Hiking the Guatemalan Highlands with QuetzalTrekkers

QuetzalTrekkers is based in Guatemala’s second city of Quetzaltenango, better known as Xela.

The organization offers trekking trips and rock climbing excursions around Guatemala’s spectacular highland areas, with proceeds used to support education projects for disadvantaged children. Among the best trips on offer are a three-day jaunt from Xela to Lake Atitlan and a six-day adventure through the Cuchumatanes Mountains from Nebaj to Todos Santos.

Both treks take in isolated Mayan areas badly affected by the country’s civil war, and invite visitors to take in far-flung areas that do not feature on the itinerary of most tourists. The Xela-Lake Atitlan route is the most popular of all of the excursions offered by the organization, winding through volcanic countryside before ending up at the lake where Antoine de Saint Exupery wrote The Little Prince.

The longer Cuchumatanes route is a physically demanding 58-kilometer trek through some of the most isolated areas of Guatemala. The way of life of many inhabitants remains unchanged centuries after colonization, and the local customs are fascinating for visitors. Take the chance to get to know a completely different way of life while drinking in the amazingly rugged scenery.

Other trips offered by QuetzalTrekkers include an ascent of Central America’s highest peak, Tajumulco, and another volcano, Santa Maria. Not only are the trips designed to let visitors get to see a different side of Guatemala, proceeds are used to educate underprivileged children. There is also a sister organization based in Leon, Nicaragua, which offers similar trips.