How To Get from Antigua to El Paredon

By @alongdustyroads Nov 17, 20240

Want to know your transport options to the popular beach town? We’ve got you covered.

If you’ve read Along Dusty Roads before, you’ll know how much we advocate taking public transport over the shuttles in Guatemala: it’s just a much more interesting travel experience.

However, we broke that rule for El Paredón as the options by bus from Antigua really aren’t great and we needed to plan around our return from Volcano Acatenango (travelling on the same day).

Coming down to sea-level straight after camping at high altitude, with ash still on our faces and aching limbs, the convenience of a door-to-door shuttle for two hours was way too tempting over the six-hour bus ride.

In this short ‘routes’ post, we’ve got all the essential information you need to get to El Paredon from Antigua, Guatemala City, and Lake Atitlan – the most likely departure points. We’ll also share a few tips about when + where you should factor El Paredon into your Guatemala itinerary.

Start / Antigua most likely departure, but also Guatemala City and Lake Atitlan

Buses / 5-6 hours from Antigua + Guatemala City, with two connections.

Shuttles / 2-3 hours from Antigua, 4 hours from Lake Atitlan

Book / With agencies & hostels, or online here

Taxi / Possible, but $80-100 USD is out of budget for most

Stay / Mellow Hostel, Cocori Lodge, and XXX.

Plan / Our El Paredón Travel Guide

Buses from Antigua to El Paredon

If you just look at the map and distance, it appears straightforward enough to reach the Pacific Coast.

However, getting from Guatemala City or Antigua to El Paredon by bus takes 5-6 hours and involves two to three connections to cover the 105km.

That’s why, unless you’re on a strict budget, slow travelling, or want a more interesting experience than Dave at the back telling you how much he enjoyed Semuc Champey, the daily shuttles will be both the quickest and most convenient option.

The reason it takes so much time is because El Paredon is quite remote and, until it blew up as a destination in the last five or six years, relatively inaccessible. There is now a newer road – split by a section of farmland that is either a symbol of ranchero resistance to change or a bargaining chip gone wrong – and direct bus routes from the cities may appear in future.

For now though, Antigua to El Paredon by bus involves:

· Go to the bus station by the central market (here on Google Maps), and find the chicken bus from Antigua to Escuintla. These start early in the morning and depart a couple times every hour, costing 20Q per person.

· In Escuintla, connect to a bus for Sipacate. These have departures every hour, and cost 40Q.

· In Sipacate, head to to the petrol station to take a five minute tuk-tuk to El Paredon for 5-10Q

There is an alternative option of taking the tuk-tuk to El Escondite dock and hopping on a 15-minute boat to El Paredon, but most should take the tuk-tuk direct.

As we personally didn’t do this journey, please let us know if there are any major changes to prices, route or issues to note along the way so we can keep the post as helpful as possible for travellers like you!

If travelling from Guatemala City, buses depart from CENMA (here on Google Maps) and you need to follow a similar route to the above. We recommend double-checking departures from Guatemala City to Escuintla though, as the pick-up point is not a great place to be waiting around in the early morning or after dark.

We don’t recommend trying to travel by public transport from Lake Atitlan (Panajachel) to El Paredon.

Shuttles to El Paredon From Antigua

As El Paredon is now a core part of most backpacker’s Guatemala itineraries, there are loads of shuttle companies and services available in addition to the hostel-run ones (which used to be the main way in and out).

From Antigua, there are two shuttle bus departures everyday at 9am and 2pm, and travel time is 2-3 hours depending on traffic and how long it takes to pick everyone up. Prices are in the range of 110Q-140Q per person.

The shuttles will drop you off at your accommodation in El Paredon, which is most welcome in the heat.

You need to book your place at least the day ahead of travel and, if you already know your dates, we recommend getting it booked in sooner rather than later.

For online shuttles in Guatemala, we’ve used the following over various trips:

– GuateGo

– Bookaway

–GekkoExplorer

It’s also possible to quickly book a shared shuttle Antigua to El Paredon shuttle here on Viator.

All the standard shuttles are shared and include door-to-door pick-up and drop-off. If there are road closures or festivals in Antigua – always around Semana Santa – the pick-up may be from single location everyone has to walk to.

If you’re travelling in a big group, you can also find private Antigua to El Paredon shuttles.

For last-minute bookings or when there’s no availability online, you should enquire at your accommodation in Antigua or stop by the various travel agencies you’ll see as you wander the city.

Travelling from elsewhere in Guatemala?

· From Lake Atitlan, there’s a daily 1pm shuttle from Panajachel to El Paredon (4 hours, 180-220Q per person). There are also some early morning shuttles but we struggle to recommend them due to a spate of robberies targeting travellers waiting in the street.

· Shuttles from Guatemala City to El Paredon depart at 6am and 7am, but take 4-5 hours as they’ll usually include a stop or connection in Antigua. Prices are 200Q per person.

Find schedules and book your El Paredon shuttle tickets here on Guatego.

Going After Volcan Acatenango?

If you’re also planning to go to El Paredon straight after the incredible overnight experience on Volcan Acatenango, do be aware that you’re going from 3,600+ metres of altitude straight down to sea-level.

A surfer who’s lived in El Paredon for years said travellers can sometimes go a bit loopy from the heat and altitude differential (especially if they have some booze), and this is when the notorious riptide of El Paredon can be its most dangerous. So, do please bear that in mind!

Also, if doing the journey from Acatenango to El Paredon in a single, you may want to consider a Volcan Acatenango tour company that offers showers and changing facilities or work something out with the hostel you’re storing your luggage at.

Plan / Our Volcan Acatenango Hike Guide

Taxis To El Paredon

If money is no object, we’ve seen prices of $80 to $100 USD quoted for a taxi to El Paredon.

If that’s an option for you, we recommend booking it through an agency or accommodation provider that you trust unless you speak a decent level of Spanish as it may take a while to find a taxi driver willing to do the journey for the right rate. You also need to be able to trust the driver, and we highly recommend not paying the full rate in advance (50% on arrival is better).

Alternatively, you may be able to get a quote on Uber which has increasing coverage across Guatemala.