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:
I highly recommend a tour with MTB Guatemala! We got to ride a wide variety of trails and see lots of little towns and villages that we never would have experienced otherwise. The guides were great and I can't wait to do another tour with them soon!
sam December 21, 2023
Best experience for my first time mountain biking ever! Choosing to do the 2 day Tecpan - Lake Atitlan tour— I admit, I was nervous in the beginning, since I road bike when I’m at home—also going with my brother who is on another advanced level than I am— but... read more our guides Alex, Nefta, and Eric made this trip such a great learning experience for me that I will return for more!
Knowing their backyard well and studying what I could / could not do they guided me into the next turns well. I did have a few minor spills but nothing enough to make me want to stop—also, first aid skills, on point.
Not only do they take you into secluded places that only people on foot go— they also teach you about the history of Guatemala, taking you into numerous eco systems that pass through ancient Mayan sites, routes, that head straight into breathe taking views. Pictures don’t do it justice
I promise— Even if you choose to do a beginner, intermediate or advanced ride, you will not regret it. This is the best way to discover the beauty and culture that Guate has to to offer. I feel closer to my parents country more than ever. Unforgettable trip! Bravo! Era espectacular!! Gracias por todo muchachos
^.^
Marii
Mariisa January 21, 2020
A truly amazing way to see Guatemala. The guides, gear, and itinerary are top notch. I was on a nicer bike than the one I own at home! I would recommend this to any group at any skill level. Rides can be customized to the group’s skill level to ensure... read more everyone has a comfortable adventure. We were stoked on the chill trails that showed off epic views and ended the day with an awesome rowdy trail to give us a taste of the gnarly downhills that Guatemala offers. We’re already convincing our friends to plan a trip so we can hangout with the MTB Guatemala crew again. Truly impressed by this company and all they’ve built here. Woooot!
sarah January 28, 2023
Amazing experience with MTB Guatemala on two consecutive day tours in Tecpan and Antigua, great trails and views! The team is also super knowledgeable about local culture and history so you will discover more than just trails. On top of all of this, the snacks and food were delicious, not... read more just your typical bagged sandwich! I would 100% recommend them for a great authentic Guatemalan mtb experience!
DI December 21, 2023
Wow, what a mountain bike vacation. I took the custom 8-day tour with MTB Guatemala in March of 2021. I have not traveled out of the country before, and I cannot think of a better way to do it. Brendan and his crew were outstanding hosts. ... read more They always brought a positive attitude that made it feel like we were on an adventure of a lifetime! I have lived in Colorado my entire life and spent the last 7 years mountain biking often. I have been to destinations across the USA and I have to say that Guatemala contained some of my very favorite rides to date. The local knowledge of the area and elaborate trail networks allowed the MTB Guatemala crew to hand select amazing rides for all the members in the group. We barely scratched the surface on the rides in Guatemala, but we experienced a great range of riding from rocky technical descending to fast flowy ripping. The single track always included incredible views! I can’t describe the amount of value that was packed into this trip. The riding was incredible, and the cultural experience centered around Mayan tradition was exceptionally interesting and valuable. Brendan and his team worked tirelessly to provide excellent meals and accommodations. Bouncing from location to location made the trip feel like the ultimate adventure. I cannot recommend a trip with MTB Guatemala enough and I am so grateful for the years of work put in to accomplishing such an amazing itinerary. You need to go check it out for yourself; I can guarantee that if you love mountain biking and adventure, you will love this trip.
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.
Shuttle supported Cross country tour to the top of the world! – Big views of 4 volcanoes await on this intermediate cross country mountain bike tour in Antigua.
A true backcountry loop – if you enjoy hiking with your bike, long, raw bushwack descents and a full day in the mountains where very few go -untouched cloud forest and incredible views await.
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