A Short Hiking & Cycling Trip to Guatemala

Antigua - Parramos Ride

This ride was a circular loop, heading north from Antigua, along a cycle lane and fairly quiet road. In San Luis las Carretas I headed off road on a fairly sandy track overlooking Parramos - an area famous for its avocados.

From Parramos, I looped back to Antigua via the peak of Cerro Alto on picturesque roads with very little traffic. It was a pleasant loop, exploring some of the Guatemalan countryside, with some nice views of the surrounding volcanoes at higher elevations.

Ride with Gps Route

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Volcan de Agua

This was a short but beautiful ride to some of the trails on the lower slopes of Volcan de Agua. It began in the centre of Antigua, riding on the cobbles and passing several of the beautiful convents that seem to lurk around every corner in the old town.

The trails on Volcan de Agua were a huge amount of fun to ride, and you could certainly spend a lot more time than I did here exploring them. The climb out of San Gaspar Vivar is steep, but once that is over, you are mostly riding across the slope, so the gradients are not so fierce.

The trails pass through coffee plantations and have some fantastic views of Volcan de Fuego and Acatenango in the distance.

Ride with Gps Route

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Cerro el Cucurcho Hike

This hike to the peak of Cucurucho was in the Finca el Pilar estate on the edge of Antigua. You have to pay a small fee to enter here, but I think it is worth it for the quality of the trails, the safety and the beautiful scenery.

The route begins by following the hummingbird trail which, as the name suggests, is a good place to spot various birds, including hummingbirds. It follows a narrow trail through quite thick jungle before emerging on a wider path. This wider path continues more gently uphill reaching a viewpoint with picnic tables.

From here you enter the Selva Negra, where the vegetation thickens and the trail narrows once more; there are some steep gradients as you ascent to the peak, where there are some very nice views overlooking Guatemala City and the surrounding volcanoes.

This is moderately challenging hike and is very quiet. I think it is an enjoyable alternative to the large crowds on Acatenango if you prefer a bit of peace and solitude.

Ride with Gps Route

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Petzen Itza Cycling Loop

From Antigua I flew to Flores where I stayed for a few nights. I caught a lancha across the lake to San Miguel and hired a decent hardtail mountain bike from Balam Bikes, a small company ran by a Belgian and Guatemalan couple.

The riding here was much better than I had expected. There was a decent network of single tracks which crossed the Tayasal archaeological site and continued past various fincas and beaches around the lake.

The routes were undulating with short hills, but not long climbs. The vegetation was thick jungle for the most part, and in places the deafening cries of howler monkeys made for an intimidating backdrop.

To add in a few more miles, I also followed the part paved, part gravel road until the junction with the main road, to the east of the airport. This was a really nice and quiet road for riding, and I also stopped in at the Tayasal Archaeological Museum on the way back, which seemed to be something of a work in progress.

My main reason for being in Flores was to explore the great archaeological sites nearby, such as Tikal, Yaxha and Xunantunich, so I didn't have so much time for cycling. But I would definitely considering coming to this part again with my own touring bike and doing a longer loop around the lake, before perhaps continuing into Belize or Mexico.


Ride with Gps Route

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Tikal Hike

I wasn't sure whether or not to include this, as it is not so much a hike, as a walking route around the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Tikal. However, I think it could be useful if you wish to explore self-guided rather than on a group tour.

Visiting Tikal was my main reason for the trip to Guatemala - and it truly lived up to my lofty expectations. I knew that the Mayan pyramids, temples and palaces would be impressive, but I was blown away by the scale of the site, as well as its location surrounded by thick jungle.

I read up a lot about Mayan history and Tikal in particular before visiting, and so I preferred to explore by myself without a guide, and I recommend you to do the same. It is not overly busy (certainly nothing like Chichen Itza or Tulum), but the groups were a bit loud and I imagine it is hard to truly appreciate the serenity and scale of the site following a tour around.

The link below is the rough route that I took, but you can change the order a bit to avoid the groups and basically have the site to yourself! The area is also big enough and hilly enough (with all the climbing of pyramids) that it ends up being a decent length hike, especially given the heat and humidity!

I won't go into too much detail about the history of Tikal here, because you can find that in many places elsewhere, but it reached its peak around the 6th to 8th centuries CE, with many buildings dating from that period. The complex trade and social networks in Mesoamerica at the time meant that although it was a powerful city state, it also had links with places as far away as Teotihuacan.

Tikal is in the same tier to me as Pompeii, given the scale of the preservation and the fact that it has largely been untouched by anything apart from the jungle and its monkeys and jaguars for well over 1,000 years.


Ride with Gps Route

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Xunantunich

Across the border in Belize, I also visited the archaeological site of Xunantunich. This was much smaller in scale than Tikal (and Yaxha), but some of the buildings were more impressively restored, providing some fantastic views.

It was also situated on top of a hill, offering fantastic views, and making it historically an important defensive outpost of the Mayan city of Caracol.

I stayed for a few nights in San Ignacio (Belize) and turned my trip to Xunantunich into a short hike. I took the bus from the central square in San Ignacio to San Jose Succotz. From here you can take the small and very regular ferry across the Mopan River (it is free) and walk around 2km gently uphill on road or trails to the entrance of Xunantunich. Along the way there were many iguanas and also a snake which was too quick for me to identify. It was a nice and quiet way to arrive at the site, without having to go as part of a large group tour.

Bacalar Cycling Loop

The final cycling route I have included on this page is also not in Guatemala, but is not too far away, in the southern Mexican town of Bacalar. A popular tourist destination for its crystal clear lagoon (popular for swimming and kayaking), as well as nearby cenotes and a lively old town, Bacalar doesn't immediately stand out as a great cycling destination.

HOwever, it is possible to rent bikes in the town, which can be used as a means of transport to get around the town. I rented a fat bike for a few days from 'Italia Probike', which was in good condition. I mainly used it for pottering around the town, but did do one longer ride out to the Mennonite village of Salamanca.

This was mostly flat, but the rough surface and wide tyres provided enough resistance! The first part was on a dirt road through jungle, before emerging in a large clearing. This was a Mennonite community (descendents of Germanic settlers who reject many facets of modern life). In Mexico there is a big Mennonite population in Chihuahua state, although in recent years some have relocated to other parts of the country. They are particularly famous for the production of Dutch-style cheese which can be found in a few shops in Bacalar.

The ride itself was not particular scenic, but it was enjoyable and certainly interesting from a cultural point of view to see the Mennonite community.


Ride with Gps Route


If you are considering cycle touring around Bacalar I would be cautious. The main roads in and out of the town (307, 186, Miguel Aleman highway) are quite busy with fast moving traffic and only intermittent shoulders. Combined with the flat landscapes and heat, I don't think this is a particularly good region for cycling. I much preferred the riding I did around Oaxaca and Puebla.

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Overview

These are just a few routes in case you are staying in Guatemala (and Bacalar) and want to go out for a short day ride or hike. I am certainly not an expert, but I saw enough of Guatemala to believe that it would be a very promising destination for cycle touring. Popular routes head towards Lake Atitlan (which I am not convinced is all that good for cycling), but other quieter regions with less traffic, could offer a very rewarding experience.

There are some security concerns around the border with Mexico, but if you could navigate that, then I think a trip through Guatemala to Chiapas and on to Oaxaca would be fantastic.

For hiking, Guatemala was good, but I think Central Mexico is better. I am slightly baffled by the popularity of the hike to Acatenango which is similar to La Malinche or Iztacciihuatl, but is less scenic and much more crowded. I guess it has the magic combination of accessibility and being challenging, but not overly hard or technical. However, if you are a more adventurous traveller then you may be able to find better, less touristic, alternatives nearby.

Finally, I would like to reiterate once more how amazing it was to walk around Tikal, and how it is a travesty that it is not more well known globally as an archaeological wonder.


Cycling in Oaxaca


Hiking in Mexico


Cycle Touring Guides