Active Adventure in Guatemala
Guatemala’s mountains, rivers, caves and coasts offer plenty of options for adventurous travelers. LANDED arranges privately guided tours, customized to fit our clients’ skill and desired level of activity.
Half-day, full-day, and multi-day adventure itineraries are each available. Some of our favorites include:
Mountain Bike Tours
Guatemala’s hilly highlands are crisscrossed by hundreds of miles of open trail.
Rides can be customized to fit your interests and skill level. Tours range from a gentle half-day family tours to two-week supported journeys.
Our favorite tours originate in Antigua, where guides, bikes and equipment are superior.
White Water Rafting
Due to seasonal showers, Guatemala’s rivers vary widely in intensity throughout the year.
In the central Verapaces region near Cobán, the Cahabón River offers one of the most dependably exciting whitewater rafting options.
The intensity of the whitewater varies.
Class II and Class III Rapids
Some sections are good for beginners, offering Class II and III rapids.
Other stretches churn out thrilling Class III and IV rapids, powering rafters through lush canyons.
Full and multi-day trips are available.
Volcano Trekking
The 36 volcanoes in Guatemala’s hot zone stretch from the Tacaná volcano in the southwest to the Chingo volcano on the eastern border with El Salvador.
Most of these rumbling giants can be safely explored.
Hiking Pacaya, Fuego, Santa Maria, and Santiaguito
A few of the four active volcanoes—Pacaya, Fuego, Santa Maria and Santiaguito— can be hiked.
Pacaya Volcano, 19 miles southwest of Guatemala City, can be hiked as a full day trip from the capital or Antigua.
Highlights of the trip include spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, and the possibility of seeing pools and rivers of molten lava.
Zip-line Canopy Tours: TIKAL, PACAYA, AND ANTIGUA
Zip-line tours allow participants to soar through the treetop canopy on a harness and cable system.
Zip-lines are located near Tikal, Lake Atitlan, Pacaya Volcano and Antigua.
Some of the cables are more than 1,500 feet long, reaching heights of 500 feet.
Flexible Scheduling and Tandem Tours Availible
For those who are unsure about this experience, tandem tours can be arranged.
Zip-line tours typically only take a few hours. Morning and afternoon tours are available.
Hiking and Rock Climbing
Guatemala’s countryside is covered in timeworn footpaths, connecting village to village, farmer to field, and merchant to market.
Our favorites retrace ancient Mayan trails and trade routes. Day hikes and multi-day backpacking treks can be arranged.
Rock climbing offers an additional challenge.
Guatemala’s volcanic south features solid walls of sheer basalt and bumpy breccia. Top-rope-assisted and sport lead climbs can be arranged for all skill levels.
Caving
The limestone landscape of northern and central Guatemala is ideal for cave formation.
Our favorite caving destination is Candelaria Caves National Park, which can be visited as a day trip or overnight excursion from the city of Cobán.
Carved by the Candelaria River, this 18-mile cave complex features a fantastic 200-foot high main gallery.
Rafting Tours and Exploration on Foot
Natural windows illuminate stalagmites nearly 100 feet in length, while side chambers display evidence of Maya rituals. The main section of the cavern can be explored end-to-end on a raft, gently pushed by the river’s current.
Caving trips in the Cobán area can also be combined with whitewater rafting expeditions on the Rio Cahabón (Class II to Class IV rapids).
Treks to El Mirador
The largest Maya site in Guatemala is hidden deep within the jungle, near the northern border with Mexico.
Thousands of structures lie within the ten-square-mile city center, many still shielded by vegetation.
El Mirador’s monuments are thought to have been constructed between 500 BC and 150 AD.
El Tigre and La Danta
Among its highlights are the 180-foot El Tigre pyramid and its twin La Danta temple.
Far wider at their bases than the temples of Tikal; El Tigre and La Danta are among the most massive ancient structures in the world.
Reaching the site is an adventure in itself: a forty-mile trek each way.
Hike-in Helicopter Out
The round-trip journey from the town of Carmelita and back usually lasts four or five days.
These trips can be arranged for as few as two people, with Hike-in, helicopter-out itineraries available.
LANDED delivers the finest in custom, private travel to Central America, South America, and Antarctica. These regions are our passion; we know them first-hand and by heart. Speak with one of our expert travel planners today at 801.582.2100. We’ll create the most exceptional trip of your life.
“Better far off to leave half the ruins and nine-tenths of the churches unseen and to see well the rest; to see them not once, but again and often again; to watch them, to learn them, to live with them, to love them, till they have become a part of life and life’s recollections.”
Margot Fonteyn