Guatemala - A 22-Mile Trek to Lago Atitlan

Quetzaltrekkers is a non-profit and an all volunteer-run group that seeks to build a sustainable way to improve the lives of Guatemalan street children and those at risk of becoming one. Working together with volunteers and highland communities, Quetzaltrekkers offers visitors half a dozen treks to explore Guatemala.

While all the treks offered by Quetzaltrekkers would make any avid trekker start packing, I had limited time and chose to do the three day, two night journey from Quetzaltenango (a.k.a. Xela) to the gorgeous Lago Atitlán.

On day 1 in Xecam, a 15-20 minute bus ride from Xela, we hit the ground running with a charge up to 3050m, the trek's zenith. As we climbed up the "hill," the fruits of our strenuous hike revealed themselves in the form of amazing views of the Xela valley we were leaving behind. Then, we found Alaska, the alpine grass plain that greeted us at the top. The area is so called "Alaska," because...continue reading.