COLOSSAL AND COLORFUL

Cruise to Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Puerto Quetzal is the ideal starting point to discover some of Guatemala's most iconic attractions. After a short ride outside of this port city, roam the Spanish Colonial streets of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the colossal Volcan de Agua in the background. Cruise to Puerto Quetzal and learn how to weave using the back-strap loom technique or how to grind coffee by hand from the Maya women of San Antonio Aguascalientes. Then, reach Guatemela's highlands, and get happily lost in the town of Panajachel, with its pastel-colored houses that face idyllic Lake Atitlan.

National Language Spanish

Currency Accepted Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ)

Things To Do in Puerto Quetzal

Santa Catalina Arch and Agua Volcano by Port Quetzal, Guatemala

Colonial Relics

Travel back in time as you saunter the streets of this Spanish Colonial town that lies 4,500 feet above sea level. Antigua is clad in pastel-colored buildings, balconies dripping bougainvilleas and house museums like Casa Santo Domingo and Casa de los Suenos, which depict the country's storied past.

Traditional Mayan textiles on a market in Port Quetzal, Guatemala

Weave Your Way

Find the artist within with a tour of San Antonio Aguascalientes, and let your inner creative have some fun while learning how to weave intricate patterns from the local Maya women. Then shop for their high-quality huipiles (woven blouses) at the local textile market.

Two giraffes at a safari park in Port Quetzal, Guatemala

Animal Kingdom

Head to Auto Safari Chapin for close and safe encounters with rare animals from Guatemala and Africa, like zebras, lions and giraffes — all from the comfort of your air-conditioned drive-through coach. Then, get on your feet and explore the nature park for sightings of exotic birds and endangered species like water buffalos, dwarf goats and ostriches.

Traditional street food in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Local Cuisine

Guatemala's cuisine is made of hearty dishes like empanadas — savory pastries stuffed with potato and meat and topped with guacamole, cilantro and onion — pollo asado (spiced roasted chicken) and mashed plantains. For a taste of these local delicacies, head to Las Antorchas, Rincon Tipico or La Casa de las Sopas in the old town of Antigua.

Colorful wooden maracas at street shop in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

Shopping

Antigua's bustling local market, found on Calle Poniente, displays a colorful collection of local arts and crafts like masks, wood carvings, huipiles (woven blouses), maracas and kites. Another unmissable location with your cruise to Puerto Quetzal is Nim Po't, a hall with a massive array of Maya clothing.