Kakaw (theobroma cacao) means “The flesh of the Gods” and is better known as cocoa/chocolate, and you are about to find its true origins on an active, meaningful and rewarding journey. From its ancient history, plantation, taking care of, harvesting, grains selection, fermentation, roasting, etc. Your hands-on action on a bean to bar experience.
Connect with the cocoa’s true spirit and engage with its farms, communities and people.
The cacao is so essential for the Mayan culture, which was considered as the currency in ancient times and pure medicine for the heart & soul and the farms that you are going to visit are the home of many trees that are direct descendants of an ancient forest domesticated by the Mayans.
Available all-year-round.
Guatemala.
GUA (arrival & departure).
08 days – 07 nights.
Leisure.
Nature, community, adventure, culture, spirituality and sacred sites.
Luxury hotels.
Van / microbus & boat.
Day 01: Guatemala city & Antigua Guatemala (World Heritage Site):
Welcome (GUA airport) – drive to Antigua – free & easy time – Luxury Hotel Antigua.
Day 02: Lake Atitlan.
Drive to Atitlan – boat ride – Sacred fire and cocoa ceremony – Luxury Hotel Atitlan.
Day 03: Patulul.
Boat ride – drive to Patulul – cacao farms visit and workshops – drive to Antigua – Luxury Hotel Antigua.
Day 04: Lanquin.
Drive to Lanquin – cacao farms visit and workshops – Jungle Lodge.
Day 05: Cahabon.
Drive to Cahabon – cacao farms visit and workshops – Jungle Lodge.
Day 06: Lanquin.
Drive to Semuc Champey – Semuc Champey visit – Jungle Lodge.
Day 07: Lanquin & Antigua Guatemala.
Drive to Antigua – Antigua visit – Luxury Hotel Antigua.
Day 08: Antigua Guatemala & Guatemala city.
Goodbye – drive to GUA airport – Buen Camino.
Welcome by your team at the Aurora International Airport (GUA) and transportation to the cosmopolitan and colonial City of La Antigua Guatemala (UNESCO World Heritage Site), a “pueblo magico” full of charm and probably the most visited one in the country.
Free & easy time to explore your colonial surroundings (try to arrive before midday and enjoy the sunset in Antigua with tea, coffee, or drinks), begin to connect with the local people and international community, and prepare yourself for your upcoming rewarding journey.
Meals: Welcome dinner.
Lodging: Luxury Hotel in Antigua.
Activities: Welcome transfer and sightseeing.
Aldous Huxley described Atitlan as “too much of a good thing, it touches the limit of the permissibly picturesque”.
Morning typical breakfast and the beginning of your journey through the Mayan highlands, most known as the sectors of the indigenous Mayan culture alive, areas surrounded by beautiful landscapes of mountains, volcanoes, indigenous communities, and all kinds of crops until to the town of Panajachel, located on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Atitlan.
Free & easy time for you to connect with your magical and unique surroundings followed by your immersion in the Mayan sacred fire and your deep connection with the spirit of the “kakaw” or cocoa also known by the ancient Mayans as the “flesh of the Gods” and consider medicine for your heart and soul.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner.
Lodging: Luxury Hotel in Lake Atitlan.
Activities: Drive to Lake Atitlan, boat ride, free and easy afternoon, and fire and cacao ceremony.
Morning typical breakfast and your boat ride to the Mayan indigenous town of Santiago (the cradle of the Tz’utujil kingdom of Atitlan Lake) for your drive to Patulul (Suchitepequez) towards the Pacific Coast of the country.
In Patulul have the opportunity to know our good friends and project collaborators’ cocoa farms. The heat, humidity, and rich soil of these sectors make the perfect combination for one of the Mayan lands’ best cocoa productions, and only by being here you are going to realize it.
Community typical lunch followed by a series of workshops full of knowledge regarding the cultivation and production of cocoa for your later transfer to the cosmopolitan and colonial Antigua.
Meals: All.
Lodging: Luxury Hotel in Antigua.
Activities: Boat ride, Santiago Atitlan sightseeing, cocoa farms visit with workshops.
Morning breakfast and guided trip to the country´s cloud forest, home of the Quetzal (the Mayan holy bird), and endless cave systems, considered by our ancestors as the entrances to the Mayan underworld or Xibalba.
Lunch on route and the visit of an excellent example according to the most helpful management of the land and organic cocoa production.
This farm is truly a paradise, with cocoa being its most extensive and most special product; however, we will also realize the infinity of other crops in the region, standing out the Copal, annatto, cardamom, turmeric, among several others. A cocoa introduction workshop by the community with a typical hot dinner to finish your day.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner.
Lodging: Jungle lodge.
Activities: Cocoa farms visit with workshops.
Morning breakfast followed by a full day of cocoa by exploring the cocoa sanctuary where you are located, with a series of workshops. Starting with roasting and then grinding fermented cacao beans, using an ancient “metate” or grinding stone, and then adding the desired spices and flavors to your drink. Drinking this chocolate with different tastes will be a unique opportunity to appreciate and value the spiritual and mystical healing power of chocolate.
Transfer later on to our cocoa farm in Cahabon, observe the harvesting, the separation of the pods, and the beans’ extraction. To later continue in-depth with the post-harvest phases: fermentation, drying, and roasting (decisive stages in the quality of chocolate). Learn about the Guatemalan ecosystem and why it offers the perfect conditions for growing Creole cacao.
The trip profoundly incorporates the cocoa world’s social aspects and the sustainable works necessary for suitable land.
Meals: All.
Lodging: Jungle lodge.
Activities: Cocoa farms visit with workshops.
Morning breakfast and transportation to the natural wonder of Semuc Champey, which means “where the river hides in the mountain,” and this is because the great Cahabon river gets under the earth creating in this way a natural limestone bridge with a series of water pools with turquoise and emerald green colors.
It is truly a unique and magical paradise, perfect for a swim, deep contact with nature, meditation, and relaxation.
Transportation back during the afternoon to the farm for your last night surrounded by cocoa trees.
Meals: All.
Lodging: Jungle lodge.
Activities: Semuc Champey visit.
Typical breakfast and your drive back through the rainforest until Antigua for your afternoon walking tour on its famous cobblestone streets, visiting its central plaza, cathedral, jade stores (the sacred stone of the Mayans), its fantastic handicraft markets, and much more.
Visit a local cafe and try probably one of the best coffees you have ever tried, take photos of Antigua´s unique stores, and the Calle del Arco (Arch street), El Mirador El Cerro de la Cruz (with a fantastic panoramic view of the city) and because it is your last night in Guatemala, you are going to have the perfect time celebrating life with an special goodbye dinner.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner.
Lodging: Luxury Hotel in Antigua.
Activities: Drive back to Antigua and Antigua walking tour.
*Note: During this day you need to take an antigen test to fly back home on the next day, and your team is going to help you to coordinate that.
Morning breakfast and your final transfer to the Airport.
Goodbye from your team and until the next time! Buen Camino.
Meals: breakfast.
Lodging: none.
Activities: Exit transfer and sightseeing.
INCLUDED:
– 24/7 guest support.
– High profile tour leader in English and experienced local guides.
– All breakfasts and dinners.
– Days 03 & 05 lunches.
– All activities.
– All transfers between hotels and activities.
– Boat rides at Lake Atitlan.
– Plus way more thrills and surprises along the way.
– 05 Nights accommodation.
-03 nights in Antigua Guatemala. at:
Hotel Casa Santo Domingo or Hotel El Convento (double or twin shared rooms).
– 01 night in Lake Atitlan at:
Hotel Atitlan or La Fortuna Atitlan (double or twin shared rooms).
-03 nights in Lanquin at:
Hotel Atitlan or La Fortuna Atitlan (double or twin shared rooms).
NOT INCLUDED:
– International flights and airport taxes.
– Days 1, 2, 4, 6 – 8 lunches.
– All the drinks at restaurants.
– Personal expenses of any kind.
– PCR or antigen test for Covid-19 in Guatemala (to enter Honduras).
– Antigen or PCR test for Covid-19 in Guatemala (to take your flight back home).
– The not described services at our sample itinerary.
– Travel with your heart and mind open and be receptive to all the lessons that these sacred lands have for you.
– No matter where you are, always travel with health & travel insurance.
-Tell all your friends, family, and community about it. We recommend having this experience with a group of your closest friends because it’s going to connect all of you on a more profound and higher level.
– Follow the instructions of your expert Tour leader / spiritual guide and local guides. They really know what they are doing. Ask them, question them, and also connect with them. They are going to surprise you.
– Be prepared for the tropics and pack multiple changes of clothes:
Clothing for warm and hot weather during the day: two pairs of pants, two pairs of shorts, three changes of shirts, a rain poncho, a swimsuit, and a sweater or jacket to wear at night. Walking shoes, hiking boots, sneakers, and sandals are all acceptable.
Quick-dry clothing (especially a pair of convertible pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts) is recommended for your visit to the tropical areas.
Always bring a towel, and please don’t forget sunblock, bug spray, a flashlight, a sun hat, a lightweight raincoat or poncho, anti-diarrheal medicine, and wet wipes.
*Important reminder: Be conscious of what you pack, and always keep sustainability in mind.
If it catches your attention, leaves you dreaming about it, and makes you smile, just let us know, and we can begin the process of tailoring it.
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