Guatemalan Girls' Getaway!

Get in touch using our contact form below if you'd like to join us!

Details, detail, details…

PROPOSED ITINERARY (subject to change):

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Individual flights arrive in Guatemala City. Transfer to Hotel Barcelo.

https://www.barcelo.com/en-us/barcelo-guatemala-city

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Sunday breakfast buffet at the Barcelo (included) and a two and a half hour drive to Santa Catarina Palopó. We’ll have lunch (included) and an introductory tour of Santa Catarina and the famous Pintando project where the buildings are being painted with a color palette and designs chosen to reflect the town’s indigenous roots. It’s an art project on a grand scale!

Monday January 22nd- Thursday, January 25th

Days of exploration around Lake Atitlán, including visits to:

San Juan la Laguana, known for its colorful art galleries and murals

A woman’s textile cooperative in the departmental capital of Sololá

Interactions and exchanges with school students in Santiago Atitlán

A coffee farm and café in a small rural pueblo 

San Antonio Palopó - home to the making of distinctive ceramic

And we like to lunch out!! Check out our chosen lunch locations:

Hotel Atitlán www.hotelatitlan.com

Hotel Toliman www.hoteltoliman.com

Hotel Bambu www.ecobambu.com

Café Sabor Cruceno www.amigosdesantacruz.org

ALL Included in your price!!

Breakfasts and dinners (also included) will be served at Sueños al fresco overlooking the lake. All food will be prepared by local chefs to the highest  standards of health and cleanliness. We’ll have some special guests join us for dinners, locals of particular interest. We think this will be a particularly enriching part of the week!

For these nights you will be guests at the casitas of Sueños de Santa Catarina. Each casita has two bedrooms, a queen-sized pull out sofa in the living area, and 3 bathrooms with showers. Check it out at:

www.suenosdesantacatarina.com

Friday January 26th

A morning ride to beautiful Antigua, a UNESCO designated city. Once the capital of Spanish Guatemala, modern Antigua is just full of adorable boutiques, artisan markets, and great restaurants. We’ll have one meal together and you will be free to explore the town on your own (we might have a few suggestions!)

Overnight at the incredible Casa Santo Domingo (wow), yes, spa on-site!

www.casasantodomingo.com.gt

Saturday January 27th

We’ll help you arrange your trip to Guatemala City to catch your flight home. You will be responsible for your ride to the airport. This will run about 30 to 50 USD, depending on what can be arranged and if you choose to share rides.

If you know you won’t be able to leave, we will help you make arrangements to stay another night in Antigua!!

Our goal is to offer every participant the opportunity to have the week they want. There will be busy time and down time, social time and learning time. We hope you will leave Guatemala loving it as we do! All excursions will be optional, you can always choose to sit by the pool with a good book!

The price for this trip is 1,850 USD and includes all of the in country transportation (buses, boats, tuk tuks), all accommodations, all food except for one meal in Antigua, and all activities, guides and gratuities.

Not included are:

- Single-person accommodation in Guatemala City and Antigua (available upon request for supplementary charge)

- International airfare into Guatemala City

- Transportation from Antigua to airport in Guatemala City (30-50 USD)

- One meal in Antigua

- Alcohol (available by the bottle at stores and from the fancy drink

makers at Sueños!)

- Pretty things you buy to bring home!!

HOSTS:

Liz Sparks

With her husband, Liz owns the casitas at Sueños de Santa Catarina and is co-founder of The Sparks Foundation. TSF provides scholarships for secondary and university students and provides financial support when needed to local primary schools. Liz has been working with these projects for thirteen years. She splits her time between Houston and Guatemala. All profits from Sueños de Santa Catarina go to The Sparks Foundation.

Amanda Flayer Chif

Amanda came to Guatemala 20 years ago as a Peace Corp Volunteer. She is

the founder and co-director of La Puerta Abierta Learning Center which provides an innovative education for children in pre-k through grade 6. She organizes and runs educator workshops throughout various areas of Guatemala and oversees LPA’s collaboration with The Sparks Foundation and the Teen Reading Circles. Amanda lives in Santiago Atitlán full time with her husband and two beautiful daughters. She is bilingual and will accompany this trip throughout the week as our guide and translator!