Hello - we just returned from a trip to Guatemala. Thought I'd post some info/opinions in case they might be helpful:
San Pedro: The Cooperative Spanish School was wonderful. Helpful, professional staff, great location with a gorgeous view, nice activities. Zuvuya Books - new bookstore in San Pedro, not a lot of inventory yet, but what they do have is the good stuff. Jarachik - great laid back garden restaurant/bar with nice food and ambiance. (They also have rooms for rent.)
Antigua: Don't forget to check out some of the "ruins" right in the city, we really enjoyed them and they made for great photos. Pacaya volcano trip was great, with actual hot, flowing lava. Went with Gran Jaguar agency, which was inexpensive and did a good job.
Pana: Mario's Rooms (recommended by Goodtimebob) was wonderful. Great value, and great atmosphere, right in the heart of Pana. If you're shopping, go ahead and buy from the Maya ladies in the street - they definitely offered some of the best deals on handicrafts, and I wish I'd bought more.
Flores: Go ahead and do the 3:30am Tikal sunrise trip, you won't regret it!! We used San Juan Travel, and it was spectacular - it included a guide for 5 hours and we saw some very cool wildlife too. The day after Tikal, if you're still worn out from the early trip, chill out at the pool at the hotel Isla la Casona. Pretty pool with a waterfall and a lake view, no charge as long as we had lunch there. If you're headed for Belize, you can take the direct bus with San Juan Travel or Linea Dorada, and you CAN get off in San Ignacio with either (although agents might tell you that you can't with Linea Dorada).
Hope this info is some use!
You hit some of my favorite spots from my visit last August. Glad you enjoyed the Cooperative school - I had an excellent experience there and look forward to going back. Thanks for sharing!
Yep, I was skeptical about San Juan too, after reading the stories. Thought it would be nice to share a positive story about them - the Tikal trip really was perfect. (We used them from Palenque-Flores, too, which worked out pretty well - but we didn't love their hard sell techniques trying to get us to book tours before we even reached Flores. We ended up booking a few days later.........)
Jarachik is a cool place to hang out at....Lots of the expats nurse their hangovers there in the morning with a little "hair of the dog".If the locals hang out there,you know it's good.Also,try "the Buddha",another locals hangout along "the Maze".Say hi to Mike,the owner,for me when you get there....Buena suerte......
Thank you for sharing. I'm thinking of going to Guatemala mid-December for 2 weeks, and was considering going to the Cooperative school in San Pedro. I keep hearing great things about it. Did you stay with a host family? How long were you there? I'm not sure yet if my husband is traveling with me, so I may be alone. How safe did San Pedro and other parts of Guatemala feel? And finally, how many days did you spend traveling to/from Tikal and around the ruins. I would like to make it there, but I don't want to spend most of my 2 weeks traveling from place to place. Thanks!
trusted partner
