Guatemala Getaway
Mountain Bike Mayan Ruins, Ancient Volcanoes and Century Old Descents

Your Mountain Bike Trip Guatemala starts today! Our 2Wheel team will pick you up from the Airport and help you get accommodated in your hotel and then give you some time to relax before we have a brief orientation and welcome dinner (depending on arrival time).  Each rider will get a welcome packet upon arrival that will provide all the info they will need for their Guatemala Mountain Bike Trip. 

• Distance: N/A
• Max Elevation:  N/A
• Ascent: N/A
• Descent: N/A
• Lodging: Hotel San Jorge

Our first day in Guatemala will be spent at the El Zur mountain bike park, which is a private reserve with over 25 kms. of flowing, rolling, blow your mind purpose built single-track bliss. Need we say more? . . . This bike park resides on the Volcan de Agua, and is swath of handbuilt trails were brought to fruition by the mountain bike community of Antigua. The only trail of its kind here in Guatemala and the top of the trail network is at 2,500 mts (8,500 ft.), which we’ll climb via 4×4 shuttle and then drop into the beginning of an unreal ride. Today will provide guests with the opportunity to really get the feel for the Guatemalan dirt, air and riding style.

Guides will meet up with the group around 8am for intros, briefing, what to expect, itinerary talk and bike build help.  After breakfast we will do a short bike check out ride around the streets of Antigua. Assuming all is good we will load up and head to El Zur on the back side of Agua Volcano. We’ll have a picnic lunch out at El Zur and head back to Antigua for a group dinner. 

• Distance: 20 km /  12 miles 
• Max Elevation: 2500m  / 7800ft
• Ascent: 250 m / 800 ft 
• Descent: 1700 m / 5,000 ft 
• Lodging: Hotel San Jorge
• Food included: B, L, Snacks
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Fitness: 6/10

Today’s ride starts with a shuttle up to a small village just beneath Acatenango volcano at 2,500 mts. Volcanoes dominate the view as we tightrope down the ridge back to the valley floor. Trails criss-cross the landscape as we pass through agricultural fields & villages. We’ll finish up the morning at a shrine to a local Mayan spiritual deity, Maximon. A short shuttle takes us to the top of the mountains overlooking the ruins of Iximche. A series of steep technical trail offers up the first glimpses of Lake Atitlan and the ravines and valleys between. Our last descent drops us just outside of the Iximche Ruins. We’ll take a guided tour of the site and then head off to the hotel for an earned rest.

Breakfast is at the hotel in Antigua and we will load up and shuttle about an hour above Antigua.  The first shuttle drop trails take us to the San Simon Chapel in San Andreas where the shuttle van and lunch are waiting.  After lunch and time at the chapel we will shuttle, just over an hour to our second drop spot on the ridges above Tecpan.  Arriving at the ruins of Iximche we will have cold beers and a quick once over guided tour of the ruins.  The hotel is about 3-4 kms from the ruins and can be ridden to or shuttled.

• Distance: 42 km /  28 miles
• Max Elevation: 3000m  / 9900ft
• Ascent: 675 m / 2200 ft 
• Descent: 1060m / 3200 ft 
• Lodging: La Casa Xara, Tecpan 
• Food included: B, L, Snacks
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Fitness: 5/10

The name says it all: “La Infinta” and the downhills does seem to go on forever. The ride starts up in a region locally referred to as Alaska. This plateau separates the Lake Atitlan region from the rest of the western highlands. Views abound up at ~3,400 mts with the entire Guatemalan Ring of Fire off to either side. The ride plummets nearly 2,300 mts on a wicked fun mix of terrain.  After our shuttle out from the bottom on the backside of the lake we will finish the epic day with one more 400 mts drop down to the lakeshore.

We’ll load up and shuttle about an 1.5 hours to the drop spot in Alaska; aka the highest point on the Central American portion of the Pan American highway.  We’ll have either an unsupported picnic on the way or sometimes we are able to set up a meal at the end of the ride. 

A big pick up truck shuttle about 45 mins gets back up to the ridge overlooking Lake Atitlan where we drop out on the last drop to the lake’s edge.  Arriving in San Juan we will take a motor boat taxi to our hotel.

*stats for la infinita drop only

• Max Elevation:  3400m / 10000ft
• Ascent: 300m / 1000ft
• Descent: 2700m / 9000ft
• Lodging: La Casa del Mundo, Jaibalito Lake Atitlan
• Food included: B, L (Trail Lunch), D Snacks
• Difficulty: 8/10
• Fitness: 6/10

Lots of options here for this day.  There are kayaks and paddle boards available at the hotel for rent, there are hiking trails to neighboring towns, hammocks and plenty of lake swimming to be had.

• Distance: N/A
• Max Elevation: 2500m  / 7800ft
• Ascent: N/A
• Descent: N/A
• Lodging: La Casa del Mundo, Jaibalito Lake Atitlan
• Food included: B, D    

Our first shuttle takes us up high above the lake to nearly 3,000 mts give us views of the canyons and volcanoes around. We will climb 5 kms on trail and the Atitlan slickrock to an area known as ‘El Corazón de las Nubes’, a Mayan Ceremonial site. The ecology at this altitude in Guatemala is home to a unique mix of alpine grass, grazing sheep, and agave plants. We will follow rocky, technical singletrack through pine forests passing through small Mayan communities. After a picnic lunch and short shuttle we will continue our descent to Lake Atitlán in a 1,000 mtr DH.

We’ll have breakfast at the hotel and then load the bikes onto a lancha and head over to Panajachel where we will meet the van for the 45 mins. Shuttle up to the top of the ridges above the lake.  At the end of the Slickrock ride there is another sweet drop only minutes from the trailhead.         

• Distance: 28 km /  17 miles 
• Max Elevation: 2985m / 9500ft
• Ascent 300m / 990ft
• Descent 1700m / 5200ft  
• Lodging: Hotel Regis, Panajachel Lake Atitlan
• Food included: B, L
• Difficulty: 10/10
• Fitness: 5/10

*stats above is shuttle #1 only

Two amazing shuttle runs on the eastern rim of Lake Atitlan!  Both feature centuries old Mayan trade routes that once connected two of the major Atitlan villages with those of the eastern part of the country.  La Santa Cat as it is known because it finishes in the village of Santa Catarina Palopo contours above the lake before it plummets down an a twisty urban staircase to the lake.  The San Antonia Maya trail is arguably the oldest of all the footpaths into the Atitlan basin.  It is also one of the most technical.  Centuries of foot traffic have worn steps into the rock creating an almost Inca trail feel as you drop 400+ meters to the lake.  

We’ll have breakfast and then load up the shuttle van for a set of two shuttles that access these rides.  Both between 30-45 minutes respectively.  We will have a local comedor lunch in Santa Catarina before heading back up for the second drop.  After the second drop we can take a quick dip and then load up for the 2.5 hour shuttle back to Antigua.  Bike teardown and packing.

• Distance: 28km /17 miles
• Max Elevation: 2985m / 9500ft
• Ascent: 300m / 990ft
• Descent: 1700m / 5200ft
• Lodging: Hotel San Jorge, Antigua
• Food included: B, L
• Difficulty: 10/10
• Fitness: 5/10 

Today we will back our things and back up the car and drive back to the beautiful town of Antigua where we started our journey. However, we want clients to rest and take it easy so they have plenty of energy for the day ahead.

Accommodation: Hotel in Antigua

Meals Included: B, L, Snacks

Today, we ride at the La Carmona mountain bike park, which is a coffee plantation with over 50 kms of flowing, rolling, blow your mind purpose built single-track bliss! It is also home to Guatemala’s very own jump park. Need we say more? . . . La Carmona is the only trail of its kind here in Guatemala and the top of the trail network is at 2,500 mts (8,500 ft.), which we’ll climb via 4×4 shuttle and then drop into the beginning of an unreal ride down.

Distance 20 km /13 miles

Max Elevation 2,500 m / 7,800 ft

Descent 1,700 m / 5,000 ft

Ascent 250 m / 800 ft

Accommodation Hotel in Antigua

Meals Included B, L, Snacks

Today we will look back on our incredible Guatemala mtb vacation, do some last minute shopping around Antigua, and get your bikes packed up and ready to go home. Our 2Wheel team will take you to the Airport and say goodbye until your next 2Wheel Epix Trip!