Guatemala City

I had a great trip here, but when I got to the bus station, it was quite scary.

Thank goodness my Airbnb host picked me up, then all was fine!

Guatemala City, Guatemala – August 2016

Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala, sitting up in the country’s central highlands. Here are a few photos from my visit.

Taking the Bus from Flores to Guatemala City

Coming from Flores, I took the bus to Guatemala City, and it took me somewhere between 8 and 10 hours, which is pretty normal for this trip. It’s about 480 to 500 km (300 to 310 miles). The road heads south from Santa Elena through Poptún and Río Dulce, which is about the halfway point, then joins the Atlantic Highway at La Ruidosa and runs west past Morales and El Rancho into the capital. Horses were a regular sight along the side of the road the whole way, usually tied to posts by their owners.

The long-distance buses are first-class Pullman coaches with reclining seats, air conditioning and a bathroom, which makes a long day on the road a lot easier. They leave from the Terminal Central de Buses in southern Santa Elena, about 1.5 km from the causeway to Flores.

If you’re planning the trip today, buses run every day. Fuente del Norte leaves at 8:30 AM, 1:00 PM, and 8, 9 and 10 PM, and ADN has buses at 9 and 10 PM. Fares run about Q260 to Q420 (roughly US$34 to $55). Schedules and prices change, so check before you go, and don’t count on arriving on time. These buses often get in an hour or two late.

Large double-decker bus parked at the station in Flores for the trip to Guatemala City
Catching the bus from Flores to Guatemala City.
View from inside a bus of the driver and windshield on the road from Flores to Guatemala City, with a white horse standing on the roadside
On the bus from Flores to Guatemala City, settling in for the long ride. Look through the windshield and you’ll spot a horse just hanging out on the side of the road.
Green rolling hills and farmland on the way to Guatemala City
Green rolling hills and farmland on the way to Guatemala City.
Rolling green hills and farm fields seen on the trip to Guatemala City
More of the green countryside rolling by.
Green hills and farmland with a pole in the foreground on the road to Guatemala City
The hills and farms just kept going.
Valley with farm fields and distant mountains under a cloudy sky on the way to Guatemala City
A valley with fields and mountains as the clouds rolled in.
Table with breakfast and a laptop on the patio of an Airbnb in Guatemala City, looking out over a green lawn and trees
Breakfast and a little work with a view of the garden at my Airbnb in Guatemala City.
Shaded covered patio with tables and chairs and a garden behind it at an Airbnb in Guatemala City
The covered patio at the Airbnb, a nice shady spot to hang out.
Indoor dining and lounge room with a wood floor and tables at an Airbnb in Guatemala City
Inside the Airbnb, with plenty of room to spread out.
Red classic convertible sports car parked in a garage at an Airbnb in Guatemala City
A red classic convertible parked in the garage at the Airbnb.
White vintage pickup truck parked in a covered garage at an Airbnb in Guatemala City
And a white vintage pickup parked right next to it.
Colorful painted chicken bus on a street in Guatemala City
One of the colorful painted chicken buses you see all over Guatemala City.
Uniformed guards outside a stone building with a large eagle emblem in Guatemala City, seen through a car window
Uniformed guards outside a stone building with a big eagle emblem, snapped through the car window.
Mark waving and smiling in a selfie indoors at his Airbnb in Guatemala City
Me saying hola from the Airbnb in Guatemala City.
Covered road and curb outside the airport terminal in Guatemala City
Arriving at the airport in Guatemala City.
View through a large terminal window onto the runway at the Guatemala City airport
Looking out the terminal window at the runway.
Man pulling a suitcase along a tree-lined road at the Guatemala City airport
Rolling a suitcase along the tree-lined road at the airport.
Road outside the Guatemala City airport with cars and people, where teachers were protesting
The road by the airport, where teachers were protesting that day.