Guatemala
Guatemala is a land of massive volcanic peaks, deep jungles, and ancient Mayan history.
This section will share our comprehensive guide to exploring Tikal (and why it was a highlight), plus tips on trekking the region’s famous volcanoes. We will also include our hard-won birding advice from the highlands of Quetzaltenango, including our unsuccessful Quetzal search and our sighting of the unique Pink-headed Warbler.
For now, check out my blog posts:
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Incredible Wildlife and Ruins at Tikal
From San Ignacio in Belize our next stop was Flores in Northern Guatemala. Once again we waited at the bus stop for over an hour to get a bus to the border town of Benque, then hopped in a short taxi ride to the actual border. Entering Guatemala had to be one of the easiest…
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Seeking Quetzals in Cobán
We returned to Flores from Tikal and planned to leave the next morning at 8am on a shuttle to Cobán. We booked a shuttle as I couldn’t find a reliable way to get to Cobán on public buses, especially since the journey requires a river ferry crossing too. The shuttle was reasonably priced and would…
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Unexpected Birding in Xela
The next stop in our Guatemala adventure is the town of Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela (sheh-lah), since its original name in the Kʼicheʼ Maya language was Xelajú Noj. We wanted to come here for another slice of authenticity. Basically, we’ve heard that although Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala city) and the towns around Lake Atitlan…
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Exploring Lake Atitlan
From the city of Xela it’s only about a 2.5 hour drive to the scenic Lago Atitlan, nestled in a mountainous cloud forest region surrounded by volcanoes. We were super excited to visit. We headed to the main Xela bus terminal in a £1 Uber, and then some locals helped us find the bus to…
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Motmots, Volcanoes and Alfombras in Antigua
To get from San Marcos on Lake Atitlan to Antigua Guatemala by public bus looked like a bit of a mission, with potentially 5 different buses changing in 4 towns… So we booked a tourist shuttle to take us for Q140 each which we didn’t think was bad for such a long journey. We arrived…
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How to Visit Tikal Without a Tour: The Ultimate Independent DIY Guide
Think you need an expensive group tour to visit Tikal? Think again. Here is the ultimate independent guide to exploring Guatemala’s most famous Maya ruins solo: taking local colectivos from Flores, sleeping inside the rainforest, and getting 12 hours of quiet temple time on a standard day ticket.
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Wildlife in Tikal: The Field Guide to Maya Rainforest Animals (+ Free Spotter Checklist)
Think Tikal is just ancient stone pyramids? Deep inside the Maya Biosphere Reserve, it’s one of Central America’s premier wildlife hubs. From roaring howler monkeys and wild toucans in the canopy to coatis and grey foxes on the forest floor, here is our ultimate Tikal wildlife field guide with a printable spotter checklist.
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Where to See Quetzals in the Wild: The Ultimate Central America Field Guide (+ DIY Spotting Secrets)
From the high misty forests of Guatemala’s volcanic slopes to the avocado groves of Costa Rica and Panama, finding the legendary Resplendent Quetzal is a bucket-list moment for wildlife lovers. Here is the realistic, independent field guide: peak nesting seasons, active cloud forest hotspots, wild avocado foraging trees, and how to spot them yourself without booking a tour group.
