Western Highland Tours

We offer a two-day tour of the western highlands with an overnight stay on Lake Atitlan, considered by some to be the most beautiful lake in Central America. We will cross the lake by boat to the lakeside community of Santiago Atitlan and visit Maximon, a local deity worshipped by the local Tzutzujil Mayans. Later, we will stroll the wharf where artisans proudly display their handcrafted, indigenous wares for sale. In the afternoon, we will return by boat to Panajachel and go visit the Buenaventura Nature Reserve to feed the monkeys and walk their suspension bridges to a scenic waterfall.

The second day we will transfer to Chichi-castenango, about an hour drive north from Lake Atitlan, a town famous for its regional, open-air, indigenous market every Thursday and Sunday morning. We will visit the Santo Tomas church where the Latin manuscript of the Popol Vuh (a 16th century written account of the oral traditions of the Kiche Mayans) was found under the altar of the church. We will also visit Pascual Abaj, where Mayan priests offer their sacrificial rites on behalf of those who procure their services.

Additionally, we offer another western highlands tour of three days and two nights that extends the itinerary above to include visits to other places of interest like a bird watching and exotic flower nature reserve at Atitlan Volcano, a visit to Quetzaltenango, the 2nd largest city of Guatemala, and a visit to the Post Classic Mayan ruins of Zaculeu in Huehuetenango. If interested, ask us for more information about this tour availability.