Living It Up

Guatemala [1] has some of the hippest digs anywhere on the planet and I would happily fly down there just to spend a few nights at any of these properties. Equivalent accommodations elsewhere in the world would cost twice as much.

You can find some of Latin America’s best restaurants in Guatemala as well as shopping and museums that are quite simply fabulous. After all, Guatemala’s wealthy elite need somewhere to spend their money—besides Miami.

Guatemala City

Try to fly in on one of the numerous flights arriving around lunchtime. Check in to either Otelito or the Real InterContinental [2], two of the city’s hippest haunts. Enjoy afternoon coffee at a Zona 10 café or take in one of the museums showcasing elements of Mayan culture, including Museo Ixchel [3] and Museo Miraflores [4]. Enjoy a dinner of fusion cuisine at Tamarindos or Jake’s [5], considered by Travel and Leisure magazine to be among the best restaurants in Latin America.

Spend an extra day and take a downtown trolley tour [6] or go to Zona 1 on your own steam. After exploring the Parque Central [7], enjoy a drink in the newly refurbished downtown core or head to the Cuatro Grados Norte pedestrian thoroughfare in the up-and-coming Zona 4 warehouse district. Alternatively, you can see some more museums, shop for handicrafts, or spend the afternoon in a café.

Have dinner at the fabulous El Portal del Ángel [8] in the hills on the outskirts of town overlooking the city; then head back to Zona 10 and enjoy a night out on the town in the Zona Viva, the aptly named lively part of town known for its nightlife [9]. If you’re staying at the InterContinental, eat at least one meal at any of its excellent restaurants with elements of French and Japanese cuisine.

Antigua

Take a shuttle van or cab from Guatemala City to Antigua. Check in to any of the city’s fabulous boutique properties, including Quinta Maconda [10], an elegant colonial house converted into a charming inn. Spend some time exploring the myriad shopping options, historical attractions, and excellent restaurants this town has to offer. Better yet, book a private shopping or historical tour with Martha Hettich [11] or the folks at Quinta Maconda. If you don’t want to walk, book a trolley tour. Check out Quinta Maconda’s collection of Indonesian hardwood furniture, available by appointment only.

On your second day, head out to the nearby town of Jocotenango to visit Filadelfia Coffee Resort and Spa [12], a stately hotel property set on a working coffee farm. Take a coffee tour here or at the nearby all-in-one music/culture/
coffee museum at Centro Cultural La Azotea [13]. For the adventurous, canopy zipline tours are also available from Finca Filadelfia. Back in Antigua, don’t miss the wonderful museum in the ruins of the former monastery at Casa Santo Domingo [14], or better yet, spend the night there. Be sure to eat at least one meal at Mesón Panza Verde [15], known for its Swiss-born chef’s phenomenal cooking.

If you enjoy golfing, head 20 kilometers outside of Antigua to La Reunión Antigua Golf Resort for a round of golf at its Fuego Maya Golf Course [16] overlooking the Pacific Coast and in the shadow of four volcanoes. You won’t want to leave, so plan on spending the night in one of the Suites Gran Clase with a private infinity-edge plunge pool and views of Agua and Pacaya Volcanoes. There’s no reason to leave the beautiful room, so order room service.

Lake Atitlán

Take a shuttle van from Antigua or Guatemala City to Panajachel, the largest of the dozen or so towns on the lake’s shores. From there, take a cab to the quaint lakeside village of Santa Catarina Palopó, where you’ll check into fantastic Casa Palopó [17] overlooking the lake. You can also take a chopper from Guatemala City. Leave your cares behind and enjoy the excellent service, allowing plenty of time to watch the light change on the volcanoes or the wind dance across the lake throughout the day. If you’ve got the cash, rent out the entire Villa Palopó [17], higher up the hill, and have your private butler fetch you cocktails or anything your heart desires.

For the optional second day, book a trip across the lake to see the village(s) of your choice and get a different perspective. For a change of setting stay at the also-lovely Laguna Lodge or Villa Sumaya [18], in Santa Cruz La Laguna [19].

The Pacific Coast

On the ninth terrace of Takalik Abaj [20], Takalik Maya Lodge [21] gives you the option of staying in quaint jungle cottages painted with yellow and green frescoes or on a converted coffee farmhouse overlooking a swimming pool and a coffee-drying patio. Explore the ruins by tractor-pulled trailer from the lodge.

If you want to see Guatemala’s version of Disney World, check out the well-executed Xocomil and Xetulul theme parks [22] and stay across the street in the excellent Hostal Palajunoj [23], where you can choose among African, Indonesian, Mayan, and Southeast Asian–style accommodations. Eat at Restaurante Kapa Hapa [23] overlooking the swimming pools.

From here, head east to the beach at Monterrico and check in to the Dos Mundos Pacific Resort [24], featuring cabanas with the feel of an exclusive Mexican beach villa, or the modern but manageable Cayman Suites [25] along the road to Iztapa [26]. Continue west to Iztapa for sportfishing based out of the Sailfish Bay Lodge [27] or just enjoy the atmosphere at this beautiful seaside resort.

Izabal

For the ultimate private getaway, head up the Río Tatín, a tributary of the Río Dulce, to Rancho Corozal [28], a sumptuous thatched-roof private villa beautifully furnished and decorated. Use the skiff to explore the surrounding jungle rivers or simply relax in the hammock lounge with a good book.

Petén

Fly up from Guatemala City with prior arrangements to have the friendly folks at Francis Ford Coppola’s La Lancha [29] pick you up. Enjoy the 45-minute ride from the airport to your lakeside resort. For activities, there are hikes to the nearby Cerro Cahuí forest preserve [30], fishing on the lake, shopping for wooden handicrafts in the village of El Remate [30], or simply lounging by the pool overlooking the turquoise lake waters and beautiful jungle.

Take a day trip to Tikal [31] and/or a half-day trip to Parque Natural Ixpanpajul [32] to walk along a series of hanging bridges in the forest canopy. As a further option, do as Mel Gibson did and take a chopper up to the remote ruins of El Mirador [33], deep in the jungles to the north near the Mexican border. It sure beats walking through knee-deep mud for two days from the nearest village.