Antigua Walking Tour & Jade  Workshops w/ Cocktail (Mocktail) Class

We begin the day wandering around Antigua with our local guide to learn the history of the city, and explore the beauty and culture all within walking distance.  In 1543, the Spanish conquistadors founded present-day Antigua, and named it Santiago de los Caballeros. For more than 200 years, it served as the seat of the military governor of the Spanish colony of Guatemala, a large region that included almost all of present-day Central America and the southernmost State of Mexico: Chiapas.
The city was laid out in a square pattern, with streets running north to south and from east to west, with a central square. Both church and government buildings were designated important places around the central plaza.  The city is surrounded by three enormous volcanoes and mountains, plains and hills.

Lunch at a local favorite, you won't be disappointed! 

Xibalba (Shee-bal-ba) was the name the K'iche Maya gave to the underworld and Xibalba Studio was born from the exploration of different ancestral techniques to present a subtle interpretation of Guatemalan culture and tradition. Today, we will visit this woman-owned studio and shop to participate in a hands-on workshop in which you will make your own unique piece of jade jewelry to take home. You’ll start by picking your stone from a large selection of unique shades and tones, searching for that special piece that speaks to your soul. From there you actually get to design, carve, polish, drill and clean your stone, transforming it into a piece of high quality jewelry. From start to finish, you get to feel like a jewelry designer and take home a special piece of Guatemala with you!In addition to making your very own necklace, bracelet or ring, you'll also learn how to make a delicious and uniquely Guatemalan cocktail, known as "El Kame". Tonight we will be joined by one of the talented mixologist from Ulew, a speakeasy style bar in Antigua that has set the craft cocktail bar high in this small town. Together we will discuss the origin of the cocktail, the ingredients and the technique to produce a balanced drink that embodies the flavors and spirit of Guatemala. 
Dine at Hectors for another local fav.  

Get off the beaten path as we head to Alotenango, 30 minutes outside of Antigua, for a unique coffee tour with our friend Don José. Upon arrival at Don Jose’s, we’ll climb into the back of his pickup truck and ride through the farmland of Alotenango to visit his small coffee plot. Here, he will teach us about all the steps involved in making your morning cup of joe - from cultivation, harvest, processing, all the way to roasting and preparing! You will also enjoy spectacular views of the countryside and observe many other plants and crops in the area such as corn, avocado, beans, jocotes, and various trees and medicinal plants. 

After our time at Don José's coffee plot, we will return to his house to enjoy a delicious pepián prepared with love by Don Jose’s family members. We will finish our time with Don José and his family by enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

After lunch, we’ll take a short drive back towards Antigua, stopping in the town of Jocotenango, where our friend Molly has her store, Luna Zorro. Luna Zorra is a culturally rich textile line and lifestyle brand that reflects and encourages travel, creativity, and social responsibility. Their projects combine old-world weaving traditions with contemporary designs presented in a global marketplace. 

Today we will participate in a flower dye workshop with an introduction to bundle dye with local flowers from the garden. Students assist the instructor with preparing the fabric and materials to be dyed. Walking through the step-by-step process of collecting the flowers, dyeing, and drying. Each student will design a pattern using dry flowers and onion skin to dye their apron. Time after the workshop will be available for browsing the Luna Zorro studio space and gardens.

Free evening to wander around Antigua

During your visit to Antigua’s incredible indoor/outdoor market, you will learn all about Guatemalan fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood, dairy products, herbs, and spices while we purchase fresh food directly from local growers to use in our cooking class. You will also observe many household goods for sale along with clothing, small appliances, toys, prepared food, flowers, artisan goods and goods used in traditional medicine and Maya ritual practices. This market tour gives you a deeper look at everyday life for many Guatemalans.

 After we collect our groceries for the class, we will head to our friend Joaquin's house.  During this interactive class, you will learn about traditional Guatemalan food and cooking techniques passed down over centuries. You will also touch on different aspects of Guatemala's history during the pre-hispanic period, the colonial period, and the modern day period (20th-21st century) in order to better understand modern day Guatemalan cuisine. In today's very special class, the principal dish we will prepare is fiambre. 

Fiambre is a traditional Guatemalan salad that is prepared and eaten yearly to celebrate All Saints Day in Guatemala. It is served chilled and may be made with dozens of ingredients. Typically it is prepared one day before eating in order to allow the flavors to mingle. Fiambre started out from the tradition in Guatemala of visiting the graves of family members who had passed away and bringing them their favorite dishes to the cemeteries for the Day of the Dead. As all different families brought food to the celebrations, they became mixed, eventually mixing them together to this all-encompassing salad. Ingredients usually include numerous sausages and cold cuts, pickled baby corn and onion, beets, pacaya flower, different cheeses, olives, chicken, and sometimes even brussel sprouts.
This dish varies from family to family, recipes traditionally passed on to younger generations. Because of this, on the Day of The Dead, it is customary to share your fiambre with other families and relatives. We will make our fiambre today and leave it chilling overnight at Joaquin's to enjoy the following day at the cemetery. 

During our time at Joaquin´'s we will enjoy another craft workshop where you’ll go home with your very own custom-designed artisan mask, perfect for hanging on your wall and remembering your time in Guatemala. For centuries, the indigenous population has carved extraordinary masks that show us the various and colorful expressions of the Guatemalan culture. These masks play an essential role in rituals, dances, dramas and religious ceremonies of Guatemala and reflect the Maya cosmovision. Before diving into painting your mask, we will learn about the masks and their meaning from a local woodworker and artisan who hand carves these masks, and other wooden crafts for a living. We will then enjoy painting our masks on the terrace, listening to music and enjoying this opportunity for cultural exchange. When finished, each of you will have your own personalized mask to take back home.Food and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will be provided.

Optional Night Out: Halloween in Antigua 

While Halloween is not a traditional celebration within Guatemalan culture, it has become more popular in recent decades due to the multicultural community in Antigua. For those looking to dress up and celebrate your Tour Leaders will be happy to accompany you to one of the town's many Halloween parties or do a pub crawl to eat, drink, listen to music and dance this Halloween. Many places have Halloween Costume contests even so feel free to bring down a costume or we can hit the "paca", aka second hand market, in search of something fun! 

DIA DE TODOS LOS SANTOS,  All Saints Day

The Festival de Barriletes Gigantes, or Giant Kite Festival held in Sumpango is about half an hour drive from Antigua city limits, and is a very special day in Guatemalan culture. According to the Kaqchikel’s cosmogony, the kites represent a way of communication between the dead (the saints) and the living. It is believed that on that day the souls of the ancestors are released for twenty-four hours where the spirits are free to return to their homes, their loved ones, and their descendants. So on this day, the municipality of Sumpango celebrates with its famous annual Kite Festival. We will see the magnificent, giant kites that different community groups from Sumpango have been working on for months prior to the event, cutting and pasting different colored paper to create priceless pieces of art. The kites often display important messages, including messages regarding love, caring for the environment and women’s rights. The kites vary in size from 2 to over 20 meters in diameter. They are made purely of tissue paper so that, even though they are large, they can be flown when the wind permits. Enjoy a great morning being part of this tradition on this very special day!

The afternoon is yours to rest, shop, drink coffee.  We will meet back up for a dinner out at Barriga Llena.  

Our Pacaya Volcano Hike is an unforgettable adventure: active and fun for the whole family or a group of friends. Our morning starts the approximately 75-minute journey to the famed Pacaya Volcano, situated southeast of La Antigua. Once we’ve arrived it’s roughly a 1.5 to 2-hour hike up this active volcano. While on our hike we will appreciate expansive views of La Antigua and Guatemala City and on a clear day, we may even see the Pacific Coast in the distance. Our local guide will stop at various places to share interesting facts about the flora and fauna, as well as the neighboring towns. Upon arriving at the summit, we’ll visit a small jewelry stand that sells beautiful items made by local artisans utilizing volcanic rock and ash from previous eruptions in 2010 and 2014. Here we will roast marshmallows over lava rock and enjoy a picnic lunch before beginning our descent. Horses are available to rent if you prefer not to hike. Approximately $13 each way.

Casa Santo Domingo Spa Day, Optional Add-on $95 USD

Relax after your morning hike at the decadent Casa Santo Domingo Spa. Enjoy a 60-minute holistic massage along with other facilities including a heated pool, lounge chairs, on-site restaurant, sauna/steam room and the one of the world's most beautiful jacuzzis. Massage, and access to spa facilities until 9:00 pm are included along with towel, robe, sandals, locker, and personal soap and comb. There is an onsite restaurant and bar and you can open a tab and pay at the end. If you would like to book an additional spa service please let us know ahead of time!
Tonight we will celebrate the end of an incredible week together, exploring Antigua Guatemala and the surrounding villages, with a special farewell dinner at Mesón Panza Verde. Mesón Panza Verde restaurant strives to unite the best of both old-and new worlds, representing a contemporary Guatemala rich in its blended historic traditions but openly curious, exploring the new fusions of a world without culinary borders. Using European culinary techniques, influenced by Guatemalan ingredients, a rich story, deliciously unfolds, of Guatemala's multicultural roots. 

After checkout from your hotel travelers will either continue on to the Flow Yoga Retreat at Lake Atitlán or head to the airport for their departure flight. Likewise, if individuals would like to stay in Guatemala and need assistance coordinating activities or transportation to other areas Heart of Travel is happy to assist. 

Transportation to the airport is included in the price of the trip.