It takes 2 nights to = 1 day to explore and enjoy; 3 nights = 2 days. La Antigua is colonial ruins, volcano hikes, markets, and neighboring villages. Lake Atitlán is fantastic views, a ring of villages, each with its own Maya customs and dress and market days, and fantastic hiking and kayaking. Copán is the ruins plus wonderful museums, hot springs, caving, and a beautiful exotic bird park. Tikal has the awesome Maya site plus incredible jungle with great wildlife potential and there are add'l Maya sites nearby plus nature parks and the lake with its villages. You could have 11 days packed full or 4 or 5 days packed full plus 6 or 7 days sitting on your backside in buses, shuttles, and planes, bus stations, and airports. I'd go for twice as many wonderful days if it was my trip. Maybe check out my photo link for inspiration...
I always stay at a couple of different spots on the lake. Everybody has their own favorite villages, I like Panajachel for accessibility, eating, drinking and shopping. Jaibalito has my favorite hotel. San Marcos has a cool vibe, San Pedro has the best hiking to offer, Santiago has another one of my favorite hotels. San Juan is very small, but offers co-ops which help the community as do many other villages.
By the way, we didn't care too much for San Juan del Sur either.
Copan is amazing! The town and the ruins.
Hermosajoe and Hopefulist are right. You don't want to spend your vacation sitting on buses watching the scenery pass by. Not when you could be out there hiking and enjoying it!
Whoa, great tips. Now I feel like I won't have enough time for Guatemala.
Ok here is my revised itinerary:
Wednesday – Antigua (pick-up scooter)
Thursday – Antigua
Friday – Antigua => Lake Atitlan
Saturday – Lake Atitlan
Sunday – Lake Atitlan
Monday – Lake Atitlan => (return scooter assuming I can get one in the first place) Copan
Tuesday – Copan
Wednesday – Copan
Thursday – Granada => Copan
Friday – Flores/Tikal
Saturday – Copan => Flores/Tikal
Sunday – Flores/Tikal
Monday – Back to GC
What do you guys think? Will Lake Atitlan satisfy my beach crave or can a nice beach get squeezed in there somewhere?
So you're saying 3 nights Copan then go back to Antigua? At that point I would just time it so I catch my flight back in GC.
The shuttles go from Antigua to Copan, 5-6 hours. Not sure they'll drop you off at the airport.
Your funny, it's CA, nothing goes as planned. Anything can and probably will go wrong, always be conservative in planning.
Anytime you travel it's half a day at least, even if it's close on a map. The traffic in Guatemala City is absolutely horrible.
Not sure if you can get or even want a scooter in Antigua, it's all cobble stone, incredibly bumpy. You ain't going to the Lake on a scooter.
I thought you wanted to hike?
You don't want any transport at the Lake, start in Panajachel and figure out where you want to go, everything is by boat or walking. Maybe a bike.
Copan is an awesome town, has ruins, bird sanctuary, horse riding, beer drinking etc.
Rio Dulce is awesome, need 3-4 days once you arrive, 1 day in and 1 day out.
Can fly to Tikal from GC, you'll need 2-3 nights,
I'd get out of the airport and get a shuttle to Antigua and wing it from there, you might not make it past the Lake.
Save Nica for your next trip!
What airline will fly you RT from GC to Managua for $150us bucks???????
I know there's a bunch of volcanoes all around Lake Atitlan/Antigua, so I was planning on hiking a few of them. In my mind, I thought I can scooter to/from volcanoes and between Lake Atitlan/Antigua. It sounds like I'll have to do a lot of winging. Should I book rooms or can I arrive there and look for a place?
Forget Nicaragua for now.
Not to confuse you even more, but we took a four hour Hedman bus from Copan to San Pedro Sula and from there flew out to Roatan. Stayed at the Bananarama Beach Resort. Amazing beach and amazing reef right off shore! Stayed there for three nights and flew back to San Pedro Sula.
If you are really digging a beach scene... maybe you could fly from San Pedro Sula back to GUA.
Just a thought.
Honduras was amazing. I loved the highlands, guess I am more of a mountain girl than an island girl. Weather was perfect, could not have asked for anything better. The people of Honduras are exceedingly friendly, honest and kind, the food was better than we had expected it to be. Salva Vida is a great beer, coffee is of course awesome!
Yat B’alam in Copan Ruinas; would definitely stay there again. Copan Ruinas is very nice for walking anywhere and everywhere, always felt safe, never any hassle from anybody at any time. Only thing you have to fear is maybe a sprained ankle from the cobbled streets and the dangerous sidewalks on the steep streets which you think have steps connected to them, but they have sheer drops instead. That was the only danger I could see.
Momo’s; best food in Copan Ruinas, my opinion anyway. Carnitas draws more of a crowd, but the food wasn’t near as good there and prices were just about double. I guess you pay for the presentation…servers carrying food and drinks stacked high on there heads…
Hedman Alsa; can’t stop talking about how great they were! Very professionally ran, very organized, helpful staff. Awesome, comfortable Mercedes Benz busses. Need I say more?
The guys who run the Canopy Tour outside Copan Ruinas. Very sweet, patient, mild-mannered young men who have a certain expertise in photography.
Bananarama; although I wouldn’t stay there again, simply because of the cruise ship attractions, is a very pretty resort with cute little cabañas and just happens to be on the nicest beach on the island. Very friendly, considerate staff.
Lake Atitlan....so many options as in lodging. What is your budget and what are you looking for?
I would book your first night in Antigua, just so you know you have a nice place to crash.
What's your basic lodging and requirement, private room and bath or dorm room with 6 people, maybe something in between?
After your first night wing it, lodging is all over, Antigua, the Lake and Copan.
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