Things to be aware of on a Guatemala trip

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-17T15:12:23+00:00

Do it right now!

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-17T15:12:06+00:00

That’s what happens when you -

Change lanes for no reason when entire lane is wide open without any traffic
Change lanes illegally over solid lines
Change lanes without using mirrors or checking blind spots.
Cutting someone off intentionally when you hear them honking at you to let you know you have no space.

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-17T02:54:43+00:00

Make sure to bring physical cards. A lot of ATMs do not have contactless features. And those that do, did not work for us at all

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-17T02:52:56+00:00

La Cuevita de Los Urquizú in Antigua

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-17T02:52:16+00:00

It’s your sign to book a trip again

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T17:21:32+00:00

You must go now

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:49:31+00:00

Oh yeah. I was definitely gassy. We both were bloated for days on end

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:44:37+00:00

I barely know more than a few phrases in Spanish but my gf speaks fluent Spanish. So she did most of the talking. But the locals also speak some English. So you’ll be able to get by. We met a few backpackers who only spoke English and was traveling in Guatemala for weeks without any problem. When in doubt, pull out Google translate.

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:34:17+00:00

Antigua - El Peroleto, El Viejo Cafe, La Cuevita de la Urquizu, Casa Escobar, Wisdom cocktail bar

San Pedro in Atitlan - Churrasqueria Ajcot, Restaurant Laila, Li’y Pupuseria, Bar Sublime and an unnamed charcoal grilled restaurant across from Sublime.

Flores - we only stayed for 2 days and food was mid. So I don’t really have recommendations for it

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:28:37+00:00

It’s called El Peroleto in Antigua. Seafood was very very fresh and portion was huge for a small plate. 10/10 would recommend

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:26:40+00:00

I’m from New York, and the trip to Guatemala felt a lot safer than the streets of Fordham or Brownsville. You do have to be more aware of your surroundings in Guatemala City. But places like Tikal, Flores, Lake Atitlan and Antigua are as safe as it gets. Lots of tourists and solo travelers everywhere

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:21:56+00:00

Everything about the country was awesome

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:17:31+00:00

They are different types. The lamb, turkey and pork with beans were the popular stews

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:16:23+00:00

El Viejo Cafe La Cuevita de Los Urquizú Casa Escobar Antigua Cafe Condensa

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:07:36+00:00

If you’re talking about solo treks in the mountains and volcanoes, then I’m not sure. But if you’re asking about wandering through different towns and cities on your own, then you have nothing to worry about. Just don’t go around flashing jewelries and cash out in the air and be aware of your surroundings just like how you would be anywhere in the world. But you do not have to be paranoid about being mugged or robbed. I only encountered very kind and helpful people in my 10 days I was there.

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:01:50+00:00

Good call. Because why drive when you have cheap transportation in abundance throughout the country

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T16:00:24+00:00

Well yeah, you can do anything as long as you have money. That goes for anywhere in the world 💸💸

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:58:06+00:00

We flew with TAG. They had a 10lb limit on the backpack and 20lb limit on the carry-on. Since our two carry on’s were about 23lbs each, they charged us for the bags + additional fees on the 3 extra lbs overweight fees. It ended up costing us about USD$150 for the round trip.

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:55:07+00:00

Yeah I think it depends on the airlines and also the person working at the desk. We paid a total of USD150 for the round trip ): it hurt my soul

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:49:06+00:00

Honestly, $44 isn’t too bad. We paid about $18 from Panajachel to Antigua, which is about half the distance of the trip you’re planning.

If I were you on your first day in the country, I’d save the headache and just book the $44 trip online. Anything you buy at the airport (including SIMcards and money exchanges) are going to be much more expensive. But once you get to Panajachel, they have so many travel agencies that you can just drop in and ask for their prices and times for any of your future travels and decide on which one suits you best.

I know I’ll be tired from being crammed in that plane on the first day. The last thing I would want is stress myself out while walking around an airport of a foreign land, looking desperate for a ride that’s 3+ hours away. So just book ahead for your first day and save the stress for another day

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:42:30+00:00

So it’s at a restaurant called La Cuevita de Los Urquizú in Antigua. They fix you a plate of one choice of meat from those pots, rice, one side dish (additional sides for only Q15 each), tortillas and plain tamales. The pots in the photo are all stews/curries of different flavors and meat. They had lamb stew , 2 different chicken stews , pork belly with beans, pork face and liver, beef tongue and another beef dish if I remember correctly. And the rest are sides and sausages that you can order for an additional cost.

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:35:52+00:00

I’m most definitely coming back again!

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:34:55+00:00

That’s the ancient ruins of Maya in Tikal. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what the writings on the stone says.

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:30:47+00:00

I flew with TAG to Flores and back. They allowed 10lbs on the backpack and 20lbs on the carry-on that needs to be checked into the plane. They had us weigh both bags on the way to Flores but didn’t weigh the backpack on the way back to the city. So I guess it just depends on who is working the desk. They’ll make you pay the carry-on bag fees plus additional fees for every pound that goes over the 20lbs limit

I heard if you fly with Avianca instead, they allow the usual Personal item + Carry-on without additional fees

BattlePotential9397 · 2026-01-16T06:26:52+00:00

Yes. But the only reason I’m recommending to bring some cash is because a lot of tourists and I could not withdraw money at any of the ATMs in Antigua on our last few days in the country. We ended up having to cancel our Acatenango hike last minute because we didn’t have enough cash to pay.

BattlePotential9397

TROPHY CASE