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Antigua · Sacatepéquez · Guatemala
2 Day Lake Atitlán XC Traverse
Starting From
From $339.58 per person
Current Project Expedition rate
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Project Expedition
The Experience
What your day looks like
This is an epic cross country ride, literally from the Antigua Valley to lake Atitlan. It can be done in 2 or 3 days depending on how much you want to stretch out the fun. The 2-day trip is a bit longer each day but overall more direct than the 3-day ride. We are able to take advantage of some extra single-track closer to Antigua on the day one of the three-day ride to stretch it out. It doesn't necessarily mean the 3-day ride is any easier, perhaps slightly shorter days. However you decide to go, we head out from our hotel in Antigua, we make a loop up onto the ridges to the north of town, riding a mix of coffee planters trails and technical single-track. Both rides after day one pretty much follow the same track, old trade routes and foot paths that criss-cross the high plateaus. The ride drops through and climbs out of various ravines making its way across the mountainous topography towards Lake Atitlan. The final day has a larger paved climb up to the rim of the volcanic caldera of the lake. After lunch overlooking the lake, the ride drops in on some of Guates best trail down to Pana.
Highlights
Why travelers choose this experience
- Choose your trip : you can make in two or three days
- Accommodation provided in Cool B&Bs and community lodges
- Ride in the middle of incredible settings such as coffee plantations
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Antigua
Mountain Biking at Las Tierras Altas Circuit. We leave out from our hotel in Antigua and make our way across the valley through Antigua’s neighboring villages to the base of the climb up to the Tierras Altas plateau. On the plateau we’ll enjoy a few kms. of flatish terrain to catch our breath before arriving to the base of our next big climb of the day. Once we’ve pushed further onto the high plateau we will begin a cross-country push to the west passing through lots of small Mayan villages and farmsteads. Once on the plateau most of the positive and negative topography will be cross ravines.
Continued
Antigua
We’ll have a delicious lunch prepared by the support van just past the half way mark.
Continued
Antigua
Continuing on we will drop into our mountainside B&B on some pretty sweet forest singletrack.
Day 2
Antigua
Mountain Biking at Lake Atitlán. Our ride to the lake is probably the most difficult of the two but certainly has the biggest views. A beautiful riverside trail takes us out from the hotel to the base of a climb to the indigenous town of Patzun. We must cross through town and climb out on perhaps the steepest push of the trip yet. Locally know as the “matagringo” or gringo killer there’s a beer for whoever cleans it. At the top we cross the first of the major ravines of the day with yet another opportunity to earn your cold beers at days end. The climb our is steeper and longer than the last and is all single-track. Dig deep and find the “eye of the tiger” for this one. At the top we continue cross country through a couple remote settlements before crossing into our next ravine. It’s a bomber descent to the bottom and short hike a bike push out the other side. One last big climb up takes us to the edge of the Lake Atitlan caldera. The drop in from here is perhaps some of Guate’s best most scenic single-track. Once in Panajachel the gateway city to Lake Atitlan we’ll either stop in for cold beers before heading back to Antigua or wherever else you might be going!
Planning Details
Before you go
Included
Full vehicle support (gear shuttle)
Meeting & Pickup
Hotel pickup available within Antigua area or meet us at Old Town Outfitters Shop (Our storefront is located on the corner of 5a Avenida and 6a Calle, one block south of Central Park).
Planning Notes
Hotel pickup offered: Yes Confirmation: Manual By Business
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