5 Things to Know Before Traveling to Guatemala
5 Essentials that will help you navigate traveling in Guatemala, one of the most amazing & adventurous countries in Central America.
1. Use 5B ATM: Works With Foreign Cards
I always get cash at the airport when I land in a new country, I have found it to be the cheapest way to get local currency (currency converters usually have massive fees). After exiting passing Customs there’s usually a bunch of different bank-affiliated ATMs at all international airports – but when I landed at Guatemala City Airport, there was (bizarrely) only one type of ATM, 5B.
Later when I needed cash again in Antigua I was running around to every ATM in the main square kind of frantically because my card kept getting rejected over and over again. I was worried there was an issue with my bank and I was going to be stuck with no cash in Guatemala, but my friend’s debit card wasn’t working either! After trying all of the ATMs in Antigua Plaza Central we saw all other foreign tourists get turned away as well until finally we happened upon another 5B ATM and decided to give that one a go.
That’s how we learned, the hard way, that 5B is the only ATM in Guatemala that works with foreign debit cards. Luckily 5B ATMs are located in all the main tourist spots, it’s not posted anywhere that it’s the only bank that accepts international debit cards.
Tip: Guatemala is definitely a cash country! Not many places take card.
2. Embrace the Vibrant & Luxurious Hostel Culture
Guatemala has one of the best hostel cultures I’ve ever seen. Everyone: couples, single people, old, young, digital nomads, partying college students, are hopping around from hostel to hostel. The great thing is that they actually have hostels that cater to all of these different demographics. The main way to get around Guatemala is by shuttle, which I’ll go into more later in this post, and the shuttles only fit around 10-15 people so it’s a fun place to meet people and work out which hostels everyone is going to.
3. DON’T (DON’T !!!!!) DRINK THE WATER
I fell ill with my first ever bout of traveler’s sickness in Guatemala while I was staying at the Zephyr Lodge hostel pictured above. Everyone seems to get sick in Guatemala, usually while coming through Lanquin to visit Semuc Champey. I was warned to not use the tap water at all, not even for brushing my teeth because there’s Giardia in the water. I was super careful, but I have a sneaking suspicion I got sick because the ice in my drink might not have been purified.
Tips for not getting sick in Guatemala
- Only drink purified water, I travel with my GRAYL purifier and this was the only time I’ve gotten sick in all my travels.
- Use purified/bottled water to brush your teeth and wash produce.
- Don’t drink anything with ice in it, I had Bloody Marys with ice and got sick, and my friends who stuck to bottled beer were fine.
4. Use the Tourist Shuttles to Get Around
They’ve made a perfect system of direct shuttles that take tourists between all of the main attractions in Guatemala. You’ll pretty much be able to secure direct ground transportation between Flores (where Tikal ruins are), Lanquin (Semuc Champey), Panajachel (Lake Atitlan), Antigua, and Guatemala City airport. This makes Guatemala an exceptionally easy country to travel in. The shuttles run every day, usually in the morning, and you can either book them on any street corner in any city or online on Guatego.com
Related Read: How to Get Around in Guatemala
5. Know About Guatemala Time (Be Patient)
Guatemala runs on Guatemala time. The shuttle that everyone says takes 6 hours? Budget for 9. You’re supposed to be picked up at 8 AM for your tour? Be ready at 8, but prepared to wait until 9. That’s just how it is. None of the shuttles we took, besides the short 1-2 hour ones, made it in anywhere close to the time they were supposed to.
On our shuttle from Lake Atitlan to Semuc Champey we were stuck in stand-still traffic for two hours because a tractor fell over on the rural mountain road we were driving on (!!!) Trying to stick to a strict timeline will probably only frustrate you, so I would recommend just going with the flow and budgeting a whole day for travel days where you’re taking a shuttle or bus for long distances.
Related Read: Why I Didn’t Like Lake Atitlan
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Quick Guatemala Packing List
- Water Purifier: You cannot drink the tap water in Guatemala
- Sunscreen: Self-explanatory! I got sunburned on Acatenango because the sun is stronger at high altitudes.
- Travel Pillow: I wish I brought my pillow to Guatemala! We took two 10 hour bus rides where it would have come in handy. I love this travel pillow by Coop Homegoods. It’s seen me through so many overnight bus/train trips, and it packs down pretty small (but I usually just hang it on the outside of my bag with a carabiner).
