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Hidden travel tips for Guatemala?

Travel Info
My husband and I are headed to Guatemala for 10 days in January. We are doing the "typical" route most tourists take - Guatemala City, Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and Tikal. Any recommendations for neat hidden areas to visit? We are doing mountain bike rides around Antigua and climbing Pacaya Volcano. In Atitlan we are hiking around part of the lake. Any good restaurants or places to completely avoid? Thanks for your tips!

Travel Tips

I think you cover the typical guatemala tourist plan. I would recommend, being a guatemalan, going to the following places:
ANTIGUA
1. Cafe Mediterraneo: Great food for a great price.
2. Meson Panza Verde: Great food, great place, food is expensive (for antigua standards).
3. Sangre: Wine and snacks. Very nice place.
4. Quesos y Vinos: Great pizza.
ATITLAN:
I recommend going to Sunset Restaurant & Bar to watch the sunset in beautiful Lake Atitlan. Its in Panajachel.
San Marcos and San Pedro are the nicest towns around the lake. They are also more cheaper and less touristic than Panajachel.
TIKAL:
There are a lot of nice restaurants in Isla de Flores. Take mosquitoe repelant since Tikal is located in the middle of the guatemalan jungle... Buy a bottle of water to take on your trip to tikal, since its very hot and humid...
GUATEMALA CITY:
You can find a lot of restaurants in Zona Viva (zone 10). Very expensive and good restaurants like Tamarindos and Jakes. Nice restaurants with great food and great price: Tre Fratelli, Los Cebollines and Hacienda Real.
If you are going out for a few drinks try going to the bars recommended by the hotels. Try to avoid places where they offer you to get in... not nice places inside. There are plenty of good bars where you can go to.

Hidden places of Guatemala worth visiting:
1. Chichicastenango market (thursdays and sundays)
2. Quetzaltenango (a very nice city in the guatemalan highlands)
3. Monterrico (beach in the pacific coast of Guatemala).
4. Rio Dulce (in the atlantic coast... personally my favorite spot in Guatemala).
5. Quetzal reserve (near Coban) wonderful scenery and an opportunity to watch guatemalas national bird.
6. Sierra de las Minas (a lot of ecotourism going on there). Very impressive forests.
7. Caves near tikal (they have mayan paintings inside).
8. Yaxcha (hidden until Survivor was filmed there).

If i can be of any help to you it will be my pleasure. Source(s): Guatemalan, living in Guatemala.

Other Travel Tips
Check out this travel info sheet for Guatamela. Safe travels!

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw...
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw...
ask for the m-13 restuarant. its in guatemala city. you need to say "donde esta eme trece sitio" there is an owner that has several of them and known for the best food in the world.

trece = tresseh
sitio = see t eee ooo