Join us for a week of epic gravity assisted riding in Guatemala along with local celebration and culture! Our Day of the Dead Enduro mountain biking tour is our best gravity ride held once a year in the volcanic paradise of Guatemala.
November 1st in Guatemala is known as All Saints’ Day or Day of the Dead. The date is sacred to the Mayan people and in the weeks leading up to “Dia de Los Muertos” the country is alive with color and celebration. Kites are flown a way to communicate with the beyond. Cemeteries are turned into fiestas as relatives come to celebrate with the deceased.
On this new 7 day Enduro Mountain Biking tour we’ll will start in the colonial Spanish capital of Antigua, stay at our mountain cabin in Tecpán visit Atitlán, one of the most beautiful lake in the world, freeride lava fields on the Pacaya Volcano and finish at the surf-town of el Paredón on the Pacific.
6 jam-packed days of enduro mountain biking, of spirit chasing, small town celebrations, and epic technical riding on our best gravity mountain bike ride of the year!
We will meet you at the airport transferring you to Antigua Guatemala for a special welcome dinner and celebration. Tools and bike stand will be provided and our crew will be there to assist with bike assembly.
Hotel Night 1: Cacique Real Antigua, Guatemala
Located in a peaceful area but still close enough to the center of the city Hotel Cacique Real has a beautiful terrace and garden with remodeled open rooms set in a colonial era mansion. The hotel comes equipped with an in-house restaurant and spectacular Volcano views.
With high emotions high we’ll set out to sample some of the best downhill trails in Antigua Guatemala. We will shuttle up below Acatenango and active Fuego Volcano – beginning a day full of blistering descents coffee farms and milkshakes. This day includes 3 shuttles in three of the prominent ecosystems in the Antigua valley with over 2000m of descent.
What is the riding like in Antigua Guatemala? The mountain biking in antigua is loose and deep on volcanic soil. You’ll get a chance to sample some of the famous toboggan runs that pass through lush cloud forests.
Hotel: MTB Guatemala Cabaña Tecpán
Our base of operations this swiss cabin is located at 2800m in the mountains of Tecpán, about 1hr from Antigua. This solar powered cabin includes electricity and hot water with dormitory style lodging and fireplaces in each room for heating.
Welcome to this MTB dream wonderland! Tecpán is known for its incredibly versatile terrain and epic riding. We will shred the best trails in town and visit the Ruins of Iximche during the afternoon, before shutting to a unique mountain lodge for the night at 2900m.
What is is the mountain biking like in Tecpán Guatemala? The riding in Tecpán follows 100 year old logging trails and pre-Hispanic foothpaths of the Maya. Due to the altitude there are still a lot of native pine forests, with roots and rocks. In Tecpán we have built dozens of kilometers of trails to add flow to the region.
Hotel Night 3: MTB Guatemala Cabaña Tecpán
Our cozy home for the night situated on a 300 acre property with fantastic views of the erupting Fuego Volcano. This evening we’ll be preparing a camp dinner barbeque style.
Today we will follow an ancient Mayan route point to point. Starting from the top of Cerro Tecpán, we’ll cross varios ecosystems to reach the shore of Lake Atitlán. Ride awesome trails, enjoy the astonishing views of the volcanoes, delve into Guatemala’s vibrant culture and finish off with an epic boat ride into the sunset!
– The Route of the Kaqchikel
Hotel Night 4: La Casa Del Mundo
This Magical Boat Accessed hotel is built atop a cliff with magnificent views of the volcanoes of Lake Atitlán.
This is an optional rest day. Those who would like can enjoy the beauty of Lake Atitlán and rest up with a day of swimming and relaxing.
For those who prefer to ride we’ll shuttle up to an exclusive route along the edge of the atitlán crater connecting spectacular viewpoints before descending over 1200m on a jungle flow trail.
In the evening we will boat over to Panajachel for the town’s annual day of the dead fiesta in the cemetery.
In the morning, we will shuttle to the mountain of Tecpán where we will sample an an epic 1200m technical descent through steep pine forests. We will attend the Giant Kite Festival in Sumpango in the afternoon.
The Festival de Barrialetes Gigantes is one of the largest Day of the Dead-celebrations in Guatemala, where locals display enormous 30m kites that they have been working on for many months. We will wrap up the week back in Antigua.
From the summit to the sea – join us for our Bonus Day Ride and bike all the way to the Pacific Ocean! We’ll start with a freeride on the slopes of the active Pacaya Volcano
Follow rugged jeep track and traverse a variety of climates, including rich cloud forest, waterfalls, coffee and sugarcane plantations down to sea level. A monster day to finish off a monster week!
Hotel Night 7: El Paredón Surf House
Located steps from surf el Paredón surf house was the original hotel that made this beach famous!
After spending the night at the beach, it will be time to say goodbye on our last day as we head back to Antigua to culminate our tour.
If you would like to extend your trip with another day of riding or other activities, such as kayaking or surfing at El Paredón, we can help you with that!
Please let us know at your time of booking if you have plans to stay at the beach and we can help you coordinate additional nights of accommodation.
FULL SHUTTLE SUPPORT
All of our multi-day trip include full shuttle support with 4×4 vehicles that follow us along the route with various reunion points throughout the day. The vehicles provide a base for your luggage, snacks and water and allow you to cut out sections of riding or take breaks if needed.
About us:
We are a rider-run tour operator with expert guides, exclusive routes and a high standards for security and safety. We live here in Guatemala and our tours are the result of years of riding and collaboration with local community. Let us show you the the best riding that Guatemala has to offer!
REVIEWS
We are proud to have received over 300 Five star reviews! Here are a few:
Gracias a este grandioso equipo, mi esposo y yo conocimos Guatemala, sus pueblos, su cultura , su belleza de una forma que no hubiese sido posible como turistas comunes. La mejor forma de conocer un país, es en bicicleta. Brendan, Neftalí y Erick son un equipo maravilloso nos hicieron sentir... read more en familia desde el primer momento. “Lo importante no es el destino sino el recorrido” Neftalí. MTB Guatemala.
Alejandra February 18, 2022
Brendan James is an experienced mountain bike guide with a wealth of knowledge of trails, Guatemalan culture, and a great personality to boot. You will NOT be disappointed or bored on one of his tours. MTB Guatemala is a great place to get more information on mountain biking... read more in the area whether you're a new rider or an experienced one and meet local riders and truly get immersed in the growing and awesome mountain bike community.
Sydney February 15, 2019
Buen colazo, muy buen conocimiento de las rutas, eso da confianza
Cesar February 18, 2022
I just got back from a multi day tour (day of the dead enduro) and had a great time. The riding was fantastic, rugged, and varied- lots of steep rutted trails but also a fun urban downhill heading down to Lake Atitlan, and of course choosing your own path down... read more the Pacaya volcano. Equally (or perhaps more) importantly, I felt like a sincere effort was made to introduce the culture and people of Guatemala as well, thanks to all the non-biking activities included in the trip. One final note, as someone with Celiac who can't have gluten, I was very appreciative of Maria's efforts to keep me gluten free, even making a separate plate for me without a dash of soy sauce, which many people wouldn't recognize as having gluten. I'm sure anyone else with dietary needs would be similarly well taken care of. Thanks team!
Frank December 21, 2023
Brendan James is an experienced mountain bike guide with a wealth of knowledge of trails, Guatemalan culture, and a great personality to boot. You will NOT be disappointed or bored on one of his tours. MTB Guatemala is a great place to get more information on mountain biking... read more in the area whether you're a new rider or an experienced one and meet local riders and truly get immersed in the growing and awesome mountain bike community.
Sydney November 5, 2019
MTB Guatemala is awesome!!! These guys are really hard workers and work to make sure that you also have the best experience as possible. I did three separate private tours with them. Two out in Antigua and one in Pana with my GF.
The tour guides I had where Erick and... read more Neftaly. They were welcoming and receptive. They really worked hard to tailor the experience you wanted. These guys know what they’re doing, love mtbing, and have a strong passion for their country.
For anyone looking to have an amazing time mtbing in a beautiful country that flies under the radar then this is the place for you.Services: Group tours , City tours , Private tours
When you book a trip through us, there are no middlemen – no “in country partners”. We work directly with all accommodations and keep our costs honest.
Ride like a local.
We can connect you with local cycling culture and cycling events like no other travel company.
We are reliable.
When timelines and punctuality matter, we cut the riff-raff and get you out and riding.
All we do is Mountain Biking
We are rider run mountain biking only operation. Which means we focus on what we do well and do it the best.
The best equipment
We rent modern equipment and mountain bikes. All of our rental bikes are two years or newer and are professionally maintained and serviced.
With years of experience riding, racing and exploring in Guatemala, all our routes are carefully designed and unique to our company.
Meander through coffee and fruit plantations and climb steep agricultural singletrack at the foot of the Auga Volcano. This cross country tour has an enjoyable balance of climbing and descent.
Follow the path of the Kaqchikel Maya in this new multi-day mountain bike route for 2019! With high-altitude pine forests, a rich Mayan history, and tons of agricultural singletrack to explore Guatemala is an amazing place to ride a bike.
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