November saw me cover massive distances near the beginning of the month, before settling down in an idyllic and peaceful city.
I knew that after my time in Greece came to an end that I would have just under 4 weeks of free time before traveling for the holidays to visit my mom in Colorado. And having spent entirely too much time in Orlando over the past two years, I was eager to not spend another month there. I do enjoy visiting my family, but beyond that, there is nothing for me in Orlando.
So I began asking friends for advice on cool places to check out and looking for flights to somewhere not too far away. I wanted a place where I didn’t need to move much, had decent internet, good food, and was chill – i.e. no big cities.
After considering Belize, Guatemala, or returning to Mexico, I settled on Antigua, Guatemala.
Introduction to Antigua
My 3.5 weeks based in the picturesque small city of Antigua went by in a flash. I instantly fell in love with its brightly colored buildings, cobblestone streets, and epic views of nearby volcanoes.
Before arriving, I had done some research on where to work as I need strong internet and I enjoy cafe hopping for creative inspiration. Sadly many of the places I had read about were either closed permanently (COVID fallout?) or severely lacking in the speed I needed to upload large graphic design files. So my first week consisted of me bouncing all around the city and trying out a bunch of different cafes and coworking spaces for my article Best digital nomad cafes in Antigua.
After I found some nice places to work, I got to do some exploring with a new friend, Tonia, and we even had a fun impromptu photo shoot while exploring. She also mentioned that she planned to do the famous Acatenango Volcano hike that is the top excursion in the area. I had heard about it from other travelers and could see it every day from town. After 2 weeks in the area, I decided to join her for the trip!
Volcano Hiking Adventures
Hiking a volcano – even a dormant one – to get to a basecamp overlooking an active volcano, is no easy task. After an hour long bus ride from the equipment supply center of outfitter CA Travelers, our intrepid group was dropped off at the trailhead at 2300m (7545ft). We met out guides, rented walking sticks from friendly locals for 5 Quetzales ($0.65), and headed off.
Myself and a few others contracted porters to help us carry our gear. I hired a young guy named Denis as I had badly hurt my knee in May and didn’t want to risk further injury. Hiring a porter costs 150 GTQ ($19) each way and also helps support the local community. Talking with Denis, I learned that his village has been hit hard by COVID. Before the pandemic, they often had trips 4-5 days a week and since then they are lucky to have 1. He is also going to class on the days he has off to learn English so he can eventually work as a guide and make a better wage.
The first 90 minutes are a slog up through farmland then the cloud forest. At 3000m elevation, you break for lunch then continue on the push through the high alpine forest to a final altitude of 3,600m at base camp. From here you have an unobstructed view of the valley floor, dormant Volcán de Agua, and very active Volcán de Fuego. My trip had a lot of weather to deal with, but when there were breaks in the clouds, the view was spectacular.
At night, Volcán de Fuego is the star of the show as its regular eruptions light up the sky. If you are feeling adventurous and perhaps a tad crazy, local guides will take you on an additional 3 hour roundtrip hike to Fuego itself. I skipped out on this trip and while the photos from those that went seemed wonderful, I was much happier sitting around the fire!
In the morning, weather-permitting, the camp awakes at 3:45am for the final push to the summit of Acatenango for sunrise. Sadly my guide called off our summit attempt because of dense cloud cover. Nonetheless, we enjoyed a lovely misty mountain a couple hours later from our camp before eating breakfast and starting the trek downhill.
Flower Festival
After returning from the mountains and sleeping for 10+ hours, I was ready for the Festival de las Flores. Since before I had arrived, I was told that I would be in Antigua during this two day special event that celebrates the City of the Eternal Spring. Antigua is situated at just the right altitude and with just the right climate that it perennially feels like spring time.
The Festival of the Flowers was started 5 years ago to celebrate Antigua and its perfect environment for flower growing. All across the city, businesses and private homes were adorned with magnificent flower displays. Master floral artisans traveled from around the Americas to showcase their designs. And the city was filled to capacity – seriously. Not a single hotel or AirBnB bed was to be found. I met tourists who were completely caught off guard by this and had to move on to other cities!
Thanksgiving in Guatemala
After two plus weeks in and around Antigua, I decided to take a short break to head northwest to Lago de Atitlán and explore the quaint villages that surround it. The lake is the largest by area and deepest in all of Central America and is ringed by volcanos and steep cliffs. Along its coast are many villages, five of which are frequented by tourists. San Pedro to the west is known as the party center and is famed for its nightlife. San Juan continues clockwise up the coast and is known for its quaint and narrow streets. Next is San Marcos which has become a hippy and yoga commune. Then Santa Cruz, where I stayed, is small and tranquil. And lastly, the main village of Panajachel is the most built up and where buses arrive and depart from.
The main mode of transport around the lake is lanchas, or flat bottomed taxi boats. Travelers pay 10-50 Quetzales ($1.00-$5.00) per trip depending on distance. There are small paths that connect some of the towns, but they are impractical for any longer distance. Once you’ve arrived where you are staying, the main activity is just chilling. I stayed at a cool backpacker hostel call La Iguana Perdida, that has been in Santa Cruz since 1995.
It is also the only spot on the lake where you can scuba dive and of course I had to try it out! There is not a whole lot to see, but it is interesting nonetheless as diving at altitude is quite uncommon. On Thanksgiving, the hostel hosted a large feast complete with standard American traditional fare like turkey, cranberry sauce, beans, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
Until next time
After a few short days at the lake, I returned to Antigua to finish out my last week once again hanging out in my favorite spots. I had a great month in Antigua and I was sad to leave. I met cool people, had fallen into a routine, and had found the best haunts, cafes, and restaurants.
If you need somewhere to just chill for awhile and still be able to get a decent amount of work done, then choose Antigua. And if you are traveling as a short-term tourist, it is a great basecamp for farther afield trips like the volcano hikes and Lago Atitlan.
Where I’ve Been
COUNTRIES VISITED: 3
Greece, United States, Guatemala
CITIES VISITED: 5
Athens, Orlando, Antigua, Santa Cruz La Laguna, Panajachel
Where I’m Going
For December, I will be leaving Guatemala on the 4th, then heading back to Orlando to check in on my family and swap my fall weather clothes for winter. Just five days later I head to Colorado to visit my mom and see friends for the first time since December 2019. I am really looking forward to being back there as sadly there was just a sudden death in our family. It is always difficult being far away from loved ones in times of grief.
I’ll be continuing to work remotely while in Colorado, while also planning my next moves for 2022. I’m leaning toward continuing my exploration of Central American countries for my next stops. Any suggestions? Have you worked remotely from anywhere in Central America or South America?
