Ladies Exclusive Tour:
Holy Week in GUATEMALA
March 23 - 31
This tour will be one of your favorites. You will have an insider's views and hands on experiences from Antigua Tours Park. You will witness not only the religious processions unique to Guatemala but also a captivating collaborative process of creating elaborate carpets 'alfombras' on the streets that covers blocks. These are masterpieces of artwork, craftsmanships of families and neighbors, the community that take months of planning.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAUL MARTINEZ
March 23 Saturday:
Departure from your city.
Arrival in Guatemala @ La Aurora Int'l Airport, IATA: GUA, ICAO: MGGT
Airport Pick Up and Transfer to Antigua (60-min drive)
Check in at Hotel Eterna Primavera or similar.
Settle down. Depending on your arrival time. Options:
- Wander around this lovely city.
- Sunset Yoga
- Dinner at an agreed place and time (pay your own and optional, must rsvp).
March 24 Sunday:
Day Tour to CHICHICASTENANGO
Sunday is the best time.
MEET ARTISTS.
EXPERIENCE A MAYAN CEREMONY.
VISIT CHICHI CEMETERY.
Option: HAVE A PORTRAIT PAINTING OF YOURSELF.
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast
9:00am Pick Up and Tour with Lunch
An immersive cultural tour of Mayan hand-crafted arts and crafts, textiles, paintings, pottery, masks, incense, flowers, produce..tucked away in a mountain village famous for outdoor markets.
On the way down the hill to the shrine at Pascual Abaj, we will visit Galeria Pop-Wuj. Developed as an art institute for local children with the backing of Project Guggenheim, it holds a small but important collection of oil paintings by the artist brothers Juan and Miguel Cortéz and their pupils. K'iche' classes are sometimes offered, along with the chance to experience traditional Maya ceremonies (details will be emailed).
Back to Antigua
Dinner Is Yours.
March 25 Monday:
LAKE ATITLAN at San Marcos La Laguna
Lake Atitlan comprises of unique and small towns that surround the lake, and each has a completely different atmosphere than the other.
6:00- 9:30am Breakfast and Antigua Hotel Check Out.
10:00am - 1:00pm Transfer to Lake ATITLAN in San Marcos La Laguna
Check in at Hotel Lush Atitlan @https://www.lushatitlan.com/ or similar.
The rest of the afternoon is yours. Lunch and Dinner on your own.
Lake Atitlan is a cobalt blue lake and the views are absolutely incredible. There are plenty of activities to do such as a hikes, kayaking, or just hanging out on the docks and watch the glassy blue water drifting peacefully past local villages with huge volcanoes towering in the background. Rugged cliffs and lush greenery surround the lake, with tiny dwellings scattered amongst the jungle landscape...
More suggested experiences will be emailed.
March 26 Tuesday:
Tour of Lake Atitlan and nearby villages.
From Lonely Planet: The Trickster
Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the celebrations takes place in the small lakeside town, Santiago Atitlán, where believers pay homage to Maximón, also known as Rilaj Mam, a mischievous folk saint.
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast
9:00 am Tour Pick Up
We will tour the volcano-fringed shores of Lake Atitlán in some of the villages for indigenous culture; its markets, artworks, stories that define the region and traditions. In particular, the town of Santiago is known for its quality artisanal crafts as well for being the home of the infamous Maya saint, Maximon.
Lunch included and water.
4:00pm Back to Hotel.
The rest of the evening is yours.
Dinner on your own.
March 27 Wednesday:
Back to Antigua with Afternoon Tour to San Mateo Milpas Processional Tour
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast
8:45am Transfer Pick Up. Arrival and Check In at Hotel Eterna Primavera or similar.
1:00 pm Lunch at Hotel with water
2:00pm Tour Pick Up
Located about 5 miles from Antigua, this “pueblo” procession is a contrast to the larger Antigua processions for Semana Santa and will give you a sense of how this holiday evolved over the centuries.
From the guide: We will head out to San Mateo Milpas Altas to participate in carpet making for the 4pm procession of Jesus of Nazareth and the Virgin Mary. Feel the humble nature of this authentic procession as you intermingle with the faithful locals.
Drive back to Antigua.
The rest are yours and dinner.
March 28 Thursday:
Antigua City Tour and Holy Week 'Semana Santa' Tour continues...
6:00 - 9:00am Breakfast
9:15am Tour Pick Up
The city is a colonial work of art, with cobbled streets, overhanging tiled roofs and a beautiful, leafy central plaza.There’s an abundance of huge ruined churches, convents and monasteries, testament to a time when Antigua was the country’s capital and its main religious centre.
For Holy Week Tour:
We focus on the main sites and beautiful carpet making in progress for today’s San Francisco el Grande procession.
Lunch included.
Dinner on your own.
March 29 Friday:
Good Friday EARLY MORNING Tour
5:30am or earlier (over two hours)
Meet at an agreed place within walking distance (info will be emailed) for the background behind Holy Week’s history and how Antigua became the largest celebration in the world. Enjoy the best route to view the most spectacular street carpets. We will see the La Merced procession and complete the tour near La Merced Church.
Breakfast after tour.
The rest of the day is yours.
Lunch and Dinner on your own.
March 30 Saturday:
More info soon...
This tour will be one of your favorites. You will witness not only the religious processions unique to Guatemala but also a captivating collaborative process of creating elaborate carpets 'alfombras' on the streets that covers blocks. These are masterpieces of artwork, craftsmanships of families and neighbors that take months of planning. The designs, materials, costs are shared effort.
Yet all of these are the very definition of fleeting.
By the time the first major procession kicks off on Holy Thursday, the carpets are completely planned and just awaiting the evening hours before Easter Sunday to become a reality.
