Guatamala - Highland

Itinerary: Highland Fling

10 DAYS / GUATEMALA CITY TO QUETZALTENANGO

This 320km jaunt could take a few months if you stop off to learn some Spanish in Antigua, Panajachel, San Pedro La Laguna or Quetzaltenango, and you could more than double the distance with detours to Nebaj and Todos Santos Cuchumatan

Guatemala's most spectacular scenery and strongest Mayan traditions await you along this well-traveled route.

From the capital head first to gorgeous Antigua to find your Guatemalan feet, enjoying the country's finest colonial architecture, the great restaurants and the big traveler and language-student scene. Several volcanoes wait to be climbed here. From Antigua move on to Panajachel on volcano-ringed Lago de Atitlan. Some folks love this classic Gringo Trail town; some hate it. Either way, hop in a boat to check out some of the quieter, more traditional Mayan villages around the lake such as Santiago Atitlan, San Pedro La Laguna, San Marcos La Laguna or Santa Cruz La Laguna. Now head north to Chichicastenango for its huge Thursday and Sunday market. If you have extra time, detour north to Nebaj, where you'll find great walking and a strong Mayan way of life amid stunning scenery.

From Chichicastenango follow the Interamericana highway west along the mountain ridges to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala's clean, orderly, second city, with a host of intriguing villages, markets and natural wonders waiting within short bus rides. From Quetzaltenango you can head south, or on to Mexico - perhaps via Todos Santos Cuchumatan, a fascinating Mayan mountain town with great walking possibilities.