eater00

Trying to plan a Guatemala trip in June, but read that it's rainy season. Any advice on traveling in June? Thinking about staying a week and hitting up Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Chichi & Tikal. What's the best way to get to Tikal from the southwest area of Guatemala? Flight/bus/car? Thanks!

hopefulist

Sometimes it's still fairly dry in June, sometimes wetter but the rain will likely hit mainly in the late afternoons and evenings. That's a lot of ground to cover in just a week - try to grab at least a few more days if you can. For a short trip your options to Tikal are the night bus from Guatemala City to Flores (about 10 hours each way) or flights between GC and Flores. If you had more time you could break the trip up with stops along the way.

Photos and travelogues are here in case you want to check them out: http://flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

Vttraveler

I agree that if you only have a week you definitely should not try to drive to Tikal. It is a long trip on difficult roads. It is definitely worth staying overnight in the park.

Showard

We recently returned from a brief (5-day) visit to Guatemala mid-May. Yes, it was the rainy season; however, rains were a factor only one day which was spent sightseeing/shopping in Antigua. Our rain jackets were handy and the rains there were intermittent and brief.

I must say, though, that the climate in Antigua was so nice that time of year -- not too hot for too long and mostly pleasant and cool in the evenings. I don't remember sleeping so well and on wonderful quality bedding and linens.

We took a day trip to the market in Chichicastenango via taxi. It was a rather stressful ride through the mountains; seems like all Guatemala travels by bus -- large, brightly-painted, noisy vehicles which belched clouds of black smoke upon departing the many bus-stops. Certainly a colorful experience -- Ha!

Once at Chichi, the market itself was pretty much as expected, with lots of vendors selling various Mayan textiles and artifacts along narrow, crowded walkways. What wasn't expected were the many children (and some women) who followed us everywhere (felt like the Pied Piper -- Ha!)throughout the market hawking their wares. "Regretto, mas tarde" didn't go very far with them.

But all in all, our visit to La Antigua Guatemala was fabulous. The people at the resort were friendly and helpful and the accommodations, superb. Just enjoying the beauty and serenity around us was enough to bring me back, again and again. Can't wait for the next vacation!

Jeff_Costa_Rica

The rains started about a month ago, and it's been raining mostly every day, but just for an hour or so in the afternoon or evening. June is very doable in a typical year.