Top Things to do in Western Highlands
Countries
What to do and see in Western Highlands, Western Highlands: The Best Nature & Parks
Guatemalas spectacular Western Highlands run from Antigua to the Mexican border. Pines blanket misty hillsides, rivers cascade through sliver-thin ravines, volcanoes rumble overhead. Catch market day or witness offerings to drinking, smoking St. Maximon, in Chichicastenango. See traditional life in the Ixil Triangle. Clamber the Cuchumatanes Mountains. Mayan dialects and ceremonies are still part of everyday life for the majority of Guatemalas indigenous population, living where their ancestors trod.
Restaurants in Western Highlands
1. Unicornio Azul
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 26 reviews
Horseback riding in the amazing Cuchumatanes mountain range at 3000 meters. Well-trained horses, excellent saddles, professional guide. Rides from 1 hour to 1 day for beginners and experienced riders.
2. Volcan Atitlan
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By antoniomM6608WI - Copenhagen, Denmark
When I was planning our activities around the Lake Atitlan, most of the information I found was about volcano San Pedro and the mountain with the name Indian Nose. However, thanks to the recommendation of the local guide, Salvador, I have chosen volcano Atitlan instead of San Pedro. I just trusted the man and it was the great choice! This is a moderate-difficult hike, especially tough at the very end. The easy part takes place in the shadow of the trees that is just perfect on a hot day. We saw some flowers and a bird called "singing quail" on our way. Else not much to see, but relaxing. When it gets steeper, trees change from leaf-trees to pine trees and the soil changes to volcanic stones rolling at every step. So it was actually tough but we had special hiking shoes :) It was also getting colder as closer we approached to the peak. The path is actually marked for beginners but I would still recommend to do it with a guide. You get to see spectacular views and clouds passing by. Incredible feeling. First you see volcano San Pedro, then also volcano Toliman. The altitude of volcano Atitlan peak is 3535 m but the total elevation is about 2000 m. The weather changes very fast there and by the time we went down, the forest turned into a cloud forest. By the way, going down is really more painful than going up! Despite having slight pain in our legs the following day, we went to another hike early in the morning to watch sunrise from the "Indian Nose" :)
3. Cenotes de Candelaria
4. Hoyo El Cimarron
5. Lago de Atitlan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 761 reviews
Reviewed By chrisaT9240NB - London, United Kingdom
Really enjoyed being here and visiting villages. Stayed near sleepy Santa Catarina de Palopo but had bumpy boat rides to Santiago de Atitlan, San Juan and San Pedro. Each of the villages were different, and vibrant with colours, lurking volcanoes, goods for sale and fun visits, San Juan, Picturesque and arty, Santiago, interesting and San Pedro commercialised for backpackers, at least near lakeside
6. Atitlan Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 811 reviews
The Atitlan Nature Reserve is both a must for visitors of Lake Atitlan and a force in the environmental cause: Atitlan Azul. It is an extraordinary gate to the magnificent Lake Atitlan and its spectacular volcanoes. Its zip lines, butterfly preserve, trails, hanging bridges and lodgings bring you in close contact with nature. On the zip lines you fly above waterfalls, coffee groves, oak stands and the steep cliffs that guard the lake. At the Butterfly Geodome you enjoy the colors and forms of hundreds of butterflies surrounded by flowers and the sounds of water. Humming birds and the murmur of the river accompany you while you have lunch, coffee or a drink, then you continue to explore the diversity and beauty of this natural wonder. At night, the crickets, owls and the sounds of the night will be your company in our lodging. The Reserve supports the work of scientist and students concerned with biodiversity and environmental degradation.
Reviewed By ChrisW9565
A short tuk tuk ride from central Pana, this nature preserve is quite nice. We explored the butterfly dome which was also accompanied by some in-depth explanations & exhibits from different stages of the butterfly's life. We also did the Xtreme Ziplining. The trail up took us past some of the nature trail and were able to see some monkeys on the way up!! It was my first time ziplining, and they could not have been nice about taking care of me and showing me the ropes. The views were *breathtaking* and I absolutely recommend stopping here and spend half a day if you have the time.
7. Volcan San Pedro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 307 reviews
Reviewed By daidaniu - New York City, United States
Volcan San Pedro is a good, strenuous hike that is worth the effort. My review/expeirence is from during the pandemic and will likely not apply for later times and is designed for people who want to do the hike without a guide. I have been up to the top 3 times (and a couple of times to the lower miradors) during the months of February and March 2021. (DRY SEASON). The Different Thing about doing San Pedro during the pandemic is that it appears to be officially closed. There is no locked gate or anything, but the kiosks and ticketing to get onto the trailhead are without personnel. This means that I have never paid an entrance fee, which in normal times is Q100 for foreigners (about USD$15). There are also very few people on the trail. One time I went up and saw no one else at all in my entire 6 hour hike. (But other times I have seen guided and unguided groups.) I have had the top of the volcano to myself each time I have gone up - a very different experience from the crowded peak at Indian Nose across the lake. There seems to be a significant amount of misinformation going around about doing the San Pedro Hike: Misinformation (1): You must have a guide to go with you, or it is very difficult to do without a guide. This is false. Misinformation (2): You still have to pay the entrance fee, even though there is no one to take the payment. If there is a way to pay for the entrance during the pandemic, I have not figured out how to do so and no one has been able to direct me as to how one would even go about doing this. Misinformation (3): the trail is crawling with robbers. This appears to have been true around 2019 but no longer. Many locals have recommended I not do this hike without a guide for fear of robbers. But when I ask them if they know of any recent robberies, or know anyone who has been robbed, they are never specific, never like, "oh yeah there were some last year!" The "robbers" thing is also said about the trails between the villages on the other side of the lake (like between Tzununa and Santa Cruz) but foreigners walk those trails all the time (locals seem to always take the boats) so I generally believe the threat of robbery is somewhat real, but overblown. Proceed at your own risk. Groups are safer of course. Getting to Trail: The trailhead is easy to find and is about a 45 minute walk or 10 minute/Q20 tuk-tuk ride from the San Pedro Panajachel dock, up through town and onto the highway. The trailhead is by a building and in front of the building is a sign saying what your elevation is at the start of the trail (among other things and signs). On google maps type in "Volcan San Pedro Trailhead" and it will pop up. It is on the left side of the highway (when you are going up). On your way up you will pass two restaurant/mirador places maybe a half mile before you hit the trailhead building. Tuk Tuk drivers know where it is, you can just tell them "volcan san pedro". One of the things about going without a guide is that if you want to go early you will probably have to walk to the trailhead yourself without a tuk tuk, as they can be hard to find before about 7 am. Maybe you can arrange with one to pick you up earlier if you want. When I have hiked it myself starting at 5 or 6 am I just walk up to the trailhead. It's pretty steep, enjoy. Trail itself: The trail is well marked. The first hour or so of the trail goes through a bunch of coffee fields, and people work in these fields (they are not robbers). There are trails for the coffee people that are not the Volcan trail. Follow green arrows when available to stay on trail (these arrows will disappear when you're out of the coffee, it's fine you're still on the right trail). If you get to forks and you're not sure what to do, go UP, do the steeper path. In fact, most of the time if it's not super clear where to go it actually doesn't matter (some forks are just little shortcuts/corner cuts) but going UP will always get you to the right place. There is one fork in between the first and second miradors, marked with a sign, that points you to the "Virgen Guadalupe". This is only a 5 minute or so trail down to a statue of the Virgin Mary (and when i went, also a nice pile of garbage). There is no view. I think this is a waste of time, just keep going on the trail to the left up to the Volcan. There are four major Places on the trail, each that have man-made structures/benches, etc: (1) the 1st Mirador (nice view!), (2) the Second Mirador / Descansa / Swing ("Second Mirador") (Also Nice View!), (3) the Camp (no view!), and the Summit. The First Mirador and the Camp have primitive restroom facilities that I would not personally use (i just pee in the woods wherever). For reference, the Lake is at 1550 meters; the Trailhead is at 1800m; Mirador 1 is at about 2100m; Second Mirador is at 2300m; Camp is at 2867m; and the Summit is at 3020m. There are signs every 100m starting at 2000m, but they're not always easy to see and I have missed one or two of them every time I've been up. The whole trip for me, a 38 yr old man, alone, reasonably fit, takes me a little less than 6 hrs round trip from the trailhead (and a little more than 7 hours round trip from the Pana dock on foot). One of my trips was as follows (no tuk tuk, all on foot): 5:10 am - Leave Pana Dock 5:45 am - Arrive at Trailhead (rest, stretch) 5:50 am - Leave Trailhead 6:38 am - 1st Mirador (rest, pictures) 6:45 am - Leave 1st Mirador 6:49 am - Virgen Trail Fork 7:00 am - Second Mirador / Descansa (rest, snack, pictures) 7:05 am - Leave Second Mirador 7:35 am - Old Tree at 2600 mts 8:09 am - Camp 8:33 am - Summit (Pictures, Snack, rest) 8:55 am - Left Summit 11:50 am - Trailhead 12:30 pm - Pana Dock (included stop at restaurant/shop for water). The early part to the first mirador is the easiest and least steep. When there is no entrance fee, this is a worthy hike on its own, as the view is delightful and it's an easy hike. The portion between the Second Mirador and the Camp is the longest, hardest and steepest. Supplies: One liter of water is sufficient for me. Some people may want more. Bring food, maybe not a whole lunch but at least some granola bars. MOre than just a banana. If you do not snack you will likely get "conked out" coming back down. My third time up I went with a friend who didn't bring enough food and she conked out coming down around the First Mirador, and the nice 45 minute jaunt from First Mirador to the trailhead turned into an over 2 hour ordeal because she was so exhausted and tired. I find the top to be not too cold but it can be windy. Some people may want to bring a jacket. I do not personally bring a jacket. If you start after 7 am I would bring bug spray or pre-spray your clothes. If you get down before it gets hot in the afternoon you won't need it. The dust on the trail can be slippery, so good shoes are beneficial. I did it in reebok runners and walking shoes and was ok but it was definitely a bit slippery for me. Other Notes: There are ground dwelling birds that make movements/sounds in the bush that freaked me out the first time i went up, thinking it could be robbers. (it was not). Also acorn type things fall noisily. Going down and coming up take about the same amount of time. Don't fool yourself into thinking going down is easier. It's not. This is not like, the horriblest hike. There's no rock scrambling or anything like that. It's probably like a Bear Mountain hike (if you know Hudson Valley), plus 20% harder. But it's long. If you are not fit it will take you much longer than 6 hours so plan for that. The time I went with my conked-out friend it took us NINE HOURS just round trip from the trailhead (not pana dock). The earlier you get to the top the less likely you are to be whited out by clouds, as the wind tends to bring clouds into the lake area around noon but sometimes earlier. The summit is above the cloud line and if there are clouds you will see NOTHING. But if you get up there and it's cloudy, wait and the clouds may blow over in a half hour or so. But the best way to avoid cloud whiteout risk is to get up to the top before 10 or 10:30 am and check the weather report the day before. On one ascent i ran into a pair of nice police waiting at the Second Mirador. They were not letting people up past the Second Mirador but they wouldn't tell me why (robbers? Not sure). I was coming down so they didn't bother me, just asked me if there was anyone else at the top (nope!). But i was glad to have gotten past the Second Mirador by like 7 am so I wasn't stopped. I don't think the police get there super early.
8. Hotel Atitlan Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 266 reviews
Reviewed By 625sherylt - Mahwah, United States
The gardens are amazing here and it is considered the number 1 thing to do at the lake. There are roses everywhere. I spoke to the hotel owner and she said that the roses are pruned twice a year and I did she an area with a lot of fertilizer. The owner collects flowers from where she goes and brings them back to plant. There are hundreds of species around along with birds, macaws, ducks, and other animals. There really is no beach here even thought there are steps down to the water. It takes 16 gardeners to maintain the property. Be careful when they decide to use the sprinklers. The gardenias smell awesome.
9. Tzantizotz Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Situated in the area of Tzantizotz which in local Kaqchikel means Point of Bats, this mountainous area begins at the lake front and reaches high altitude tropical dry forest. Well maintained paths for every fitness level traverse old Mayan trails. Palm thatched resting pavilions offer panoramic views of the entire lake.
10. Santa Maria Volcano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 157 reviews
Reviewed By junetb2018
Just last weekend I hiked up Volcan Santa Maria with some friends and a guide from Casa Xelaju. We left at 2:30am to catch the sunrise at the top, and we got their just in time! The view from above is astounding, and we got to see a sunrise above the clouds. It's a tough climb, but definitely worth the effort. If you get there in the morning, you should be able to see smoke from an active volcano below. I wouldn't recommend going without somebody who knows the area as there are a multitude of trails that could lead you in every which way. If your interested in doing the hike, Casa Xelaju is more than happy to take people up there for a small fee. They can also take you up Cerro Quemado - a less touristy, but nonetheless beautiful volcano.
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