Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Road biking
is a fairly popular sport in Guatemala, particularly in the highlands, where
mountainroadsofferuniquechallengestostrengthandendurance.Thecountryevenhasits
ownversionoftheTourdeFrance,knownasLaVueltaCiclísticaaGuatemala(TheBiking
Circuit of Guatemala). The event takes place yearly sometime in August.
More popular with visitors,
mountain biking
is increasingly popular in the hills around
Antigua and Lake Atitlán thanks in part to a number of excellent local outfitters.
Rock climbing is a relatively new phenomenon in Guatemala, though there are now at
least two outfitters specializing in this activity. The rock faces fronting Lake Amatitlán,
near Guatemala City, and an area known as “La Muela” (The Molar, also known as “Cerro
Quemado”), near Quetzaltenango, are the prime climbing spots. Difficulty ratings of the
various routes range from 5.8 to 5.13. It's also possible to rappel inside a waterfall, also
known as canyoning, in Jalapa and other areas.
While Guatemala is not as well known for its beaches as some of its Central American
neighbors, it nonetheless boasts some nice stretches on both the Pacific and Caribbean
Coasts. On the Pacific, the wild black-sand beaches found along the coast near the
Manchón Guamuchal
wetlands are one of the region's best-kept secrets. If you're es-
caping the chilly highlands from Quetzaltenango for some sand and surf, other good bets
include
Tilapa, Tilapita,
and
Playa El Tulate.
The closest beach to Guatemala City is
Puerto San José,
reachedinabout90minutesbyafour-lanehighway,thoughit'scertainly
not the most pleasant of the country's beaches. Just west of San José is
Chulamar,
with at
least one recommended resort hotel.
Farther east, there are also some lovely stretches between
Iztapa
and
Monterrico.
The
25-kilometer road connecting both towns is experiencing a modest construction boom of
stylish resort hotels, with land speculators quickly snapping up the remaining parcels of
oceanfront property. East of Monterrico,
Hawaii
also has pretty stretches of nearly deser-
ted beaches, though there are increasing numbers of Guatemala's elite building vacation
homeshere.Theendofthelineis
Las Lisas,
anotherattractive, thoughveryremote,beach
close to the Salvadoran border.
On the Caribbean Coast, Guatemala has some fairly decent white-sand beaches on the
Punta de Manabique
promontory. Along the coastline between Lívingston and the Belize
border, the nicest beaches are at palm-fringed
Playa Blanca.
For talcum-powder white-
sand beaches lapped by turquoise waters, head off the coast to the Belize Barrier Reef,
where you'll find the
Zapotillo cayes.
