The Route of the Conquistadores - Bike Guatemala

Day 1: Arrive in Antigua via Guatemala City

Rendezvous at the group hotel in Antigua. A single group transfer will be provided from Guatemala City Airport to the group hotel in Antigua. This transfer is at around 9pm and it takes approximately 45 minutes to reach our comfortable hotel in Antigua, the ancient capital of Guatemala. KE Land Only services begin with overnight at this hotel. Tonight’s dinner is not included in the trip price. If you arrive early enough, there are many excellent restaurants in Antigua offering a wide variety of cuisines and styles. Included meals: None.

Day 2: Trail ride on Volcan de Agua

Antigua has to be one of the most attractive cities in Guatemala and has a rich and colourful history. Founded in 1543, the city became the Spanish colonial capital from which most of Central and South America was once ruled. A wealth of impressive 17th and 18th century buildings, picturesque streets and a friendly population makes Antigua the logical choice as a starting point for travel in Guatemala. The city’s setting is also magnificent, surrounded as it is by 3 imposing volcanoes; Agua (3766m), Fuego (3763m) and Acatenango (3976m). In the morning, after a relaxed breakfast, we will unpack and reassemble our bikes. We will then set off for a trail climb on Volcan de Agua, Antigua’s most dominant feature on the horizon. The ride includes a tough trail climb up to the Indigenous town of Santa Maria de Jesus, where we will soon be able to appreciate that what goes up must come back down. From the town, we will traverse on Mayan paths and then start a fun technical descent back down to the valley. The lower trails on the volcano are fun and fast, with lots of great flow. It is important to note that the trails in the Antigua Valley are not purpose built for mountain bikes. They are often dusty, loose, off -camber and rutted. They can also be steep - when it goes up, it goes UP! We’ll roll back around the valley to Antigua taking in the sights along the way. The ride will take around 3 hours and we will get back to Antigua in time for a late lunch at one of the many cafes. The picturesque patio at Café Condesa, or the famous Rainbow Reading Room are just 2 of the excellent lunch options. The rest of the afternoon is free time to stroll around the many cobbled back streets of this superb old colonial town. In the evening, we can explore the old part of town and take our evening meal at another great restaurant. Ride distance 17 km (11 miles) with approximately 650 metres of ascent and descent. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Cielo Grande Ridge and Las Tierras Altas

The next stage of the holiday involves a 3-day ride cross-country to Lake Atitlan. On this first day, after breakfast at our hotel, we will ride out from Antigua towards the north-east, climbing via a mix of old coffee farm tracks, singletrack and jeep tracks up onto the ridges of the Cielo Grande, high above the city. En route, we pass through the Mayan village of El Hato and continue up steep singletrack to the ridge that loops around towards the west and the El Rejon Pass. Beyond this pass, we we will be traversing high above the settlements and towns that follow the Pan-American Highway, mostly on scenic singletrack. After circumnavigating the highest point in the area, we start our drop back down to the valley floor on super fun twisty trails. We’ll stop just before the end of the downhill for a picnic lunch, before tackling our last climb of the day, up to our accommodation for the night in Parramos. Here, we stay at a working horse ranch (also a mountain biking centre) that is definitely rustic, but which does have a pool and cold beer. Ride distance 28 km (17.5 miles) with approximately 1250 metres of ascent and 1000 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Cross-country to Tecpan

After a monster breakfast at the farm, we head further into the hills on our way towards the next objective of Tecpan, which is about two thirds of the way to Lake Atitlan. En route we’ll stop off in the town of San Andreas Itzapa, where we will pay our respects at the shrine to a Mayan god, before moving on. There’s a large-ish climb just on the other side of San Andreas on a rougher track. At the top of the climb, we’ll meet the van one last time before lunch. The ride from here is a mix of varied trails, footpaths and dirt roads that lead across the highlands, crossing the Pan-American Highway and negotiating the town of Zaragoza. After a picnic lunch, we’ll continue on to Tecpan, passing through small agrarian villages along the way. Finally, a beautiful stretch of singletrack takes us down through pristine forest to our riverside accommodation for the night, at a converted 1900’s flour mill, now a characterful and excellent B&B. Ride distance 43.5 km (27 miles) with approximately 1000 metres of ascent and 650 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 5: To Panajachel and Lake Atitlan

Today we have an epic, cross-country ride following and old Spanish Conquistador corridor that connected the Antigua Valley and the simply stunning Lake Atitlan. As we need to cover some distance today, we will be riding a bit more dirt track and singletrack mix. There are a few steep climbs, as we cross between rivers valleys and ascend to the edge of the caldera within which the lake is contained. Lake Atitlan is astonishingly beautiful and lies in one of the most dramatic settings imaginable. Like Antigua, it is encircled by the near perfect cones of 3 volcanoes (Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro) and sits in a huge crater, which links these volcanoes. We finish off the day on some of Guatemala’s best singletrack, dropping 600 metres from the rim of the vast caldera to the lakeshore on the famous ‘Santa Cat’ trail. This is a steep and technical trail and at one point includes the descent of 200 plus steps through village streets – amazing. The toughest bits are easily avoidable, however and it is quite short. We overnight at a central hotel in the lively town of Panajachel. Ride distance 41 km (25.5 miles) with approximately 1135 metres of ascent and 1650 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 6: the ‘Slickrock Ride’

We transfer from Panajachel about 45 minutes up to the top of the ridges high above Atitlan. The ride starts on a technical singletrack climb, winding even further above the lake to around 2800 metres. Following a limestone rock trail, we reach the start of a long and technical descent that winds its way through forests and over rock gardens as it drops around 1000 metres into the valley of the Madre Vieja River. From here, we have a steep but short (2 km) jeep track climb up to the lunch spot. After lunch, the singletrack madness continues with more technical drops down to the lakeshore. Time permitting (and if we have enough energy to continue) there is another short (3 km) climb to an amazing piece of singletrack called ‘La Culebra’ or the snake that once again drops down to the lake. We will stay tonight out at the amazing La Casa del Mundo, a cliff-side hotel overlooking the lake and only accessible by boat! Ride distance 23 km (14 miles) with approximately 650 metres of ascent and 1650 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Morning Free, afternoon transfer to Huehuetenango

We have a free morning to enjoy the special ambiance of the Casa del Mundo. There is good swimming from the hotel boat landings in the warm clear waters and there are canoes for hire. Alternatively, you may wish to simply swing in a hammock or enjoy a hot tub above the sparkling blue Lake Atitlan. After lunch, we take the launch back to Panajachel and begin a drive to the Cuchumatanes, a rugged mountain group that boasts the highest non-volcanic peaks in Central America. It is also probably the wildest area of Guatemala. Our destination today is Huehuetenango, the departmental capital of the Cordillera de los Cuchumatanes. Sitting at an altitude of 1900 metres, it has no particular attractions apart from its local market, but the relief map in the main square is a good indicator of what lies ahead. The Cuchumatanes, although vast and beautiful, are extremely precipitous throughout and the area has the most difficult access problems imaginable. But, of course, this is exactly why we are going mountain biking there. This region has always been remote from the influence of central government and has traditionally been home to hotbeds of guerrilla activity. However, after an intervention by the Guatemalan Army in the 1970’s, a truce was declared and the area is now relatively peaceful, but very few Westerners and even fewer mountain bikers have explored this area. It will take us around 4 hours to reach Huehuetenango, where we check in at a basic hotel close to the town’s main square. In the late afternoon, there is time to look around and to buy any items you might need. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Huehuetenango to Todos Santos

We ride out of Huehuetenango in the early morning and very quickly find ourselves at the bottom of a major ascent, where the tarmac road switch-backs upwards for 10 km (6 miles), involving a height gain of 1000 metres. This ride provides us with breathtaking views of the backbone of the Cuchumatanes Mountains and we pass through many small Indian villages along the way. These small villages will give us an excellent insight into the way of life of the rural Guatemalan people. Near the top of the climb is a belvedere where, on a clear day, views stretch as far as the volcanoes around Quetzaltengo and back to Antigua. A bit further above the viewpoint we start a rolling section of trail on a mixture of old jeep tracks and singletrack as we make our way across the plateau. From here, we have an excellent singletrack descent that drops us right down into Todos Santos (2450m). By the afternoon, in this part of the world, it often clouds up and our descent is likely to be shrouded in mist. Indigenous people inhabit the pueblo of Todos Santos and its ancient traditional customs are still intact. Here, the men still wear the traditional dress or 'traje' and perform many of the ancient rituals of the highland Maya. It is a spectacular town and our overnight stay is in a central, family-run guesthouse. Ride distance 44 km (27 miles) with approximately 1800 metres of ascent and 1275 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Todos Santos to Chancol

The local men stand out a mile, for they all wear the traditional dress of baggy red and white striped trousers, with richly embroidered shirts, topped with wide collars. This is Guatemala at its most magical and colourful. The landscape on this part of the ride is an awesome mix of rocky peaks, coniferous forests, stretches of arid soil and also isolated fertile valleys where the pastures are home to flocks of sheep. Initially, we make a tough rocky ascent on dirt tracks back to the plateau and start of yesterday’s singletrack. We then cross the plateau on sheep tracks and dirt roads passing through pueblos to the edge of the main ridge of the Cuchumatanes. There is a great technical descent to a meet-up with the support vehicle for lunch. Our overnight stop tonight is at a horse ranch in a remote location high on the plateau. This will be a unique and quite rustic experience and will show us how the locals in the area live. Ride distance 42 km (26 miles) with approximately 1500 metres of ascent and 975 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Onwards to Acul

A long ride today and mostly unsupported, as we head across country to reach the Ixil triangle. We are effectively tracing a big loop around to the north of a deep ravine that separates the departments of Huehuetenango and Quiche. Riding across the mixed terrain of the high plateau of the Cuchumatanes, we enjoy fantastic undulating singletrack and dirt road trail riding. This is a real cross-country ride and arguably one of the best of the trip, with simply breathtaking scenery. Surrounded by pinewoods and mountains, it is easy to understand why the Spaniards found this area so hard to conquer. In more recent years guerrillas made this a major base for their operations, thankfully all resolved now. We could be forgiven for thinking that we’ve been transported to the New Zealand of old, as the surroundings are very reminiscent of that part of the world. At the northern extent of our ride, there is a technical and often muddy descent to the remote village of Palop and from there to Salquil Grande we follow dirt roads to a river valley. A longish climb to Tzabal, then down to another river and up again to Acul, where we spend the night in a small, rustic family run hotel, which comes complete with it’s own ‘Olde Worlde’ style cheese factory. Ride distance 57 km (36 miles) with approximately 1200 metres of ascent and 2500 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 11: Long day to Uspantan

Another long and challenging day lies in store for us today. Our previously used route has now been paved, but we recently found an old jeep road that climbs steadily out of the Nebaj Valley. From Acul, we drop down to the road and follow an undulating track to Nebaj, the main town of the Ixil Triangle. We then pick up an old Spanish highway, known as the ‘boqueron’ that provides a picturesque route up into the mountains, with great views out across the Western Highlands. We then contour around the highest peak, before dropping down to a village where we meet up again with our support vehicle. We regroup, then drop down on super fun singletrack to our lunch stop in Cunen. Here, the second major set of climbs starts, taking us back up onto high ridges and traversing through pine forest and small Quiche Mayan villages to Uspantan, the home of Nobel Peace Prize Winner and recent poltical figure Rigoberta Menchu. Ride distance 58 km (37 miles) with approximately 1800 metres of ascent and 1950 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 12: Uspantan to San Pedro Carcha

The terrain gradually becomes less and less dramatic, as we begin to leave the high mountains of the Cuchumatanes. Today begins with a rolling ride on a paved surface, passing the town of Chicaman. A long (10km) gradual uphill on a dirt road then leads us to the top of the hills above the Chixoy River. Now, we have a fast descent on a trail with some technical sections and at the village of Ojo de Agua, we begin a rougher piece of dirt track/singletrack that takes us down to the river. Crossing the bridge, we start a long climb for the rest of the day. It’s roughly 27 km from the bridge to the end of the day, broken up into a couple of major climbs, the first of which is the most difficult. The support vehicle is with us the entire way today. Finally reaching the highway, we load up the support vehicle and transfer by road to Coban. The Coban region lies in the middle of some of Guatemala's densest cloud forest. It is an area famous for its coffee production and one of the only remaining places where it is possible to see the quetzal, Guatemala's national bird, monetary unit, icon and source of civic pride. We overnight in a big 70’s-style hotel in San Pedro Carcha. Ride distance 61 km (38 miles) with approximately 1600 metres of ascent and 2000 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 13: To Languin and Semuc Champey

Our last ride is to the pristine clear blue waters of Semuc Champey. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty, with numerous pools of cool river water, just perfect for swimming. Many people regard this spot as the most beautiful in the country and we will spend the rest of the afternoon here. It is the perfect spot in which to finish our exploration of Guatemala. The first section of today’s ride follows a straightforward and undulating road, before we descend to the town of Lanquin. We then ride on a bumpy jeep track for an hour, before tackling a challenging climb and then descent to Semuc Champey. We transfer back to Languin and our ‘posada’ accommodation. Ride distance 69 km (43 miles) with approximately 800 metres of ascent and 1600 metres of descent. (B,L,D)

Day 14: Transfer to Antigua

An early morning transfer takes us back to Antigua by late afternoon. It is a picturesque drive across central Guatemala and we will discover en route that there are not many flat areas in this wild country. Back in Antigua we have time for last minute shopping and to celebrate the successful completion of a unique trip in one of the many restaurants. There is a choice of venue for our farewell dinner, but whatever the group’s taste we are sure to have a memorable party. (B,L,D)

Day 15: Depart Guatemala

KE Land Only services end after breakfast with a single timed group transfer back to Guatemala City Airport. (B)