Idaho High School Guatemala Impact Adventure

After arriving in Guatemala City, you’ll head about an hour South West to the beautiful town of Antigua. Antigua is known for its Colonial Era Spanish architecture, it is also surrounded by three beautiful volcanoes. Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango volcanos can all be seen on a clear day. You’ll get settled in, meet your guides and the other guests you’ll be traveling with. Once we’re acquainted we’ll go out to dinner as a group to get the good vibes rolling!

We’ll start the day by having breakfast and delicious Guatemalan coffee together. After we’ve finished up, our Adventure Guide will take the group on a walking tour through the vibrant, cobblestone streets of Antigua. This town is rich with history and culture. Diego, our guide, is a Guatemalan local and a very knowledgeable person. He’ll be able to answer any questions you may have along the way. To finish the tour we’ll go to a viewpoint that looks over the city and is a great place to take photos. After that the day is yours! You’ll have the rest of the day to get some lunch at a local spot and choose some activities to fill your time.

A few possibilities for the day:
– Learn how to make chocolate from scratch
– Visit a world famous Jade museum
– Rent ATVs and explore the surrounding hills
– Find a quiet cafe to read a book or chill
– Hunt for souvenirs at the colorful textile markets

In the evening we’ll get back together for one of our favorite activities of the trip, a group cooking class. We’ll hop in a caravan of tuk-tuks and head to a surrounding town. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to make a traditional Guatemalan meal with all of your fellow travelers while sipping on beverages and dancing to reggaeton.

After an early breakfast, we will head by private bus to the base of a majestic volcano called Pacaya where you will be able to roast marshmallows on hot lava! Pacaya volcano is one of the many (active) volcanoes near Antigua, rising to an elevation of 2,552 meters. The hike to the summit is gradual and manageable for nearly anyone and the views at the top are breathtaking. (If you don’t feel comfortable hiking you can rent a horse).

This is the first of three days that we’ll be working alongside the local community to increase access to clean water, education, and health services.

Depending on the needs and requests from community leaders, we may be working in a school or possibly a health center in a surrounding mountain village. We typically work from 8 am to 5 pm with a break to get out of the sun and enjoy some local cuisine.
Once we get to a good stopping point for the day, we’ll head back to town to clean up, relax, or join a pick up soccer game in the local square. We’ll have dinner at the hotel.

This is the second of three days that we’ll be working alongside the community to increase access to clean water, education, and health services. We’ll pick up where we left off the previous day, and work hard to get as much done as we can. We’ll follow the same schedule as the first day of service.

Once we finish up the last of our service project, we’ll hop back into the trucks to go check in on some past projects we’ve done, and visit sites of future projects., Once we’ve said our goodbyes to Jessica and all the locals, we’ll head to one last spot (a surprise) with a great view. After we’ve cleaned up and packed, we’ll hop in the van and head to Rio Dulce, a beautiful town whose name comes from the river that it sits on, the Rio Dulce (Sweet River).

We’ll stay at Hotel Backpackers, a very special place for us. Our stay helps raise money for a school called Casa Guatemala which provides an education for students who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity.

Early risers will have an opportunity to take an hour ride to Finca Paraiso, a geothermally heated waterfall.

If you sleep in, or the rain prevents us from going, we’ll start the morning by exploring the river by boat. Our ride through the mangroves will lead us to a guided hike through the jungle to a cave with a local Mayan community.

After that we’ll get checked into our home for the next two nights, Finca Tatin. Finca Tatin is a riverside bungalow style hotel with opportunities to relax and swim off the dock, kayak, sauna, or simply chill and absorb the sounds of nature from a hammock.

After waking up with some tasty homemade breakfast in the jungle, you’ll have the opportunity to choose your adventure activities for the day.

Some of your options include:
– Zip-line Tour
– kayaking
– Explore Livingston,
– Island hop the Belize Cayes

All of these activities will be arranged for you based on individual interest and the weather.
*The costs associated with these activities are not included, but are affordable and well worth the experience!

We’ll wake up for breakfast and say our goodbyes to Finca Tatin staff. Then we’ll load into the boat and head up river toward Rio Dulce. On our way back, we’ll stop at Casa Guatemala.

Casa Guatemala is a registered NGO and receives no government funding. We rely on funds from individuals and groups around the world to provide care for up to 300 children at our village and in the larger community. These children have been wards of the State, but the majority come from families from the surrounding Mayan villages who live in cases of extreme poverty who, without Casa Guatemala, would have no other access to education.

We’ll take a quick tour of the grounds, learn more about their program and do an activity with some of the students.

After that we’re back on the bus and headed back to Guatemala City where we’ll stay for the night. 

This is the day the trip ends. Guests will be leaving for the airport starting very early in the morning. Breakfast is included with stay at the hotel, but depending on your departure time you might have to get breakfast at the airport. Your guides will help you arrange rides to the airport, and say goodbye.