Guatemala: Hiking - Walking

If you enjoy walking and love the great outdoors, Guatemala presents an amazing variety of walking and hiking opportunities. Guatemala's highlands offer breathtaking views of volcanic mountain scenery and superb lakes. You can join one of the many organised tours in Guatemala and hike on ancient Mayan trading routes, over mountain passes, across impressive ravines and through tiny colourful villages. Walk along spectacular ridges where several volcanoes can be seen at any one time.

Enjoy the warmth and friendliness of the local Guatemalan people, where there are no buses or roads creating barriers. Some of the best walking country is is in the Western Highlands, around around Quetzaltenango, in Quiche province near the town of Nebaj and around Santiago Atitlan on the shores of Lake Atitlan. Many tour companies in Guatemala that provide walking holidays combine hill walking with visits to archaeological sites. Some will even allow you to customise their walking tours of Guatemala to suit your own interests. You need to be aware of the risk of robbery in some of these areas of Guatemala. In view of this, it is usually advisable either to join an organised group hike, or if you are an independent traveller, employ a reputable local Guatemalan guide.