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Platform One is where the “flying” begins. After a thorough explanation and demonstration of the special techniques required to properly enjoy the Antigua Canopy Tour, visitors launch into their first “flight” from what has been fondly referred to as “El Sanctuario.”

Antigua Canopy Tours Manager Pascu Robredo explains that the nickname refers to the quick utterance of whispered prayers as nervous participants anticipate dangling suspended from a cable in mid-air… for the first time. “Their adrenaline really starts pumping,” Robredo said with a slightly mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Oh so brave daredevil that I am, I didn’t even blink, when my two personal guides asked if I was ready to lock and load. As an irregular rock climber and cliff jumper, I saw this opportunity more as a totally “chulo” photo op. Not to mention, this was my second canopy tour experience. I can assuredly vouch that the long tracks of the Canyon Express circuit beat even the best track that I experienced in Omoa, Honduras. Not to mention, in Omoa, I got no such ride in a UNIMOG hog.

I’m pictured here at El Sanctuario with a group of experienced guides and guide trainees just before we take off for the days tour. Four new guides were finishing up their 20 days of training when I visited. On any given day there will be 5 or 6 guides ready to lead visitors on the sky-high adventure, though up to 8 guides may be needed on busy weekends.

Top row left to right: Erick González (guide), Marisol Marroquín (guide), Ariel Marroquín (trainee), Byron Gil (trainee), Laura McNamara, Hugo Ruíz (trainee), Yeny Díaz (guide) Bottom row left to right: Andrés Pinto (trainee), Carlos Antonio (guide).

text and photos by Laura McNamara

Just how daring are you? There are two zipline circuits offered by Antigua Canopy Tours. The first is Forest Express: six distinct zipline “flights” that send you plunging from platforms into tunnels of canopy foliage in spurts that last anywhere from 50 up to 220 meters in length. Each track is positioned at varying heights, offering participants different perspectives during their “flying” experience. The Forest Express circuit also includes an assisted rappel descent from a 12-meter high platform.

In addition to the Forest Express, Antigua Canopy Tours offers the more exhilarating supplementary circuit called Canyon Express. This circuit offers the particularly brave two more “flights” that span a whopping 430 and 520 meters across a forested canyon, offering a most unique birds-eye view of both the Finca Filadelfia coffee farm and Panchoy Valley. Graduates of this circuit can boast having dangled in mid-air more than 150 meters above the ground. While rather scary to watch, for me, the ride was quite refreshing. I was able to leisurely take-in the stunning spectacle of mountains, volcanoes and villages surrounding La Antigua Guatemala while a cool, fluttering breeze caressed my face. These are the tracks where you really do feel as if you are “flying.”

One unique aspect of this particular tour at Finca Filadelfia is its location in the topography of the terrain. Both circuits are constructed a level around 3,000 meters, where rainforest meets cloud forest. Rainforests are characterized by high rainfall and 40 to 75% of all species on Earth are considered indigenous to rainforests. At times, they are even referred to as “the world’s largest pharmacy” because of the large number of natural medicines discovered in rainforests. In contrast, cloud forests are defined by a nearly continual occurrence of low-level cloud cover at the canopy level of a forest or jungle. They can also be referred to as fog forests or even mossy forests because of the abundance of mosses.

If launching from platforms and taking off in air-borne “flights” just isn’t for you, not to stress. You can still take advantage of the UNIMOG ride and beautiful landscapes – not to mention prime photo ops of braver souls whizzing by on the canopy tour overhead – through a network of trails on the ground that echo the course of the canopy circuits zigzagging through the trees.

When I visited, the tour was currently enhancing its services by offering one additional zipline as an alternative to the assisted rappel descent. The track is brief but seems to offer a prize opportunity to capture your family and friends dangling from a zipline with a looming volcano in the background. In preparation for travelers that will begin visiting as part of cruise packages in October of this year, Antigua Canopy Tours is also currently constructing an on-site café, souvenir shop and restroom facility.

Since its opening in January of 2008, Antigua Canopy Tours has given wings to more than 10,000 visitors. You too can enjoy the experience:

A single circuit run through either Forest Express or Canyon Express is offered at the rate of $50 ($40 for national citizens and Central American residents). Kids can fly for $35.

Visitors can also opt for both circuits for $75 ($60 for national citizens and Central American residents). Children can enjoy both for $55.

If you’re keeping you feet planted on firm ground, you can tag along on the Forest Trail for $15 ($10 for national citizens and Central American residents).

Payment can be made with US dollar, Quetzales or by credit card. Antigua Canopy Tours uses an exchange rate of $1 US = Q8.25 at the time of writing.

text and photo by Laura McNamara

What a beast. The journey of “flying through the forest” with Antigua Canopy Tours begins with a ride in the unique UNIMOG, a vehicle made specifically for ascending mountains.

Aside from being quite fun to say, these military green monsters offer an enhanced riding experience because of their special design. UNIMOG Mercedes Benz off-road vehicles possess a notably high ground clearance – greater than that of a Humvee even – making the vehicles perfect for viewing the impressive landscapes of both Finca Filadelphia and the Panchoy Valley as canopy tour visitors wind their way up the mountain terrain. The UNIMOG’s flexible frame allows the vehicle to scale a rough mountain ascent with ease – these beasts roll over boulders up to one meter in height. During the ride, guides will accompany participants on the trip, explaining various aspects of the culture, history, plants and animals associated with the 750-acre farm.

UNIMOG is an acronym that represents “UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät,” Gerät being the German word for machine or device. The vehicle was first designed in Germany for use in agriculture in 1946, shortly after World War II. The permanent 4WD design with equally sized wheels allows the “tractor” to reach higher speeds than typical farm tractors on open roads. The big green beasts can be found in jungles, mountains and deserts and are used in military operations throughout the world. They are also popularly used as tourist transport for jungle ecotourism or safaris, such as the Antigua Canopy Tours operation. You can even find UNIMOG models competing in truck trials, including the Dakar Rally. Antigua Canopy Tours receives its UNIMOGS from the Danish Defense.

The UNIMOG is definitely eye-catching. When I was escorted back to my neighborhood in one of these bad boys after my canopy tour experience, several onlookers gave enthusiastic whistles and hoots and I couldn’t help but feeling a bit “righteously rugged.” Hehehe.

Check out this video of the UNIMOG from Antigua Canopy Tours:

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Dangling like a spider on a web, he slightly rocks back and forth in his harness as he awaits the “okay” to go. At the cue, he lifts his legs, bends his knees… and takes off, plunging into a tunnel of thick, forest foliage. A whirring sound follows in close pursuit as he soars above the sloping forest floor, suspended meters – at times more than 100 meters – above the ground. To onlookers below, he looks like nothing more than a fragile doll that is somehow managing to cling to a nearly invisible cable as he races across the treetops.

Do you want to be next? Antigua Canopy Tours wants to know who is the next brave soul that will dare to glide suspended over the forest at Finca Filadelfia. The adventure company describes the experience as “more than 500 meters of pure adrenaline only ten minutes from La Antigua Guatemala.”

Thanks to Rudy and Antigua Canopy Tours Manager Pascu Robredo, I was next. I got to experience what was, for me, a sensational rush through the treetops and rolling landscapes above the Panchoy Valley. Yeow!

This marks the first of a series of posts about the Finca Filadelfia canopy adventure, where I’ll fill you in on the Antigua Canopy Tour experience, facts of the canopy tour industry and even the man who made it all happen for antigueños and La Antigua Guatemala visitors alike.

First, a brief summary of what Antigua Canopy Tours is all about:

The adventure company describes itself as a family-oriented eco-tourism initiative that offers the brave and the willing the thrill of launching from treetop platforms and soaring across forested ravines and canyons. The course is located 3,000 meters into the rolling mountainscape of Finca Filadelfia, located in La Antigua Guatemala between San Felipe de Jesús y Jocotenango.

Visitors have the chance “fly” above La Antigua three times daily, Monday through Sunday, at 9am, 11am and 2pm. Each tour lasts about 3 hours and Antigua Canopy Tours offers free transportation from La Antigua. You can find the tour’s military green Unimog Mercedes monster vehicles in front of the Cathedral every hour beginning at 8:30am until 1:30pm.

Antigua Canopy Tours has two canopy circuits the Forest Express and Canopy Express that offer up to 8 zipline “flights,” sending participants gliding anywhere from 50 to 520 meters through the forest. Visitors do not need to have any prior experience and the tour is open to all ages provided they have a sound medical history.

The company promises its adventure course is very secure, complying with all international standards recommended by the ACCT (Association of Challenge Course Technology). Antigua Canopy Tours is insured and says it uses only the best equipment available, including internationally recognized brands such as Petzl and PMI.

You can find a preview of the adventure at Antigua Canopy Tours Youtube channel or by playing the Youtube video embedded below:

A quick video of my own experience will be available in a following post. (Pictured is canopy tour guide Carlos Antonio aka “Tono”)

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Can you have too many shots of La Antigua Guatemala’s volcanoes? I think not. This one was taken from the rooftop view of Hotel Centro Colonial Antigua. I think the railings along the terrace offer an interesting perspective and great “leading lines” for the photograph. Just yesterday I was headed to Antigua Gardens with a friend. For much of the drive Volcán de Fuego looms before you. I couldn’t help but comment on how it felt like I could just reach out in front of me, right from where I was, and touch the volcano’s massive slopes. There is something so surreal and deceiving about the formation of a volcano’s slopes. Just a short while later, as I was gazing out from an Antigua Gardens terrace, I was mesmerized by the misty clouds circling the same volcanoes you can see from LAG. Sometimes I feel as if I could sit all day simply watching such awing interaction between land and sky. In this photo, it appears Volcán de Agua reaches above and beyond the clouds.

One of the most interesting photos I’ve seen of LAG’s volcanoes lately is from the photo library of LAG’s rock climbing club (AANSAC ). While hiking up one volcano, they were able to capture the full shadow of Volcán de Agua that spread like a huge, dark cloak over the hilly terrain below. I’d very much like to copy that idea! Anyone up for a volcano trek?

text and photo by Laura McNamara

La Antigua Guatemala, LAG, draws a large part of its identity from its grid rows of picture-perfect edifices that line the calles and avenidas. Even the briefest of blurbs about LAG do not fail to mention the city’s charming colonial architecture. But, it’s not just the ornate doors, sculpted entryways and varied splashes of color on the outside that make such architecture so inviting. It’s also what lies beyond the anterior walls: lush courtyards of exotic flowers and plants that creep around a central fountain and crawl along the walls and surrounding balconies. One ADP reader, Hilda, described such architectural flair as her ideal: “This is how I’ve always envisioned my dream house! A courtyard in the middle of rooms with open corridors. Lovely!”

Hilda, I must divulge that we share the same dream. And, the exciting thing is, this enticing style is not only abundant in LAG, it’s a part of what defines the city. Personally, I am absolutely enthralled with the idea that you can be at home, in your home, and still be surrounded by plants bursting forth with various hues of the color of life. I am enchanted with the idea that you can look up and see an open sky saturated with the color of freedom. And should the sky darken from the gray clouds of a mounting storm, I am eager to to find a perch at the edge of the courtyard and watch heavy drops splatter upon the flowers and plants. I am eager to breathe in the comforting smell of fresh rain. I am eager to listen to the sky rumble and watch the lightening streak in flashes quicker than I can blink.

By the way, Rudy: there are two balconies framed within an arch. Has that been done yet?

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Visitors can easily spot the Maya people dressed in rainbow colors weaving their way throughout the renowned colonial architecture of La Antigua Guatemala. But, sometimes, such prized culture and striking architecture can distract one from noticing the more obscure, yet just as captivating beauty that’s found in this city. For me, the bright, exotic flowers scattered throughout the city perfectly accentuate the traditional dress and handcrafted goods of the indigenous Maya. The Maya must have drawn their inspiration and favor for such a collage of brilliant color from the exquisite flowers and plants that ornate their world.

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Sweet. Juicy. Succulent. Happy. Fresh. Inviting. These are just some of the words that come to mind whenever I spy the overflowing mounds of fruit at the market. With such a flood of rainbow colors, I find the market is an excellent spot for a quick pick-me-up! But it’s not just the colors. It’s the hustle and bustle and the everyday bargaining. There are days that I just love to be caught in the middle of it all! I remember the first time I encountered the true market bartering game in Thailand. Used to the fixed prices of immense supermarkets in the U.S., I was a bit frustrated as I attempted to try and figure out what I should pay for various goods. At first, I didn’t even like the business of bartering. ‘Just give me a fair price!’ I cried out inside my own head. But now, I LOVE IT! It has become a fun game of battle-of-the-wits to see who can out-charm the other… vendor or buyer?? And still, it’s more. Market bartering offers a window of opportunity for me to better communicate with, learn about and learn from the Maya.

More photos of succulent fruit to come!

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Since Rudy is such a fan of framing I thought I would toss in a few framed shots of my own. Has “arches framed with arches” been done? Rudy’s post Stairway to Heaven actually managed the feat though he failed to mention it. But, this photo from Hotel Centro Colonial Antigua frames two full arches and two partial arches within one closer arch. Geez, how many times can you say arch in a sentence? Anyway, shall a competition commence Rudy? Can you beat the number of arches I framed within another arch? I imagine he’ll have a photo topping mine up in no time…

text and photo by Laura McNamara

As you’re gazing at Enchanting Nook #1 at the Hotel Centro Colonial Antigua, spin your head around to your right and look up. There you’ll find Enchanting Nook #2. These beautiful doors at the hotel always leave me wondering about what may be behind them. I picture myself there, peeking out from the tiny balcony so that I might soak up the energy from the single ray of sunshine that is perfectly highlighting the golden door. If a wanderer moves past, I might glance down with an innocently nosy curiosity about who would be treading below me… I will wonder if that wanderer will find the hotel as beautiful and alluring as I do.

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Rudy previously called it Stairway to Heaven. I call it The Enchanting Nook. Months ago, during my first visit to La Antigua in December of 2008, just a quick peek into the entryway of Hotel Centro Colonial Antigua was enough to draw me in so I could explore the beautiful grounds further. I had to laugh when I realized on this trip that I had been lured back to the very same place! It’s not just the decor, design and color of the hotel’s entryway… it’s the light. This place seems to be perfectly positioned to bounce and reflect everyday, natural light so eloquently – lighting up the neon-fanned leaves, the bronzed railings, the warm mossy and earth hues of the walls. This time, I was brave enough to venture beyond the magical stairway and the first floor.

Entonces… more photos of Hotel Centro Colonial to come!

text and photo by Laura McNamara

If you are a fan of people watching you are hard-pressed to find a lovelier place than La Antigua Guatemala to enjoy the lazy hobby. Whether you find a bench in Parque Central, Tanque de la Union, Cerro de la Cruz… or perhaps, you simply prop yourself against one of the many boldly-colored walls that line the calles and avenidas, like this man… the scene before you is always beautiful. I don’t think a day has gone by where I haven’t outwardly expressed my fascination with the beauty that abounds in this city. She’s like a diamond. You can look upon her faces, her edges, her corners from different angles and each time you will find a new hue to appreciate.

text and photo by Laura McNamara

Michele Woodey already so eloquently described the emotions La Antigua’s ruins evoke. In her Antigua Abstracted #3 post she wrote: “These are places where episodes of history become entangled with our dreams- where stories and fables are as intricately woven together as the creeping vegetation that threatens to overwhelm the architecture itself.” Yet, the very people of that “fabled history” are there, displaying their wares on the cobbled streets just as their ancestors did. The experience is surreal and I feel like I’ve stepped into a living painting. The entire city – with its colonial ornamentation and kaleidoscope of color – feels like a living painting. I know I have a fresh set of eyes but I just don’t think I’ll ever become weary of venturing out into the city each morning to find whimsical scenes such as these – scenes that I too get to color with my very own, unique hue. This certainly beats U.S. Midwest suburbia. The next time you pass by the Ruins of El Carmen, where the rainbow-colored wares of the Maya people are displayed under the looming, colonial fossil… I beg you to stop… breathe… and take a moment escape to another time, another era.

This city truly romances me like a lover…

text and photo by Laura McNamara

For me, nature’s patterns are often works of abstract art, displayed before humanity in a living, outdoor gallery. These leaves are unknown to me. But, I think each one looks like a little, oriental fan, delicately spreading out from its stem. What do they look like to you? Does anyone know what kind of tree these leaves represent? There is also something about green. I love the myriad of greens that spring from nature.

text and photo by Laura McNamara

If you are a tourist just passing through for a couple days you are probably not one to find time to discover and appreciate the stunning view from Cerro de la Cruz. But, locals, ex-pats, Spanish students and the traveler who kicks off his shoes and stays awhile eventually find themselves huffing up the winding road to Cerro Santo Domingo. I wonder if the lookout point has been dubbed “make-out point.” This couple is certainly enjoying the ambience of the hilltop vista. Can’t say I blame them…

text and photo by Laura McNamara.