NEW! MAYAN HIGHLANDS: Guatemala

We'll meet at Guatemala airport and transfer you to the beautiful colonial city of Antigua. You'll have the rest of the day to explore this historical city, with cobblestone streets and citizens dressed in colourful Mayan clothing. Tonight we'll overnight in the San Sebastian hotel, a charming hotel owned by a Mayan family, with antiques adorning the walls and bedrooms.

In the morning we'll transfer to Huehuetenango and go to Zaculeu Mayan ruins to stretch the legs and sightsee around Huehue. In the afternoon we'll head out for our first ride, an easy spin around HueHue before the real challenges begin!

This ride starts with a Category 1 climb (11 kms y 1000 mts. Gain) up into the mountains. At the top we will have lunch and then continue on to the indigenous town of Todos Santos on a mix of jeep track and singletrack. 1800 mts. Climbing over 40 kms. Overnight in a rustic pension in Todos Santos.

Like the previous day, today starts off with a big climb out of The Todos Santos Valley (10kms y 1000mts. Gain) At the top we will continue out on the plateau on jeep and single tracks to Lunch. After lunch we keep rolling across the mountains out to the esquestrian centre of El Unicornio Azul where we will overnight.

Today we will take advantage of the high mountain scenery and abundant singletrack that crisscrosses the plateau and head out for a day ride in the local area. We will overnight at the same Horse farm.

Today is an epic day with a couple of big climbs and some amazing singletrack that crosses the river drainage that seperates the Huehutenango department from that of Quiche. This is as backcountry as you can get in Guatemala. Todays ride is unsupported as our vehicle has to go around. Overnight in a working cheese farm in the Mayan village of Acul.

Today is a huge day with a couple monster climbs. The ride starts with a dirt road push out to the town of Nebaj where we climb on an old trade route that climbs out of the Nebaj Valley and communicates with the rest of the central highlands. We ride a sweet piece of single track down to lunch in Cunen. After lunch starts the second mean climb out of the Cunen valley over to the Uspantan valley where we will overnight.

A short fun 15 km down hill road ride takes us to the start of a long jeep track climb up to the top of the ridges overlooking the Rio Chixoy valley. At the top there is a super fun technical trail that drops down to the rivers edge. From there what goes down must come back up. We climb back in to the highlands and finish just outside the town of San Cristobal Verapaz. Then a short transfer to Coban where we will stay the night.

Today we can either ride or drive out to semuc Champey. It is 70 km from the hotel to the park, the first 50 of which are paved but still very fun and very scenic. At the end of the pavement there is a big 10 kms downhill to the mountain village of Lanquin and a short but STEEEEEEP climb up and over the ridge to Semuc Champey. Semuc Champey is one of the most beautiful places in the world, a remote jungle site where the river forms spectacular green pools and waterfalls.

Our tour comes to an end today as we head back to Antigua and Guatemala City. If you are flying out tonight - 6 pm or later - we will drop you off at Guatemala airport. Otherwise, we will head back to nearby Antigua for another night's stay [not included]

1) day hike on Volcan Pacaya: a spectacular day hike on an active volcano, where you can view flowing rivers of lava.
2) 2-day trip to Tikal ruins: visit Tikal, the most impressive of all the Mayan ruins (including the massive Temple of the Jaguar), deep in the heart of the Yucatan jungle. Includes flight, hotels and guides.