Guatemala is a beautiful country with an abundance of colourful crafts and markets, mountain, jungle and coastal scenery, and some spectacular Mayan ruins. The middle weekend of the team’s two-week visit is free time for those wanting to see more of the country. From our own experience we suggest the following possiblities.

Chichicastenango: only on Thursdays and Sundays. Chichi, as it is more commonly referred to, has the largest Mayan market in Central Guatemala. On market days the cobbled streets burst with colour and life. The town also attracts interest because it is a centre for Mayan religious life. In Chichi Christianity and shamanism mix together in an eclectic way. During church festivals it is common to see members of Chichi’s fourteen brotherhoods - known as cofradias - walking in a grand procession wearing the men’s traditional traje, and carrying an effigy of their patron saint through the crowded streets.

Lago de Atitlan: a beautiful volcanic lake nestled spectacularly in a ring of volcanoes. Several small towns and villages lie around its shores. The largest, Panajachel, though not particularly interesting in itself is one of Guatemala’s oldest tourist hangouts and the jumping off point for boat trips round the lake. The most popular destination is the traditional village of Santiago Atitlan, where the cigarette-smoking and rum-drinking god Maximon is still worshipped. Other boats stop at smaller, more peaceful villages some of which cannot be reached by road. These include San Marcos la Laguna, which is known as a meditation centre, and Santa Cruz la Laguna and Jaibalito from where there are picturesque hikes. Not far from Panajachel are the ruins of Iximche, the capital of the Kaqchikel Maya.

Tikal: magnificent Mayan ruins in the jungle of northern Guatemala where towering pyramids rise out of the jungle canopy. The site is extremely atmospheric particularly around sunrise and sunset. To be fully appreciated it is advisable to take two days as this trip requires a short flight from Guatemala City to Flores. For the energetic this can be fitted into our middle weekend.

Monterrico: small fishing village on the Pacific Coast. Tropical and lazy with a few rustic cabins with thatched roofs right on the beach. Boat tours to the Biotopo Monterrico-Hawai, a coastal nature reserve with mangrove swamps and breeding grounds for the endangered leatherback and ridely turtles.

Copan, Quirigia and Rio Dulce: Copan lies just across the border in Honduras and is one of the most important Mayan ruins. Quirigia also has Mayan ruins, which are known for their intricately carved stelae. The Rio Dulce flows through tropical jungle scenery as it connects Lago de Izabal, Guatemala’s largest lake, to the Caribbean coast. Boat trips on the river can take travellers as far as Livingstone on coast.

Quetzaltenango: Guatemala’s second largest city and centre of the Quiche Maya.

The Lonely Planet guidebooks ‘Guatemala’ and ‘Belize, Guatemala and Yucatan: La Ruta Maya’ will give you all the information you need and more.

Although the local trips can be arranged once in Guatemala, it is best to book Tikal or other longer trips before leaving Canada. Our previous teams have worked with Adventure Travel, whose owner Real Desrosiers, is originally form Montreal, and has lived in Guatemala for seventeen years. He started Adventure Travel fourteen years ago. Adventure Travel can also help with holiday plans for those able to stay on after the surgeries have finished.

Click for Adventure travel’s website