Departamento de Guatemala

Having explored La Antigua when we stopped at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala in 2017, we wanted to do something different this time. Unfortunately, everything that looked interesting to us was just a bit too far. So, we decided to have a spa day instead.

We found information about the Santa Teresita Spa in Amatitlan, about 60-90 minutes from the port. The question was … what to do about transportation. Winging it from the port with a taxi or Uber was an option. But then, Sonia found a tour on the Shore Excursions website … R/T transportation; admission to the spa; smoothies; and lunch included. So, we booked it.

It worked out perfectly. The operator was Grey Line Tours. There were just the four of us … in a van that could probably accommodate 12 people. The traffic flowed smoothly — in both directions — so, no unnecessary delays along the way. And, as I posted in my earlier footprint, we even got to see Volcán de Fuego puff a time or two.

When we arrived at the spa, we were turned over to Antonio who took us under his wing. “Take a shower and then go into the first pool for 10 minutes,” he instructed. It continued from there, with him telling us which pool to use next and for how long. The water temperature ranged from a hot 105F (didn’t feel like it to me) to a cold 75F (felt a heck of a lot colder to me). Our favorite pools were the ones where the water was 98F and 88F, respectively. By the way, the thermal waters at the spa, processed so as to be usable, come from a hot vein under Pacaya Volcano.

With hour-long deep tissue massage sessions costing a mere $40, we couldn’t resist making add-on reservations for treatments. Once we were done with the thermal circuit, and had relaxed in the jacuzzi for a while, we headed to the treatment rooms. Ahhhh! So great.

Then it was time for lunch. We had given our order in advance, choosing from the four options we were presented with by Antonio — hamburger, grilled chicken, barbecue chicken, and pizza. We all agreed that the food was good … the quantity more than generous. Since we were all too relaxed, we skipped having beer and enjoyed refreshing glasses of hibiscus water with our meal instead.

The return trip — after a quick stop to check out scenic Lake Amatitlan — was uneventful.

As soon as I got back to the cabin, I made myself comfortable on the veranda … shade and a cooling breeze both being welcome as even now (after 5:00p) it is 86F in the sun here at the port. Not that I can complain about air temperature today. We were at 3,800+ feet in Amatitlan and the temp was in the low-70F range. Definitely a nice change from the sweltering 92F we had in Puerto Chiapas yesterday.

Off to have wine with Sonia and Boris on their veranda! And then dinner at the Terrace Café.

P.S. the cell signal is really bad at the port … and so is the wi-fi … so only one photo tonight.Read more