In Search of the Resplendent Quetzal

A lady standing in front of a wall with painted wings behind her

Off to Santiago’s Cloud Forest

A dock with boats in the early morning

We are ready for our birding tour pick-up at 6:30am. The tour owner takes us by van to the public boat dock in Panajachel where he gets us in the correct boat going to Santiago on the other side of Lake Atitlan. We have to wait about 30 minutes for the boat to get enough passengers before it will leave. Many other boats are coming and going from other towns around the lake. There are mostly locals on the boat. One lady pulls out a blanket and wraps herself in it. And we are off…

a man sitting in the back of a pickup truck The winds make the ride cool but we move quickly and arrive in the town of Santiago in twenty minutes.

Our guide, Bruce meets us at the dock and loads us into the back of a pickup truck…an experience I would never get to have in Oakville.

Driving through the town, we are followed very closely by a very intent looking tuk-tuk driver. John dares me to flash him…I decline.

We lose the tuk-tuk at the town’s edge and continue to drive up and up into the cloud forest.

The Cloud Forest

A man with a scope and a woman with binoculars in a cloud forest

a lush cloud forest on a bright sunny day We arrive in a heavily forested reserve and I ungracefully flop out of the truck. Bruce immediately starts spotting birds for us; bright yellow flycatchers, scarlet tanagers and more.

We start hiking up into the cloud forest. Bruce keeps stopping and points out numerous birds. I don’t know how he spots them. The trail is narrow with lots of ups and downs and steep drops off the edge. John slips a few times. I fare much better but that is probably because I am holding Bruce’s hand in a Vulcan death grip.

two people standing under large sized leaves We step to the side of the trail to let an elderly looking man with a large pile of wood strapped to his back pass. I am amazed that he can do the slippery, steep track with that kind of weight attached. Bruce says that he sells the wood in town

The scenery is gorgeous. The day is sunny and the vegetation is an emerald toucan sitting in a tree lush. Some plants have leaves as large as me. Bruce points out the Pacific coast in the distance. We are very high up on a dormant volcano now.

Bruce stops and plays a bird call on his cellphone. He looks around and quickly sets up his scope. He points out an Emerald Toucan in the trees. So exciting.

Resplendent Quetzal

Tour Guide Bruce with Kimberly and John in the Cloud Forest The hike continues and I start to tire. “The Quetzals are just beyond this hill” Bruce says. And we climb.

At the hill top, he points to some distant trees in a valley. “They are in there”.

“Listen!” he says. We hear distant Quetzal sounds as we slip and slide our way down a steep hill to get a better view of the valley.

A Quatzal sitting in a tree The Resplendent Quetzal is a rare bird that only lives in a small number of cloud forests. It looks like a vibrantly coloured cute bird with a really long tail. Click here for a professional picture of the bird.

We arrive to the Quetzal trees but there are no visible inhabitants. Bruce looks concerned and plays bird calls on his cell phone. We wait about fifteen minutes while Bruce moves around looking for the elusive bird. He returns and sets up his scope … we see a male Quetzal in his iridescent turquoise and red glory, long tail gently swishing in the breeze. Click here to see a video of the Quetzal.

Boat Ride to San Pedro

Kimberly and John standing at the outlook over Lake Titlan

The hike back to the truck is even more difficult than the trip there because by this time the sun is blazing and it is really hot.

Before dropping us back to the boat, Bruce drives us to a gorgeous lookout where we can see both the Pacific coast and Lake Atitlan.

From Santiago it Is quick and easy to catch the boat to San Pedro; another town on Lake Atitlan. It is only about a fifteen minute ride. There are two seats left at the front of the boat, which is unusual because those seem to be the favoured seats. We sit and quickly figure out why. There is a really drunk local guy at the bow of the boat (directly in front of John and I). As soon as the boat starts, he stands up and with one hand holds a rope that is attached to the bow and leans back as if he is Poseidon riding a team of dolphins. In his other hand he waves around a can of beer. I am fearful that he might fall back on top of me, thus breaking numerous bones (mine not his).

The luck of the drunkard is with him and he stumbles off the boat, leaving an empty beer can in his wake.

San Pedro

Kimberly sitting inside a big heart overlooking Lake Atitlan

Massage and Laundry Sign San Pedro has a very cool vibe; lots of interesting restaurants and shops, combo massage and laundry places, yoga studios and a really cool waterfront. John and I both prefer this town to Panajachel.

We grab a really late lunch at a lovely waterfront restaurant, where I pose in a heart in front of of the scenic view.

After our very active hike, I want a massage. We are about to book one but fortunately the information booth lady advises us that the last boat for Panajachel leaves at 5pm….in just over an hour so there is no time for a massage.

Instead we stop at a gorgeous cafe with another great view for afternoon drinks. I have a mint lemonade which is to die for. I think it is just mint leaves, lemonade and some ice cubes put in a blender. Yum.

a green drink and coffee on a bar overlooking Lake Atitlan

Boat to Panajachel

a large luxury property on the lake

A property built into the hill on the lake The boat ride back to Panajachel takes a lot longer than the other rides because it stops at many little towns along the way. There are also many lovely vacation properties built into the densely vegetated cliffs along the shore. They are beautiful but the only way to get to and from them is by boat.

A local on the boat is loudly playing a soap opera while we wait for passengers at every stop. The boat dock in late afternoon Soap operas in Central and South America are very much high drama and seem to be super popular.

The sun is low in the sky when we reach the boat docks in Panajachel. We walk towards our usual place to watch the sunset.

Fruit Cups at Sunset

Guatemalan ladies at their fruit cup stand Along the way, I stop at the fruit stand where local ladies cut up fresh fruit into cups that you can add toppings such as fresh squeezed lime juice, a South American spice mix, some other spices, salt etc. Delicious and they only cost the equivalent of $1.70.

Many people gather to watch the sunset. Locals come by trying to sell crafts or food, a fire juggler is doing his thing and a small group of musicians perform.

Orange sunset over Lake Atitlan By the time the last of the setting sun’s colours leave the sky, we are still fullfrom lunch. We just want something light. We stop at a local woman’s food stand where she is selling tostadas, a rolled tortilla and fried bananas (typical Guatemalan food). Delicious. I wish we would have tried her food earlier in our visit.

We grab a tuk tuk and head back to our hotel.

Suggestions for Lake Atitlan

Make sure you take the local public boats and visit some of the lakeside towns.

San Pedro would be my choice of where to stay if we come back here.

Try the fresh fruit street stands

Take a bird tour to see the Quetzals, even if you are not into birds, it is a great hike. These tours are from Santiago.

Try some of the street food vendors who are selling traditional food.

Don’t miss the Reserva Natural Atitlan in Panajachel.

Layer your clothes, it is cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon and quickly turns back to cool as soon as the sun sets..