I sat and watch for most of the day from my hammock surfers being thrown around. Known for its consistent waves, El Paredon is a perfect place to get in and try your hand at surfing. This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as whilst wandering down the beach I stumbled upon, When I visited here this place was actually called Finka Mistia. Again you can opt for a dorm room, beach shack or private room! This isnt the normal beach destination that you will see in other areas around Central America. Several places in the town offer horseback riding, but the most famous of which is Driftwood Surfer Hostel. However, if you want to take on some of the waves with a board, it is a great place! El Paredon is situated along a river filled with mangroves, which empties out into the ocean. This hostel not only has a lively atmosphere for backpackers traveling in Guatemala, but it has lots of facilities that will make you stay comfortable. Being such a small surf town, you really do feel removed from the chaos of the city and of the world. It is a very safe place to visit but you should always be careful of the street dogs. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. If youve rented a car, then you can easily drive there. The least humid month is March (65.2% relative humidity), and the most humid month is October (80.3%). Its also located directly on the beach. The Best Surfing in Guatemala Is at El Paredon - Matador Network Im not joking; this town is pretty desolate! There is a family-run laundry in town, but they do not have tumble dry. This small, laidback fishing village is located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, about two hours from Antigua and three and a half hours from the capital. Just be careful when swimming in the ocean. Solola, Guatemala. At the end of the day, this is a quiet beach town and the main activity would be surfing, chilling, and partying. Here are the best things to do. El Paredon lies on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, roughly two hours from Antigua and three hours from Guatemala City. This isnt going to be a luxury beach getaway with perfect white sand. I'm Nina, and I've been climbing volcanos, basking on exotic beaches, and dabbling in new cultures since 2011. We guarantee youll make unforgettable memories during your stay in El Paredon. The sunrise and sunset light here is heaven. Unlike many other surf towns in Central America, El Paredon is a very quiet one. There are plenty of restaurants in El Paredon, but the local shops have a limited inventory. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the pool and intermittently walked to the beach Anahi United States of America 9.3 Of course, Guatemala has some of the most beautiful destinations in Central America, but none of them feel quite like El Paredon. This advisory was last updated on Sep 09, 2019. Discover El Paredon, Guatemala: Things To Do + FAQs Answered La Choza Chula are a social enterprise and rely on donations/tour bookings to drive their mission another reason to book your adventures here! Monterrico is the more popular Guatemalan beach choice, as its much more built up, with more choice of places to stay. There are very few places to eat and not many hotels either. Local experiences are why we travel! Nesting is from June-November. Make sure you take out plenty of cash before you come, because not everywhere accepts credit cards (or you might have to pay a large fee.). A local meal will cost you around 25-35Q in El Paredon and a more ex-pat run establishment will cost around 60-80Q. See average monthly temperatures below. Here you can find tours with a guide leading the horse, or you can ride by yourself. The money will help run this site! Thank you for reading my guide about El Paredon in Guatemala! Depending on when you come to El Paredon, there wont be a ton of restaurants that you are used to having. Nina Ragusa is an adventurer, messy bun master, breakfast fan, and full-time travel blogger. The lowest chance of rain or snow occurs around early January. Some of the events that happen are beer pong tournaments and trivia nights. Top Tip:Always book before you get there! If you want to stay a little longer I would recommend speaking to La Choza Chula as they have plenty of volunteer opportunities. Though Guatemala does not have the best reputation when it comes to safety, El Paredon is very safe. The WiFi at Mellow Hostel works very well, but I heard it can be not so great at other places. Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links. Prices for hotels and flights will be most expensive during these months, though you can save if you purchase well in advance. There is no ATM! Keep in mind parties, surf, and chilling in pools are pretty much the main things to do here and not much else. Its better if you drive there or take a shuttle. Youll spot all the local wildlife, from ibises to herons and turtles. There are quite a few places to stay in El Paredon. Guatemala | Zoah Surf Hotel | El Paredon Finally, you can take the chicken bus from Antigua, but youll have to transfer twice and take a tuk-tuk. So dont expect too much in terms of anything really! Hold your shoes, dont leave them somewhere! If you want the cheapest way, youll be riding on the chicken bus and in that case, it will take around four hours to get here as youll have tons of stops along the way. And for that reason (youll see when you get there), its easy to see how it gets fully booked. It rains or snows a significant amount: 2 to 11 days per month. The graph below shows the average snow on the ground in El Paredon (in). Driftwood Surfer Hostel raises money each year to buy eggs from the poachers and donates them to the conservatory. This Guatemalan beach isnt like the ones youre used to. The tranquil town of El Paredon is the perfect place for surfers and lovers of the ocean. El Paredon Sur Camp is the first original place at El Paredon Beach, it is a great place for anyone from experienced surfers, beginners or travelers with a taste for a rustic, relaxing, hostel-style place to stay on the beach. El Paredon in Guatemala is something I didnt expect when visiting here. Many people will flock to Antigua, Lake Atitlan, or the Mayan ruins. After being turned away by most of the other places in El Paredon who werent very helpful at all this place was a breath of fresh air. All rights reserved. Bring all the cash you might need and try booking the hotels mentioned above online so you dont have to use cash! There are two main companies that have shuttles to El Paredon, NEWay or 2theOcean. If you decide to take a Chicken Bus from Antigua to El Paredon it will take you a whopping 6 hours! If youre looking to experience an off-the-beaten path destination in Guatemala, look no further than El Paredon. To soak up and immerse ourselves in different languages, cultures, tastes and traditions. One of the many things La Choza Chula offers is a Guatemalan cooking class. The Best Time to Visit El Paredon, Guatemala for Weather, Safety This is me Living Out Loud(Lau). The majority of people that come in here are coming for the surf. If youre looking to enhance your trip to the Pacific Coast, one of the best things to do in El Paredon is.. get local! I also. Daily highs (averaged for the month) usually give the best indication of the weather. As Ive mentioned, El Paredon is small. It is among the most popular destinations in the country due to its friendly locals, stunning landscape, and laid-back atmosphere. Grab some drinks, some snacks and maybe your surfboard too go soak up this glorious light. Theres not really too much to do in El Paredon, considering its a tiny beach town made up of just one paved road and several small dirt roads. Our last night was on a Friday and we met multiple people coming from Guatemala City for the weekend. One of the guys staying in my dorm told me his friend broke his board the day before and so he was mostly bodyboarding because it was too crazy out there. You can visit the park by boat and by kayak. Again, you can STAY at these hotels if you want, then you can get free access, but they are also kind of party places and most offer dorms as the budget accommodation. There are only about 5 places to stay there (a few more options and it is growing) If you want to surf in Guatemala you need to either go early in the morning or after 5 pm There is little to no wifi in El Paredon Someone different is putting on an event each night and thats where you will see everyone. This is a really unique experience because you really get to share and experience how the local people here in El Paredon live. Alex provided a lot of information before . This advisory was last updated on Sep 09, 2019. Weeks with ideal weather are listed above. There is also an unexpected sight to behold here in the form of a Thai restaurant, Soul Food Kitchen . In fact, theyre an award-winning tour operator. So if you want to hammock it up along the coast, this is the spot. El Paredon Guatemala: Ultimate Travel Guide - Zoe Goes Places It will cost between $50 and $60 USD, You will not have to get on a boat when coming from Antigua. Keep in mind that these services do not operate on the coast, so they wont be an option for your return. You will soon get used to it as you see no one else surfing during those other hours of the day. They are around 3 to 5 feet or larger even. Book your experience and enquire today via Instagram @lachozachula or WhatsApp +502 53872886. If you take a tour or do an activity through La Choza Chula, your money will go back into the local community. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. If you are also looking for the best places to eat in Antigua, take a look at this post right here where I go through all my favorite restaurants, cafes, and breweries in Antigua. Amplios jardines, lagunas, columpios, paseos a caballo, tours planificados, piscinas, nacimientos de agua y mucho ms. How magical is that!? There are many surf schools and accommodations that offer surf lessons and a place to rent a surfboard if you dont have your own. 7 Travel Shoes for Women That Are Functional AF. In this video, we'll take you on a journey to discover the beauty and adventure of this tropical paradise. Ive linked to the places on Booking.com but those not linked you will need to call to book. ), Your Guide to Exploring Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. It was even kind of burning my feet when it got kicked into my flip flops. Youll drive past lots of birds (some of which are migrating up north to Alaska or some that are migrating down south) as pass the mouth to the ocean and then head to a place where turtles have been living for hundreds of years. Like, Im not joking here, this sand is crazy. The graph below shows wind speed (max and average) in knots. The only company I recommend for booking transport and tours in Guatemala (other than the individuals and companies I have named) is GuateGo. When I visited I was super lucky to stumble upon the place as it wasnt online at all back then. PeruRomaniaColombiaGuatemalaHong KongMalaysia. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. World Traveler, Travel Blogger, Photographer. the decoration of the property is beautiful, and the host is more than welcoming! Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak El Paredon is known as an up-and-coming destination ever since it caught the attention of many foreign surfers. The dorm rooms arent bunk beds which I see as a huge plus. Make friends with the local dogs, roll out a towel, cover yourself in suncream and read your book! Afterwards, you get the chance to try fishing, the local way! El Paredon is a small fishing village in Guatemala, with the Pacific Ocean on the South-Eas,t and the Sipacate Mangrove Nature Reserve on the North-West side. You can take a boat ride out to the feeding grounds to see them. Read below for more weather and travel details. The black sand isnt ideal for sunbathing, so you wont find any parasols or lounge chairs unless you bring your own. When you arrive here it feels so remote but that is why I fell in love with this place. The best things to do in El Paredon, Guatemala 1. I didnt see the full menu but I have it on good authority that they have the best Pizza in, Board rental is about 60Q for 3 hours or 100Q for a day, I only have one night, which was not enough! So make sure that you know what youre doing or go out with a surf camp. There are a few other things to do besides chilling and surfing in El Paredon! See more information on their website here. there arent many options and many people book before arriving. El Paredon off the beaten path. El Paredon is different because the sand is actually dark. The weather tends to be extremely hot and humid during March and April, but it cools down after sunset. Other than this it is practically not worth grabbing your board to head out there, which is sad. Every day, he is traveling and sharing his discoveries of the world through exceptional travel guides on his blog! Its only 3 hours from Lake Atitlan or 2 hours from Antigua. I think thats the name anyway! Our perceived temperatures factor in humidity and wind chill to better represent how hot or cold the day feels to a person. It is a 2-hour drive from Antigua Guatemala, and a 3-hour drive from Guatemala City. Often times you will be sitting on the beach and only be able to see so far because of the darkness of the sand reflecting. Be sure to check the times with the two shuttle operators (NEWay and 2theOcean) to get the exact schedule. In fact, you might as well watch it every night! With the endless volcanic black sand beach and the consistent waves it is a perfect destination for all types of .