La Ruta Maya Enduro: Antigua to Atitlan

What to Expect

DAY 1: Iximche Enduro

Today’s ride starts with a shuttle up to a small village just beneath Acatenango volcano at 2,500 mts. Volcanoes dominate the view as we tightrope down the ridge back to the valley floor. Trails criss cross the landscape as we pass through agricultural fields & villages. We’ll finish up the morning at a shrine to a local Mayan spiritual diety, Maximon. A short shuttle takes us to the top of the mountains overlooking the ruins of Iximche. A series of steep technical trail offers up the first glimpses of Lake Atitlan and the ravines and valleys between. Our last descent drops us just outside of the Iximche Ruins. We’ll take a guided tour of the site and then head off to the hotel for a earned rest.

DAY 2: Mayan Traverse

Our route follows the exodus of the Kaqchiquel to Lake Atitlán after the Spanish conquest. The lake is still alive with their culture and language. We will descend the infamous “sendero de las vacas” named after encounters with cows ascending the deep, switchbacking trail, bikers had to climb up to let the herd pass! At the top of a brutal 7km climb, we will get our first views of Lake Atitlán; an enormous volcanic caldera surrounded by 3 volcanoes. After a picnic lunch with a view we will descend the famous Santa Cat downhill trail famous for it’s unique urban downhill through the town of Santa Catarina Palopó. We’ll have a quick ride over to Panajachel to check-in to the hotel and enjoy the evening.

DAY 3: Atitlan Slickrock

Our shuttle up to high above the lake to nearly 3,000 mts give us views of the canyons and volcanoes around. We climb 5 kms on trail and the Atitlan slickrock to an area known as “El Corazon de las Nubes” a Mayan Ceremonial site. The ecology at this altitude in Guatemala is home to a unique mix of alpine grass, grazing sheep, and agave plants. We will follow rocky, technical singletrack through pine forests passing through small Mayan communities. After a picnic lunch and short shuttle we will continue our descent to Lake Atitlán on a 1,000 mtr downhille trail – the most technical of all the tour. Back in “Pana” as its locally known, we’ll meet a our driver and head on back to Antigua… that is unless we’ve convinced you to extend your ride!

Trail Map