Visiting Guatemala

We were originally scheduled to go horseback riding in Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala, but unfortunately, the cruise line canceled our excursion without explanation. When our excursion was canceled we were left with nothing to do. Santo Tomas de Castilla is more of a shipping/commercial port than a tourist port like Cozumel or Harvest Caye. This meant our options were extremely limited. If you plan on visiting Guatemala I would suggest the Pacific side near Guatemala City because there is much more to do and see.

Enjoying a cold fresh coconut

We woke up in Guatemala to a dreary, rainy morning, and not much hope for it to clear up. Luckily late in the morning, the rain subsided and we decided to venture off the boat. There were three options: walk into the little square, take a boat ride around the harbor, or get a taxi to one of the nearby attractions.

A taxi to the waterfalls

There were banana farms, a nature park, and Mayan tours, but we opted to hire a driver for the whole day and he took us around letting us see the real Guatemala. We encountered some pretty terrifying roads, friendly locals that offered us a fresh cold coconut, and lots and lots of chickens. We made a couple stops and were able to get some really good photos of the area and especially the waterfalls. Below is my photo diary from visiting Guatemala.

We were all a little scared when this truck came around the corner

I would love to visit the southern part of Guatemala where all the volcanoes are, but if you find yourself in Santo Tomas de Castilla on a cruise, I’d recommend getting a taxi driver to show you around. Be sure to barter the price they originally wanted more than $200 for the day for 3 people and we ended up paying $90.

My favorite photos from our day in Guatemala.

The fauna and flora were beautiful in Guatemala

Lots of Chickens

Mallory in front of one of Guatemala’s waterfalls

A little dock near the cruise port

This chicken was on a mission

Not sure why he wouldn’t smile he just flew his drone and got some great footage

The picture doesn’t do it justice

Our driver who said his name was Uber was so proud of their beautiful new church

My brother was able to catch a man herding his cattle with his truck from his drone

This seems like the regular set up – a bunch of small concrete and tin shelters

There is no doubt about it from the jungles to Guatemala’s waterfalls it is a truly photogenic destination. I am glad I was able to visit Guatemala but would like to explore more of the country on my next visit. Everyone was very friendly and although their English wasn’t great we were still able to communicate. We have some really cool trips in the beginning stages of planning and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram and on Facebook so you do miss any travel inspiration!

Pin This!