Fuentes Georginas, qué hacer en Quetzaltenango
Las Fuentes Georginas son uno de los atractivos más importantes de Quetzaltenango, acompáñanos en éste video a descubrir cómo llegar a las Fuentes y qué más hacer en Quetzaltenango. Continúa leyendo la descripción del video para saber más detalles de cómo llegar y qué hacer en las Fuentes Georginas.
-Cómo llegar a las Fuentes Georginas:
Si viajas en autobus desde Quetzaltenango a las Fuentes Georginas, aquí te diremos cómo hacerlo:
Ubica la Central de Autobuses del Templo la Minerva
Toma un bus para Zunil, el trayecto es de 30 minutos y cuesta 5 quetzales, sale cada 15 minutos a partir de las 6 a.m. a las 7 p.m.
En Zunil toma otro bus que te lleve a las Fuentes Georginas, puede ser un colectivo que cobre entre 10 y 15 quetzales y el trayecto es de 22 minutos.
En nuestro blog te decimos cómo llegar en caso de que vayas en automóvil.
-Qué hacer en las Fuentes Georginas
La actividad principal en este balneario es disfrutar de las albercas con agua termal, que te relajan y a la vez por las propiedades minerales del agua te ayudan a mejorar tu salud física, si traes algún dolor muscular seguramente saliendo de aquí te vas a sentir mejor. También si te sientes muy estrenado, este lugar tan pacífico hará que te desistieses de inmediato y más con la temperatura tan rica del agua.
Aquí también hay senderos ecológicos y una zona especial dedicada a ceremonias mayas, que si durante tu recorrido te toca presenciar alguna, no tomes fotos ni interrumpas ya que sería una falta de respeto para las personas.
No olvides llevar contigo:
*Dinero en efectivo
*Traje de baño
*Toalla
*Sandalias o zapatos acuáticos
*Ropa abrigadora
*Agua
*Cobijas extra en caso de que te hospedes ahí
Recomendaciones:
*No se puede comer o beber dentro de las albercas
*No nades o hagas actividad física dentro del agua ya que podrías descomepensarte y desmayarte
*No están permitido los clavados, la profundidad de las albercas es de 1 a 1.50 metros
Servicios:
*No te preocupes por dónde dejar tus cosas, ahí te rentan lockers
*Hay cambiadores y sanitarios
*Una tienda para comprar snack y souvenirs.
*Cuenta con estacionamiento propio que cuesta 30 quetzales por auto
-Dónde comer en las Fuentes Georginas
Cuenta con servicio de restaurante que ofrece platillos regionales y a un precio accesible. Te sugerimos probar el churrasquitos y/o los tacos con chorizo, son platillos muy bien servicios que te van a dejar realmente satisfecho. Venden bebidas alcohólicas y no alcohólicas.
También hay mesas y parrillas en diferentes puntos del balneario para que prepares tus propios alimentos, recuerda no dejar basura para que más viajeros lo disfruten.
-Dónde hospedarse en las Fuentes Georginas
Hay 9 bungalows en las Fuentes Georginas que puedes alquilar por 190 quetzales por noche, por persona. Cuenta con 2 camas matrimoniales, baño privado, agua caliente y chimenea. Si te hospedas ahí, puedes entrar a las albercas cuando quieras, no hay un horario fijo para huéspedes. La Luz eléctrica se corta a las 9 p.m. No hay t.v., ni wi-fi en la zona, y tampoco red de celular.
El costo del bungalow ya incluye entrada y estacionamiento, recuerda que la tarifa puede variar dependiendo la temporada.
Si deseas saber más sobre las Fuentes Georginas visita nuestro blog: donde encontrarás más información útil.
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Hiking laguna chicabal quetzaltenango
Laguna de Chicabal is a sacred lake to the Mam people in Martín Sacatepéquez, Quetzlatenango . It is surrounded by cloud forest. During the hiking, one can see volcanoes, montains and beautiful wild flowers. casaxelaju.com organizes hikes to this lake.
What to do in Xela in 1 day? What to see in Xela if you are limited with time and budget?
Some of us have very limited time to travel, and I understand that. Therefore, although I spent in Xela (Quetzaltenango) 6 full days, I am sharing my recommendations with those of you, who do not have that much time. What would I do in Xela if I only had 1 day? Well, it depends... On what kind of experience you are looking for.
If you are a good hiker and you would like to see one of the three active volcanoes in Guatemala, then I would recommend to you a climb up Santa Maria volcano (with the height of 3,772 m, which is 12,375 ft). Like this, you will be able to see the Santiaguito volcano. It is a strenuous hike, constantly 3 hours up, and that if you are quite fit. It can take up to 5 or even 6 hours, from what I have heard! Some recommendations here: leave as early as possible! Because it clouds up after 10-11am and then you might not be able to see absolutely anything from up top.
The tours normally cost 275 quetzales, but it is easy to do it by yourself with the public transport. For more details on how to organize it by yourself, you can follow the video below:
And if you are not sure if you are fit enough to climb that volcano, you can see the type of hike under this link:
If you see, that the Santa Maria climb wouldn't be for you, since it is too high and too exhausting to get there, you can go to the Chicabal Lagoon. It is a lake that is up on a volcano on a height of 2,712 meters (8,879 feet).
But you cannot really feel you are on top of a volcano. But it is interesting to see how the locals are doing their offerings on the lake. It is a bit of a hike, but definitely not as difficult as the one to Santa Maria. And also, the whole concept on being on a lake that is in a crater of a volcano, is quite cool.
Here, again, the same advice: go as early as possible, cause it fogs up quite quickly - like around 10-11am. It is possible and easy to get to Laguna Chicabal on your own, in DIY style. And pay way less than for an official tour. You can find the details in the video under this link:
If you are not a keen hiker, and you would like to relax a bit, you can go to the thermal baths of Fuentes Georginas, which are natural hot baths close to Zunil, to which you can also get from Xela with the public transport.
In the evening I relly recommend the Indian Restaurant, el Sabor de India. I know, i know... I would normally not do this type of recommendation. But the food is absolutely extraordinary!
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below. I am always very happy to answer any of your doubts. Cause I want you to have a fabulous time, even if you are very limited time in Guatemala!
More videos to come. If you need any particular content - please let me know. It would be great to create something that is useful for you!
What to do in Xela? All the different options if you have 1 to 4 days in Xela (SUBS EN,ES,PL)
When I arrived in Xela, after being in the southern part of Chiapas (after visiting Comitán, Lagos de Montebello, Las Nubes) I felt a little bit.. hm… overwhelmed.
I arrived in the late afternoon, after my first encounter with the chicken buses crazy way of driving, I saw a lot of dogs searching for food in the trashes outside of the market.
It was cold and dark. I thought I will not stay for more than 1 night. I ended up staying 5! But …
In my opinion, Xela as a city, does not give you many reasons to stay in the town for more than 1 day. Unless you are learning Spanish, want to acclimatize a bit before hiking some higher mountains, or just enjoying feeling cold (especially when you are crossing from the South of Mexico), I would probably not highly recommend staying for longer in the city of Xela, especially if you are on a tight schedule.
What is, in my opinion, worth to visit in Xela, is the things outside of the town. Especially, there are plenty of hiking options around Quetzaltenango.
Therefore, if you are into hiking, you might end up staying there for 3 or 4 days.
The first full day that you are in the city of Xela, you might go for a hike to the Chicabal lagoon. Total cost of doing it by yourself, without a guide is much cheaper than an organized tour, since you pay just for the public transportation - which is not more than 5 quetzales. And the entrance fee to the lagoon which is 50 quetzales. More details in the description to the following video:
The next day, you might climb the Santa Maria volcano - how to do it by yourself for 4 quetzales, instead of doing it with a tour for 275 - in the following video:
On the 3rd day: go to las fuentes Georginas in the morning (you can get to Zunil with public transport, and then either hitchhike, or walk, or pay the overpriced fee for a private transport to the thermal baths - they charge 50 quetzales for the transport).
And if you are wondering where to eat in Xela, I recommend the Indian restaurant: El Sabor Indio. I know, I know - it seems like a bad joke. But... The food is super delicious, and even if it is not the cheapest one... you can spoil yourself with a curry after all that hiking you have done around Xela!
If you have more time in Xela, are enjoying the cold or taking Spanish classes (very common there, since Xela options are cheaper than Antigua or the Atitlan Lake), you might visit the cemetery and the viewing point of Baul (recommended to go early in the morning, due to a probability of assaults…).
Guatemala/Lake Atitlán (Beautiful) Part 8
Welcome to my travelchannel.On my channel you can find almost 1000 films of more than 70 countries. See the playlist on my youtube channel.Enjoy!
Guatemala/Lake Atitlán :
Lake Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) is a large endorheic lake (one that does not flow to the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest lake in Central America with maximum depth about 340 meters. The lake is shaped by deep escarpments which surround it and by three volcanoes on its southern flank. Lake Atitlan is further characterized by towns and villages of the Maya people. Lake Atitlán is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west-northwest of Antigua. Lake Atitlán should not be confused with Lake Amatitlán. Lake Amatitlán is located about 65 kilometres (40 mi) southeast of Lake Atitlán and 16 kilometres (10 mi) southeast of Antigua. Lake Atitlán is much larger than Lake Amatitlán.
At the water is the meaning of Atitlan. It is a fusion of simple Nahuatl words that belies the complexity of the entity it identifies. German explorer Alexander von Humbolt is the earliest prominent foreigner generally quoted as calling it the most beautiful lake in the world.
The lake is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous caldera formed in an eruption 84,000 years ago. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and Aldous Huxley famously wrote of it: Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing.The lake basin supports extensive coffee growth and a variety of farm crops, most notably corn. Other significant agricultural products include onions, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, chile verde, strawberries, avocados and pitahaya fruit. The lake itself is rich in animal life which provides a significant food source for the largely indigenous population.
Culture
The lake is surrounded by many villages, in which Maya culture is still prevalent and traditional dress is worn. The Maya people of Atitlán are predominantly Tz'utujil and Kaqchikel. During the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the Kaqchikel initially allied themselves with the invaders to defeat their historic enemies the Tz'utujil and Quiché Maya, but were themselves conquered and subdued when they refused to pay tribute to the Spanish.
Santiago Atitlán is the largest of the lakeside communities, and is noted for its worship of Maximón, an idol formed by the fusion of traditional Mayan deities, Catholic saints and conquistador legends. The institutionalized effigy of Maximón is under the control of a local religious brotherhood and resides in various houses of its membership during the course of a year, being most ceremonially moved in a grand procession during Semana Santa. Several towns in Guatemala have similar cults, most notably the cult of San Simón in Zunil.
While Maya culture is predominant in most lakeside communities, the largest town on the shores, Panajachel, has been overwhelmed over the years by tourists. It attracted many hippies in the 1960s, and although the war caused many foreigners to leave, the end of hostilities in 1996 saw visitor numbers boom again, and the town's economy is almost entirely reliant on tourism today.
Several Mayan archaeological sites have been found at the lake. Sambaj, located approximately 55 feet below the current lake level, appears to be from at least the pre-classic period.
There are remains of multiple groups of buildings, including one particular group of large buildings that are believed to be the city center.
A second site, Chiutinamit, where the remains of a city were found, was discovered by local fishermen who noticed what appeared to be a city underwater.During consequent investigations, pottery shards were recovered from the site by divers, which enabled the dating of the site to the late pre-classic period (600 B.C. - 250 A.D.).
A project titled Underwater archeology in the Lake Atitlán. Sambaj 2003 Guatemala was recently approved by the Government of Guatemala in cooperation with Fundación Albenga and the Lake Museum in Atitlán. Because of the concerns of a private organization as is the Lake Museum in Atitlán the need to start the exploration of the inland waters in Guatemala was analyzed.
There is no road that circles the lake. Communities are reached by boat or roads from the mountains that may have brief extensions along the shore. Santa Cruz La Laguna and Jaibalito can only be reached by boat. Santa Catarina Palopó and San Antonio Palopó are linked to Panajachel. Main places otherwise are Santa Clara La Laguna and San Pedro La Laguna in the West, Santiago Atitlán in the South, and San Lucas Tolimán in the East.Wikipedia
The most stunning spot around the Atitlan Lake? 100 km hike - day 1 - Panajachel to...(sub:EN,PL,ES)
Do you want to belong to the first ones to do something around the Atitlan Lake, before it gets too popular?
Are you asking yourself a question: can you walk around Atitlan Lake? Yes, you definitely can! This is exactly what we did!
Atitlan Lake is one of the most well known tourist destinations in Guatemala, and I completely understand it, since it is one of the most beautiful places not only in Guatemala, but is also called as the most beautiful lake in the world. Imagine that!
But most of the time, the Atitlan Lake is visited for only few days, and most of the people either stay in Panajachel (I call it: the tourist town), or in San Marcos (I call it: commercialized hippy town) or in San Pedro (I call it: Israeli town). Maybe some more active travelers explore also the neighboring towns on tuk tuk, kayak or on a boat.
But Atitlan Lake has much more to offer than that! It is not only climbing the Indian Nose to see the sunrise over the lake. It is not only drinking free beer in Santa Cruz or enjoying the views over San Pedro volcano from one of the many hostels in San Pedro or buying souvenirs in Panajachel, that don't even come from the region.
I have been exploring Guatemala and its plethora of hiking opportunities for the last 4 months, and my friend, Abel has been traveling around Central America on a bicycle for the last 9 months (his views on bike travel on budget in Central America:
While admiring the Atitlan Lake from one of the usual hiking trails, we came up with a bit of a crazy idea to circumnavigating the lake on foot.
In July, August and September I was 2018 staying in Jaibalito, which is one of the smallest villages around the lake, since the only option to get there is on a boat, or on foot through hills and mountains. The next town, Santa Cruz is kind of a dead end, since from there it's impossible to get to Panajachel without using the boat.
So that is why we decided to start the hike around the Atitlan Lake from Panajachel, and get back to Jaibalito the longer way - after going through all the villages of the lake.
We calculated more or less 100 km on foot, through Panajachel, Santa Catarina Palopó, San Antonio Palopó, Agua Escondida, San Lucas Tolimán, Cerro de Oro, Santiago de Atitlan, San Pedro la Laguna, San Juan la Laguna, San Pablo la Laguna, San Marcos la Laguna, Tzununa y Jaibalito.
On the first day we took a boat from Jaibalito to one of the jetties in Panajachel, the least known, where they charge 10 quetzales and not 20! So that is a good tip: if taking the boat from Panajachel, get to the pier, which is called Tzanjuyu, it's just at the beginning of the town, before the La Torre supermarket.
On the first day we did only 14 kilometers, but some of it was a good way up. Maps.me indicates approximately 6 hours for that distance.
We went through Santa Catarina, which surprised us with the colorful blue houses and the variety of handcrafts. Then San Antonio de Palopo, where we had some difficulties in finding anything to eat.
In the afternoon we arrived at a lookout point, just 2 kilometers before Agua Escondida. The views were so stunning and the surrounding so welcoming, that we decided to stay there. Since, if a place calls you, just stay where you are.
We pitched the tent in a front line of the lake, and had some basic supper (bread with peanut butter) watching the most amazing sunset over the lake. It was an unforgettable moment!
The first day it didnt rain at all, neither during the day, nor durning the night, which was really quite surprising, since the previous weeks it was always raining at least during the night. After all, we are in the middle of the rainy season in Guatemala!
For the entire 5-day trip, we spent 152 quetzales (22 USD), so the daily expense is approx. 4USD).
I hope you will enjoy the video and the views. And that it will be an inspiration for you to do something alternative, less touristy and well off the beaten track around the Atitlan Lake!
If you know of anyone, who is as much into hiking as me, or you think anyone could benefit from the video, share it with them:)
Empower through travel!
Maximón (San Simón), Zunil, Guatemala
From Wikipedia -
Maximón is a saint venerated in various forms by Maya people of several towns in the highlands of Western Guatemala.
The origins of his cult are not very well understood by outsiders to the different Mayan religions, but Maximón is believed to be a form of the pre-Columbian Maya god Mam, blended with influences from Catholicism. Maximón may also be called San Simón. Originally, he was believed to be a Catholic priest who had looked after aboriginals during early 1600s.
Where Maximón is venerated, he is represented by an effigy which resides in a different house each year, being moved in a procession during Holy Week. During the rest of the year, devotees visit Maximón in his chosen residence, where his shrine is usually attended by two people from the representing Cofradia who keep the shrine in order and pass offerings from visitors to the effigy. Worshippers offer money, spirits and cigars or cigarettes to gain his favour in exchange for good health, good crops, and marriage counseling, amongst other favours. The effigy invariably has a lit cigarette or cigar in its mouth, and in some places, it will have a hole in its mouth to allow the attendants to give it spirits to drink.
San Simón in Zunil, 2007Maximón is generally dressed in European 18th century style, although with many local variations. In Santiago Atitlán he is adorned with many colourful garlands, while in Zunil (where he is known as San Simón) he has a much more intimidating style, with his face obscured by dark sunglasses and a bandanna.
The worship of Maximón treats him not so much as a benevolent deity as a bit of a bully whom it's wise to keep on the right side of. He is also known to be a link between Xibalbá The Underworld and Bitol Corazón del Cielo. His expensive tastes in alcohol and cigarettes indicate that he is a very human character, very different from the ascetic ideals of Christian sainthood. Devotees believe that prayers for revenge, or success at the expense of others, are likely to be granted by Maximón.
The beautiful hot springs of Fuentes Georginas, Guatemala.
This video is part of Travellin' Troz's blog which
follows Trond and Roz's adventure from Vancouver, Canada through Central and South America in a Suzuki Samurai.
Check out the full story behind the video at contactpictures.com
Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs Guatemala
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