Head out on a privately guided hike up the active Pacaya Volcano, starting in the surrounding pine forest before heading up the trickier molten rock area where hot steam seeps through crevices at the base of the volcano. Learn about Pacaya's formation and evolution as you traverse its ever-changing face, and take in views of neighbouring volcanoes, pacific lowlands and even El Salvador.

Take a leisurely kayak tour of Lake Atitlan, starting in San Pedro la Laguna and ending up at Las Cristalinas beach where you can relax on the white sand and swim in the lake. On your way, enjoy views of the lake's surrounding volcanic chain including Acatenango and Fuego, and the many lakeside villages that you can visit en route.

Two hours from Lake Atitlan, the traditional market town of Chichicastenango, with its red-tiled roofs and narrow cobbled streets, feels like stepping back in time and is the perfect place to pick up some local artisan crafts. Visit on the market days of Thursday and Sunday when indigenous Mayans from surrounding villages come to trade their wares.