Our guide skewers a marshmallow and rests it over a pile of rocks. Within minutes, it’s toasted. This is a perk of hiking on an active volcano—you don’t even have to start a fire to make s’mores.
I was spending a week in Guatemala with Antigua 12 Sober Retreats, which I highly recommend if you want some group therapy with your adventure. Or just go for the adventure.
Antigua is a beautifully preserved UNESCO World Heritage Centre with Spanish colonial architecture and markets overflowing with Mayan embroidery. Here are seven of the ways we experienced the culture of Antigua and the surrounding area.
1. Tour an Organic Macadamia Nut Farm
There are so many things to enjoy about the Valhalla Macadamia Nut Farm. The grounds are gorgeous, with paths through tropical plants and flowers. It’s also a dog sanctuary—five friendly canines currently live on the farm.
You can take a tour and learn to hand sort macadamia nuts or get a massage in a darling little spa with a couple of massage beds and a whirlpool. We went for breakfast, where we ate macadamia nut pancakes and drank fresh juices. Don’t miss the gift shop full of macadamia oil skin products and snacks.
2. Learn to Make Chocolate
You can shop for artisan chocolate bars at ChocoMuseo, right on Antigua’s main square. Better yet, learn to make it yourself.
Our dynamic teacher, Dayana Jimenez, gave us a thorough lesson in cacao farming and all the steps in chocolate production. We roasted and ground cacao beans and experienced the bitter steps along the way—like tasting the gunky white stuff when you first crack the cacao pod open.
Things got tastier with the addition of sugar. Wearing aprons at our chocolate stations, we each made our own chocolate bar, choosing from add-ins like chili pepper, granola, trail mix, almonds, cinnamon, peanuts, and dried fruit. Just don’t mistake the salt for coconut, like my classmate Diego.
3. Hike a Volcano
Antigua’s beauty is in its one-story houses with volcano views. Instead of skyscrapers, the volcano is the city skyline. So you might get the urge to climb one.
OX Expeditions offers guided hikes of nearby volcanoes. If you want something hard, pick the all-day or overnight hike of Acatenango. I found the half-day Pacaya hike—rated as easy—steep enough for me at 1200 feet elevation gain in under two miles.
We got a 5:45 AM start. After a coffee stop, we drove about an hour to the trailhead. There we had a choice of walking or riding a mule. I heartily endorse renting walking sticks.
Guide Liam Drake was extremely personable. He’s led the hike so many times that he knows the many dogs lounging around waiting for handouts. “There’s Marshmallow! That’s a famous trail dog,” Liam said at one point.
You’ll get fabulous volcano views and eat Oreo s’mores straight out of a steam vent. Exciting!
4. Pay Your Respects to Maximon
Walking around Antigua, you might notice many statues of a mustachioed, black-clad man smoking a cigarette. This is Maximón, also known as Abuelo Simón or Saint Simon. He’s a popular Mayan folk saint beloved by ordinary folks because he likes to smoke and drink just like them.
We visited the Maximón shrine near Antigua in San Andrés Itzapa—one of several in Guatemala, with the largest being at Lake Atitlan. On our way, tour guide Fidencio Cardona explained that to Maximón’s followers, there’s no good and evil. You just ask for what you want, and you may or may not get it. Part of it depends on what you’re willing to give in return.
“We have to think very well, what we say, what we request, and especially what we promise,” he said. “Because a promise is a promise.”
Inside the blue and green shrine, a massive fake flower archway frames the life-sized statue of Maximón. He’s covered in plastic because his followers—who drink and smoke while worshiping—like to spit rum on him. Colorful paper chains hang from the ceiling, and the walls are covered with ex-votos thanking Maximón for his blessings. Candle-covered tables fill the room.
I bought a multi-colored candle from a vendor and presented it to Maximón when it was my turn to approach. I was very careful not to make any promises.
5. Try Out Pedal-Powered Machines
Just around the corner from the Maximón shrine, we visited Maya Pedal. This organization has been building pedal-powered machines since the late 1990s. Engineer and CEO Mario Juarez showed us how donated bikes are rebuilt into simple machines that make life easier in developing countries.
We got to try out bikes designed to pump water from the ground, operate a blender, and grind grain. In places where electricity isn’t available—or it’s prohibitively expensive—these pedal-powered machines are lifesavers.
Maya Pedal offers workshops to domestic and international NGOs who want to build bicimaquinas in their communities.
6. Enjoy the Coffee
Guatemala is known for its coffee, and cafes in Antigua are proud of doing it right.
“The coffee was amazing,” my friend and fellow Portlander Monica Emerick told me after visiting. “It was the best coffee that I had in my life. They took their coffee and their avocado toast more seriously than Portland, Oregon does, and I didn’t think that was possible.”
Antigua is full of coffee shops. Choose one for its mission, like Serve Hope, which supports education and clean water projects in rural Central America. Or pick the best café for rooftop seating and volcano views.
7. Take Part in a Mayan Fire Ceremony
At Iximcheʼ, between Antigua and Lake Atitlan, you can roam the ruins of what was an urban center back in about 1250-1525. The pyramids today are covered with grass—we even saw a man with a weed whacker on top of one!
Our guide, Fidencio, had arranged a traditional Mayan fire ceremony with a shaman named Tomas. We weren’t sure exactly what we were getting into. Our main instructions were to wear modest clothes and not talk.
We had a private, grassy site behind the pyramids. Tomas turned out to be young and kind, not an intimidating sort of shaman. We formed a circle around a fire. Tomas spoke slowly in Spanish, which Fidencio translated into English, so we’d understand what was going on. The gist of it was about starting a new life, resetting to be the best humans we can be.
“Do not think of the future anymore,” Tomas instructed. “We are in the future already. This is the future. So enjoy life.”
The ceremony had many interactive parts. Tomas blessed us with incense and a big feather, breathed tobacco smoke on our heads, and gave us things like cacao and marshmallows to throw into the fire. At one point, we all came forward individually to say our family name and the names of our parents. A lot of us had tears in our eyes and were feeling very moved.
If You Go
Fly into Guatemala City. Book your taxi ahead of time to avoid a hectic rush for your business at arrivals.
Antigua is a very walkable city, but the sidewalks are narrow and the streets are made of cobblestones. Wear well-padded shoes—those cobblestones can hurt!
Where to Stay
Travelers looking for a standout stay in Antigua should consider Villa Bokeh, a striking boutique property just outside the historic center. Set amid expansive gardens with sweeping views of the surrounding volcanoes, the hotel is known for its artful design, with each room individually styled. An on-site restaurant delivers elevated, locally inspired cuisine, making Villa Bokeh as much a destination as a place to sleep.
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Author Bio: Teresa Bergen writes about adventure, eco, vegan and sober travel. She’s on a mission to kayak or SUP in every US state and Canadian province—and other countries, too, when she gets the chance. Teresa is the author of Sober Travel Handbook and Easy Portland Outdoors.
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