Solola Tour With Street Markets & Sacred Caves

On the Solola tour you’ll step into the daily life of the Kaqchikel Maya – the indigenous people of Lake Atitlan – as you travel along ancient roadways, pass through cloud forest, corn and coffee fields to arrive high in the mountains where the Solola market can be found. This section of the Guatemalan highlands has barely been touched by the outside world and you’ll see villagers who still wear traditional indigenous dress on the Solola tour.

Few tourists are lucky to discover the unique charm of Solola market. As vibrant as the popular Chichicastenango market, Solola is bustling with local villagers every day of the week. Hidden 7,000 ft in the mountains above Lake Atitlan, several Mayan tribes travel here daily to trade fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers, handicrafts, textiles, and even live animals.

The market is a blaze of color with fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The documentary “Living on One Dollar” was famously filmed here, and the Solola tour will help you to similarly embark on a treasure hunt for rare goods and try your hand at bargaining with local sellers, perhaps for an ounce of Huisquils (a vegetable pear unique to Lake Atitlan) or for a colorful tablecloth hand-woven by a young Mayan girl.

Once you’ve found your treasures at the Solola market, we journey to the sacred caves of San Jorge as the Maya people have for centuries to perform ancient fire rituals.

In the caves, it’s possible you may witness a Mayan shaman performing a Fire Ceremony whereby the shaman speaks to spirits to ask for help from divinity, mother nature and ancestors passed. Colorful candles, flowers, and incense are contributed to the fire as a gift to the Gods. As the fire burns, prayers and meditations are lifted up in the smoke to be carried to the heavens. Negative energy is released, and positive energy is empowered.

Your local guide can lead you on a personal ceremony with meditation inside the sacred caves for an additional charge of $20.

• Minimum 2 people per booking.
• 24 hour cancellation policy.
• Add return transportation to/from Antigua for $38.