in which the word “little” is used to convey affection. Notice that Guatemalita’s hat is in the shape of Guatemala’s map.

As far as design goes, the carrier pigeon mural is by far my favorite of all.

Recino’s award-winning murals

See the gallery below for more:

Santo Domingo del Cerro (23) — Tam Tam (gong)

Santo Domingo del Cerro (16) — Satellite

Santo Domingo del Cerro (15) — Television

Santo Domingo del Cerro (22) — Transportation

Santo Domingo del Cerro (19) — Smoke signals

Santo Domingo del Cerro (17) — Telephone and radio

Santo Domingo del Cerro (21) — Oral traditions

Guatemalita is often depicted as a voluptuous, strong-willed, adventurous woman.

More Guatemalita art

Recino’s most popular sculpture in the museum is “Guatemalita and the Volkswagen Beetle.”

Recinos owned the Beetle below, which was vandalized in the 70s, a turbulent time in Guatemala when he was directing the construction of the National Theater.

Efrain Recino’s former VW Beetle

There’s an aviary at the end of the mural “corridor.”

Aviary at Santo Domingo del Cerro

In addition to many other salons and reception areas, Santo Domingo del Cerro has a beautiful chapel, available for weddings.

Chapel, Santo Domingo del Cerro

Pope John Paul II & Miguel Asturias Museum

Right underneath the chapel, there’s a small museum commemorating Pope John Paul II’s last visit to Guatemala (2002). It was during this visit that Antigua Guatemala’s unofficial Mayor, Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt, was canonized.

Saint Betancourt remains Central America’s only official Saint.

The museum is tiny and fairly new. The door to the museum was open, so I had the whole place to myself.

Pope John Paul II’s museum

From what I could gather from the scant information on the walls, these were articles used by Pope John Paul II on his last visit.

Inside John Paul’s Museum

The picture laid on the table in front of me said something to the effect that the chair I was now sitting on was the same chair that the Pope used during his visit. I looked at the picture closely, and the chair was certainly the same design.

The small bathroom inside the museum had been cordoned off. The sign also stated that it was for “exhibition purposes” only.

Were those bathroom fixtures the same that the Pope used? Not sure. The towels did have the Vatican’s seal on them.

I mean… was that “the” throne that the Pope used? I’m not going to tell you if I took it for a spin or not.

But I will tell you that not a soul came by in the 15 minutes I spent inside the museum…

Bathroom fixtures used by the Pope

The Miguel Asturias Museum features artifacts once belonging to Miguel Asturias, Guatemala’s Nobel Prize-winning writer.

Below is an image of Saint Betancourt, which sits right above the chapel.

Hermano Pedro art

The road leading to and from also has striking art by its side.

Horse sculptures, Santo Domingo del Cerro

Whichever way you decide to visit, whether by car, shuttle, by foot… or even by helicopter (there’s a helipad waiting for you), Santo Domingo del Cerro is a must-see.

Helipad, Santo Domingo del Cerro

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See more activities here: https://okantigua.com/things-to-do-in-antigua-guatemala/

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What is your favorite “lesser-known” gem

in your local area?

Castillo de San Felipe Guatemala: When is a Castle Not a Castle?

If you’ve ever looked at a tourism brochure for Guatemala, you’ll notice that Antigua Guatemala, Tikal’s Mayan temples, and Lake Atitlan occupy front and center.

Occasionally though, you’ll may also notice that included in the brochure is a picture of “castle”, sitting on the shores of a placid lake. That would be Castillo de San Felipe de Lara, most commonly known as Castillo San Felipe .

Castillo de San Felipe Guatemala sits right where Rio Dulce and Lake Izabal meet, just a few miles from the main road that leads to Tikal and the Peten region. While not as popular as Lake Atitlan, Antigua Guatemala, and Tikal, Rio Dulce is well worth a visit.

I’d been looking forward to visiting Castillo de San Felipe Guatemala (I make the distinction because there is more than one – in Puerto Rico and in Colombia), for quite some time.

Upon returning from our Belize trip and from the Flores region, we made good enough driving time to stop by Castillo de San Felipe for a few hours.

Visiting Castillo de San Felipe Guatemala

Hours of operation are from 8:00am to 5:00pm, every day. There’s a 15Q fee per person to get in. A gravel parking lot sits right outside the main gates, for which you’ll pay about 15Q for the pleasure of using.

Entrance fees paid, you’re handed a small map by the attendant. You’re then free to wander the grounds at your leisure.

The long main road leads straight to the castle.

It’s a pleasant walk and there are good photo-ops along the trail. Since we visited on a Wednesday afternoon, we had almost the whole place to ourselves.

The castle grounds has lush picnic areas and a restaurant on-site. In the picture below, you can see Rio Dulce Bridge in the background, which leads to Peten and the Tikal archaeological site.

A little-known fact is that Castillo de San Felipe is not actually a “castle”, but a fort. Only fortified installations where members of a royal family actually lived could be designated as such.

But the “castle” moniker has stuck. I’m guessing it’s good for tourism.

The castle’s construction started in 1595, in direct response to disruption of commercial trade by pirates. The Rio Dulce port was a very important trading post in its time, so the Spanish monarchy though it a good idea to protect the area.

Ghosts at Castillo de San Felipe?

Besides seeing use as a fort, Castillo de San Felipe later served as a prison. A very nasty one at that, since prisoner’s quarters were often flooded, making for an unpleasant stay.

Imagine sitting in a pool of fetid water, chained to a wall, with no bathroom access. Oh, and swarms of malaria-carrying mosquitoes buzzing your head constantly. Add killer humidity and zero ventilation.

I can’t think of a worst situation to be in, which is why being a prisoner here often meant a death sentence.

I pressed the unenthusiastic guide for any juicy ghost stories, but she had none. Although, she did assure me she high-tailed it out of there at 5:00pm sharp, since there have been reports of unexplained noises and screams that can be heard throughout the night.

The castle is built in the typical Spanish-style, with an open-air courtyard and red-tile roof.

The castle is strategically positioned and closing access to the port was just a matter of raising a chain attached to the other side of the lake.

Something we didn’t do, for lack of time, was to go on a launch ride around the lake. One can get magnificent vistas of the castle from the river.

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense

A couple interesting artifacts inside the castle are cannons bearing English seals. These items were confiscated from captured pirate ships.

English cannons were of better quality than the steel-made cannons that Spain supplied for the castle’s defense.

The bronze cannon below bears the English seal of King George III, he who fought, and lost, against the rag-tag band of insurgents of a former colony known today as the United States of America.

It seems that King George III was on a particularly tough losing streak at the time.

Of interest is the French motto on the cannon, “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense“, which means “Shame Be to Him Who Thinks of Evil.” This motto actually appears on the British passport, Royal Coat of Arms, and many other British government forms.

I hardly think that anyone pointing that cannon at somebody, upon seeing the motto, thinks better of it and waves the other guys over for some tea and crumpets. Just saying.

The center of the seal bears a “G” and the number “3”, though I’m not sure what the “R” stands for.

The cannon below bears a similar seal, only this time the letter “C” is engraved in the middle. The engraving is for a Marquess Cornwallis, Master-General of Ordnance at the time.

Cornwallis is best known in America as Lord Cornwallis, the General who surrendered to American General George Washington during the “Siege of Yorktown“.

That battle was the last major battle between British and American forces. It convinced the British to give up and led them to ultimately acknowledge America’s independence.

What can I say? I love history. And seeing random British cannons in a fort in Guatemala is pretty darn cool to me.

Compare the shiny bronze cannon above to the junky-looking Spanish version below. BIG difference.

My daughter was stoked to be inside a “castle”, the first she’s ever visited.

No, I didn’t have the heart to tell her it’s actually a fort. Hey, Santa Claus is cool with me too, man.

Unfortunately, the dungeons and dark tunnels are super-hard to photograph. If you want to see those pics, just close your eyes for a second or two. You’ll get the same effect as if you were looking at them here.

At least I got to take a pic of the Master’s quarters, which are spacious and somewhat lit, which is the nicest thing that can be said about them. No wall-to-wall windows with vistas of the beautiful river outside. For shame!

In all, we spent a good 3 hours there, which was plenty of time to see the castle up and down twice. It is definitely worthwhile to visit, as well as other attractions in the Rio Dulce area.

What’s your favorite castle you’ve visited?

And no, Cinderella’s at Disney doesn’t count.

Lago de Amatitlan: Lake Atitlan’s Oft-Forgotten Little Sister

Lake Atitlan gets all the attention from foreign visitors, and rightly so. But less than 16 miles south of Guatemala City lies Lago de Amatitlan (Lake Amatitlan), a beautiful lake with a volcano for a backdrop. And also a sad reminder of what happens when industrial pollution and waste are ignored for years.

Lago de Amatitlan is a really popular place for Guatemalans to visit on the weekends. Much smaller than Lake Atitlan, it has a more down-to-earth feel to it.

Food and candy stalls line the street leading to the shore and open-air shacks serve freshly-fried “mojarra” (silver perch) to awaiting patrons. It’s about an hour ride by car from Antigua Guatemala

While half of the people I saw walking on Panajachel’s Santander Street were of the blue eyes, blond hair variety, I was hard-pressed to find a single person that looked like a tourist. Well, other than myself, who stood out because of the fancy camera I was carrying around.

Once we got past the street stalls on the main street, we found a parking spot near the shore’s access path.

To come here by bus is a little difficult. However, all one needs to remember is to ask for the bus to the “teleferico” (funicular), a cable car that takes you to the top of the mountain next to Lago de Amatitlan. The teleferico offers expansive views of the lake.

Unfortunately, the teleferico was shut-down for repairs on that day, so pics from up top will come at a later date.

Radioactive Lake?

Lago de Amatitlan has an odd green color that makes for pretty pictures but is likely very hazardous to one’s health. Industrial buildings located by the lake used it for years to dump their industrial waste. Runoff from rivers feeding Lago de Amatitlan also added to the pollution.

Piers at Lake Amatitlan

The lake almost died, if not for the efforts of volunteer groups that dedicated themselves to cleaning up the lake. Today, the lake is much cleaner than before, but still not suitable for swimming in.

While not completely clean, there were no foul odors and the lake’s shore was a very agreeable place to sit by and enjoy the view.

Today, Lago de Amatitlan’s main attractions are the small boats that are available for rent by the hour. You can also take a 15-minute tour around the lake on a shared boat.

Plenty of stalls selling traditional Guatemalan candy and knick-knacks outside.

Lunch at El Rocarena

We were starving, but not enough to dare try the local fish at one of the stalls nearby. Much later, I learned that the mojarras sold by the food shacks are farm-raised and not lake-caught. We decided to head to a popular hotel/restaurant/spa named El Rocarena.

It’s about a 5-10 minute walk uphill, near the lake. El Rocarena has fresh water pools as well as a restaurant with great views of the lake.

Lunch was nothing to write home about. The main attraction was the view.

Always a great time for an impromptu photo-shoot :)

Below is my favorite house by Lago de Amatitlan. Great garden and awesome views!

Taking a Boat Ride Around Lago de Amatitlan

After taking enough pictures to almost fill the camera’s memory card, it was time to head down and take a little boat ride.

But first, we stopped for some coconut water.

People still fish here, though I bet it can’t be all that healthy to eat fish caught there.

After going back and forth with the launch owners on pricing (haggling is a sport in Guatemala), we were able to get on the launch for Q10 each, rather than Q30 each.

Lakeshore houses are usually owned by wealthy Guatemalans, who come down here on weekends to relax.

View of my favorite from lake level.

It’s not Venice, but it’s a beautiful spot to take a girl out for a nice afternoon.

The boat returned to shore about 20 minutes later.

The mojarras looked tasty, but I still wasn’t biting. Probably will go for it next time, when we visit the funicular – if it ever reopens.

Visiting Lago de Amatitlan was much nicer than I had expected. There’s definitely a different vibe there because of the crowds. City folks are the norm here compared to the Mayans that live near Lake Atitlan.

If the teleferico is running, is well worth it to come here on a day trip.