Guatemala & Belize

Following breakfast, you'll join famed local historian and author Elizabeth Bell on a cultural walking tour of Antigua. During the two-hour walk you’ll visit Parque Central, the main cathedral and its 500-year old ruins, as well as the Palace of the Captain’s General. You'll also learn about Maya archaeology through the spiritual stone of jade. The afternoon is yours to explore Antigua's nooks and crannies.

This is also a day to acclimate to Guatemala’s elevation, with Antigua sitting at 5,000 ft/1,500 m. In the evening, your trip leader will provide a final briefing to go over trek logistics, packing and any last-minute questions you might have.

Leaving Antigua, the first day of the trek begins with a visit to a shrine dedicated the Mayan deity “San Simón”. Here, guests can witness locals as they pay their respects to the mysterious San Simon, and even light a candle to bless their travels. From there, a short drive takes us to our trailhead where we begin our trek that ascends out of vegetable and fruit plantations into lush Guatemalan cloud forest, topping out at nearly 8,700 ft / 2,650 mt.

Acatenango Volcano, the highest in the Antigua Valley, looms overhead as we begin to descend through thick cloud forest down to a beautiful, grassy saddle between two mountain peaks. From there, it’s a short climb into a forested protected area where we have lunch in a sunny and secluded clearing. Following lunch, we descend through the protected area, trekking below towering trees covered in epiphytic plants such as orchids and bromeliads before we arrive at Terra Camp.

After a hot shower and appetizers, guests warm up around a campfire before sitting down for a delicious dinner.

Day two of the trek begins with a long descent through forest and agricultural fields into the La Vega River valley, more than 1900 ft / 580 m below where we cross a hanging foot bridge over the river (allowing you to embrace your inner Indiana Jones!) before a challenging yet spectacular afternoon 2400 ft / 730 m climb up through coffee plantations to our lunch spot located near a quaint Mayan village. After lunch, we make a final push upwards to arrive at Fuego Camp by late afternoon. Upon arrival, our staff meets you with a welcome drink to quench your thirst.

Time to pull up a chair, kick off your boots, and take in the panoramic view that includes a first-row seat to Fuego Volcano, one of the world’s most active volcanoes that’s been going regularly since the Spanish conquest. With luck, it will light up the night sky with plumes of molten lava. Around the campfire, a local women’s group will show you how to make traditional Guatemala corn tortillas by hand (trust us, it’s harder than it looks) before we sit down for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day three of our trek immerses guests in the finest natural scenery that Guatemala has to offer. A morning push takes guests to the highest point of the trek, just over 9,040 ft/2,755 m. We follow a pristine ridgeline for the rest of the day with panoramic views of six volcanoes and cloud forest before arriving to Agua Camp.

After relaxing a bit, we venture into the local Mayan community of Chuinimachicaj to visit a women’s cooperative that specializes in traditional backstrap weaving, an ancient art practiced for centuries in Guatemala and still used to weave fabric for clothing and other textiles.

The final day of the trek begins with a descent into the Madre Vieja River valley, where we visit a picturesque coffee farm to learn about the planting and harvesting of small-batch coffee (and some tasting too!). After, we begin a short ascent that takes us up to the rim of Lake Atitlán, which offers expansive views of the water below and three massive volcanoes that surround it. From there, a final descent takes us to the lakeside village of San Antonio Palopó to conclude the trek. Congratulations, you made it!

Following breakfast at the hotel, the group will board a private boat for a 1-hour boat ride to the quaint Mayan village of San Juan la Laguna. There, a local guide will meet you for a two hour tour that includes visits to a variety of cooperatives that include weaving, coffee, chocolate and honey. San Juan la Laguna is also known for its artisans, and the group will visit a few art galleries in the village as well. Following lunch in San Juan la Laguna, the group will return by boat to the hotel where they can spend the afternoon swimming or just swinging in a hammock with a good book.

Tikal National Park, the crown jewel of Mayan archaeological sites, has been fascinating visitors with its stunning beauty and sheer grandeur as it rises out of the lush jungle of northern Guatemala. Tikal is the largest excavated archeological site in the American continent, and is Guatemala’s most famous national park which comprises 222 square miles of jungle all around the ceremonial center.

Although known for its rich cultural and archeological treasures, Tikal is also one of the country’s most pristine natural areas with towering tropical forests that are home tapir, jaguar, crocodile, cougars, monkeys as well as a colorful assortment of birds. After an early morning transfer to the park from your hotel, a private guide will meet you to give a tour of Tikal’s ruins, plazas and towering temples that let you rise above the rainforest canopy and explore this lost world.

Following lunch inside the park, you will return to your accommodation where you can explore the lake by kayak or walk its network of nature trails.

Spread across a 500-acre private reserve, Chaa Creek invites guests to immerse themselves in Belize’s natural and cultural heritage. Miles of rainforest trails beckon for guided walks and horseback rides, where licensed naturalists share insights into the country’s rich biodiversity and the legacy of the ancient Maya who once flourished here. Canoeing the Macal River offers another gentle perspective drifting through jungle scenery alive with birdsong and the rustle of wildlife.

Within the reserve, the Natural History Centre, Butterfly Farm, and Rainforest Medicine Trail provide deeper encounters with the wonders of the tropics, while the Hilltop Spa offers moments of exquisite pampering framed by sweeping views of the valley.

Dining at Chaa Creek celebrates a true farm-to-table philosophy, with organic produce harvested from our Maya organic farm, paired with breads and pastries fresh from our own bakery.

Here, adventure and tranquility flow effortlessly together, supported by award-winning sustainability practices that ensure your experience leaves a positive footprint on Belize’s rainforest and its people.

• Natural History Museum Tour

• Butterfly Farm Tour

• Bird Watching Tours & Birds of Belize Guide

• Belize Rainforest RTV Safari Tours

• Belize Medicinal Plants Trail

• Hiking Tours

• Canoeing in Belize

• Adventure with our Belize Horseback Tours!

• Organic Farming Tour in Belize

• Creatures of the night tour

• Open Hearth Hands-On Culinary Experience

• Treasure Hunt

The experience: You have the whole boat. Your group, your crew, and days that get written around what you want to do instead of what's on a schedule. Nobody else is aboard, which is the part that changes everything: you decide when the anchor comes up, whether today is three islands or none, and how long you stay in the water.

Some mornings you'll wake up off an uninhabited caye with nothing on it. Others you'll tie up near a beach bar where six locals will tell you exactly where to eat. You can walk a market, meet people on a remote island, and still make a spa on the coast by late afternoon...or do one of the three and skip the rest.

In the water. Snorkeling starts off the back of the boat, and your captain knows the reef, so you're not guessing which cut to swim. At Hol Chan Marine Reserve you're in the water with stingrays and nurse sharks. Caye Caulker gives you a reef and marine eco-tour worth a morning. You'll kayak the manatee reserves, watch for dolphins off the bow, and paddleboard past more birdlife than most people expect to see in a week.

Fishing. The boat trolls every day it sails, so you're fishing whether or not you planned to. The catch runs to king mackerel, cobia, bonito tuna, and snapper, and whatever you land goes straight to the chef. If you're serious about it, fly fishing, reef fishing, and deep sea fishing can be arranged at additional cost. The captains keep spear guns aboard in case a lobster turns up at the right moment.

Diving. Rendezvous diving is arranged countrywide through five-star dive shops, so you can get certified, knock the rust off, or dive the Great Blue Hole without leaving the charter. Tell us which and we'll build it into the sailing days.

On land. Mayan temples, a canoe trip downriver through the jungle, the largest cave network in Central America, an award-winning spa. Any of it works around the boat.

Or nothing at all. If the plan is to do nothing, the boat is built for it. Sun on the trampolines, shade under the bimini, cocktails and dinner on deck in a quiet anchorage. Yoga on the bow at sunrise if you're up. Floating in the Caribbean if you're not. A private masseuse can come to the boat, depending on where you're anchored.

What you'll eat. Fish that came out of the water that day. Fruit, vegetables, and meat from mainland farms. The kitchen is strongest on Belizean cooking, and your chef will handle dietary restrictions and special requests without making it a production, which matters more than it sounds like when every meal for a week happens in the same galley.