Antigua Guatemala Travel Forum

I'm a woman, aged 23 from the Netherlands.
I want to go bagpacking (alone) in Guatemala in January 2008. I did read on the website of the ministry of Foreign Affairs some very disturbing things. The violence against women has been increased in Guatemala and that it's very dangerous for a woman to travel there all by herself. They dissuade women to travel there all by there selves.

If somebody has experience with travelling trough Guatemala, can you please give me some information about this subject.

thank you
greets from Djina

Hi. I can't speak for a woman traveling alone, but I think it depends on where you are going. In Antigua for example, I think you would be quite safe. I have heard varying reports from people as to the safety for women traveling in places like Rio Flores or Tikal area. Lago de Atitlan might have some areas of concern particularly around San Pedro which is now regarded as a drug hub for that part of the country. I think you might have some concerns there. I'm pretty sure you'll get some answers here, but I guess it will depend on where you are going.

Advice from the UK Foreign Office (a reliable source):

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&;a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618385965

If you do decide to go, plan well and take great care. Your Ministry would not be attampting to dissuade single female travellers from visiting Guatemala without good reason.

Having been all around Guatemala, I would feel ok by myself. Of course certain areas. like Antiqua, are very safe and others, like Guate City, are not! I spent a month on Lake Atitlan and was comfortable by myself. As suggested by the other post, San Pedro can be a bit dangerous at night and I preferred to stay away. I would not really recommend trekking around Tikal by yourself, the hotels have had some problems in the past with female tourists, so maybe find some friends or join a group? Flores was completely fine. Overall, I think it is just important to be smart, like you would anywhere else. Don't wear jewelry, don't wear suggestive clothes (no short shorts or skimpy tanks that draw male attention), etc. Just basic smart sense. I also do not go out at night when I am by myself. Men might hiss (the US version of whistling) but not much more if you ignore them or laugh and shake your head. Be careful but have fun. It is a beautiful country and worth visiting!

Travel and living in Guatemala is dangerous for Guatemalans and tourists. There is a residual level of violence from 16 years of civil and not so civil war that must be considered. This includes more than simple theft or pick pocketing. Guidebooks and consulates tend to advise traveling in groups, using regular tourist transportation and avoiding cheap hotels, but I have my doubts. (They also tend to use every incident of the last ten years to boaster their warnings so the picture they draw may be worst than the actual situation.) Even in Guatemala in recent years where city buses have been stopped and women raped by armed gangs, I felt safer traveling with local transportation, staying in cheap accommodations and going on my own rather than I would have felt being in a group of obviously rich folk. My fluency in Spanish also helped me identify and avoid higher risk situations.
Being a women would naturally increase the risks, but guns in the hands of bad guys naturally put everyone at risk of death or injury. Still, I would think the greater risk of injury would be from a highway accident.

The question with travel is often one of weighing the risks to benefits. I personally found the richness of Guatemalan travel well worth the risks. I think the previous posters are on the mark by implying that you can make this trip, but you must uses common sense and caution to limit the risks.