The route of the Conquistadores - Bike Guatemala
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Antigua. A single group transfer from Guatemala City Airport is provided in the evening. KE Land Only package services begin with the overnight accommodation.
Day 2: We bike out to the village of Santa Maria de Jesus on the slopes of Volcan de Agua. A tough trail climb and singletrack descent provides a great introduction to Guatemalan mountain biking. Returning to our hotel in Antigua, the late afternoon is free for relaxing or sightseeing. In the evening we take dinner in one of Antigua's great restaurants. Ride distance 17km (11 miles).
Day 3: Biking out from our hotel, we make a loop up onto the Cielo Grande Ridge, riding a mix of coffee planter's trails and technical singletrack. Beyond the El Rejon Pass, we drop back down to the valley and have a final climb to our horse ranch accommodation in Parramos. Ride distance 28 km (17.5 miles).
Day 4: On this second day of our traverse across to Lake Atitlan, we ride a mix of footpaths and dirt roads, with some singletack. We pass through the towns of San Andreas Itzapa and Zaragoza, as well as smaller farmsteads, en route to Tecpan, where we stay in a converted flour mill beside a river. Ride distance 43.5 km (27 miles).
Day 5: Today we have an epic cross-country ride, following an old Spanish Conquistador corridor that connected the Antigua Valley with Lake Atitlan. We cross between rivers and climb to the caldera's edge overlooking the lake, then finish with one of Guatemala's finest singletrack descents. Overnight in the lively town of Panajachel. Ride distance 41 km (25.5 miles).
Day 6: We transfer out in the support vehicle for about 45 minutes to a ridge high up and to the north of Lake Atitlan. Biking back down to the lake, we enjoy technical singletrack and sections of slickrock ridge riding. We then transfer by boat to the cliff-side hotel of Casa del Mundo.
Day 7: A free morning at the Casa del Mundo for swimming or kayaking or just relaxing. In the afternoon, we drive (4 hours) to the Cuchumatanes Mountains region and overnight in a hotel in Huehuetenango. Time to look around before dinner.
Day 8: Riding out from Huehuetenango in the early morning, we make a long ascent to a high plateau, passing through small Indian villages and with great views of the Cuchumatanes. We meander across this high ground, then have a long, fast descent to Todos Santos and our guesthouse. Ride distance 44 km (27 miles).
Day 9: A great cross-country ride today, as we negotiate a tough, rocky climb back up onto the plateau and then continue on sheep trails and dirt roads towards the main ridge of the Cuchumatanes. After a great technical descent to lunch, we finally reach our accommodation at a horse ranch near to Chancol. Ride distance 42 km (26 miles).
Day 10: Our ride takes us in a big loop around to the north, on undulating singletrack trails. This is a real cross-country ride and one of the best of the holiday, as we continue to the Ixil Triangle. Beyond Palop, there's more up and down, before we can settle in at our rustic, family run lodge accommodation in Acul.
Day 11: We begin with a steady climb out of the Nebaj Valley on an old Spanish highway known as the 'boqueron'. Reaching the crest of the ridge, we have a fantastic downhill to our lunch stop in Cunen. Suitably rested, there follows more climbing and a mix of local trails and jeep tracks, en route to our overnight accommodation in Uspantan. Ride distance 58 km (37 miles).
Day 12: Another challenging day, as we climb up into the hills above the Chixoy Valley, before making a monster descent to a bridge over the river. More climbing, on a dirt track through forest, takes us back to the highway, where we meet our support vehicle and transfer to Coban and our hotel. Ride distance 61 km (38 miles).
Day 13: We end our Guatemalan epic with a long ride on a mix of road and jeep track to reach the blue river pools at Semuc Champey. We spend the afternoon at this beautiful spot, before transferring to our overnight stay in a hotel in Languin. Ride distance 69 km (43 miles).
Day 14: We have an early start for the scenic drive back to Antigua, where we check in at our hotel. There is time for last minute shopping, before going out to celebrate the successful completion of a unique trip in one of Antigua's many great restaurants.
Day 15: KE Land Only package services end after breakfast with a single timed group transfer to Guatemala City Airport.
