Two couples are looking at Guatemala to celebrate 50th b-days in January; we are regular world travelers and the other couple novices but he speaks fluent Spanish. To please everyone, we would like to combine a trip that has some activity (biking, hiking, kayaking) and some culture. Both Antigua and Lake Atitlan sound great but can we work this out for a 4-5 night stay in Guatemala? Or any other suggestions--we were also considering a whale watching trip somewhere or seeing the butterfly migration in Mexico (too dangerous now?). We've done most of the other countries in Central America unless there are new adventures we may have missed.

The ruins at Tikal are pretty amazing, so I'd try to fit those in if you can.

Yes, you can fit both Antigua and Lake Atitlán into the same trip, 2-3 nights each. When you have your travel schedule we could help with itinerary suggestions.

Also, have you been to Belize? It's an easy place to combine Maya sites with blue water time.

My photos with blog, travelogue, and review links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there.
Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

Have you been to Costa Rica? We love the adventure activities there - ziplining at Sky Trek, white water rafting with Rios Tropicales, waterfall rappelling with La Roca, and nice hiking at volcanoes, waterfalls, and hanging bridges.

Thanks for your input...we have been to Belize, Costa Rica, etc. Guatemala and El Salvador are the only countries in Central America that we have missed.