As I was rounding out the last part of my time in Guatemala, I had two more locations to see. While I’m generally not a fan of touristy attractions, Hobbitenango was actually pretty nice. I purchased a trip that involved riding an ATV up the mountain and included entrance to Hobbitenango with plenty of time to roam around on my own. Translated to English the name of this park is Place of Hobbits. The views from the top of the mountain were breathtakingly beautiful. The hobbit shire theme of the park was quaint and it made for a fun late afternoon/early evening activity. To get to the activity I walked across town and got to enjoy more buildings and bright blue sky along the way.

Motorcycles and scooters are very common in Guatemala

An example of street signs attached to the building

I thought this alley way arch was interesting. It is located adjacent to: 20 Alameda de Santa Lucia, Antigua

Motorcycles along Alameda de Santa Lucia

The structure on the roof was interesting and I didn’t know what it was. It can be found at: 18 Lotificacion la Recoleccion, Antigua

Various properties I saw on Lotificacion la Recoleccion during my walk back to the hotel

Various properties I saw on Calle de Chajón during my walk to Antigua Rides for my ATV and Hobbitenango experience

Once I got across town, I made it to where the ATV company was and signed some paperwork then we were on our way up the mountain. The first stop was about 1/2 way up the hill at Vuelta Grande were there were some vendors and bathrooms. When I got off the ATV and walked through this area, I really started to get the feel of being in another world, but this was just a teaser, as I would come to learn once we ascended to the top of the mountain.

This is also where you board the shuttle to Hobbitenango. The road from here up to is super narrow with just enough room for one vehicle and the drivers are weaving these large shuttles through the narrow hillside road effortlessly. It was both terrifying and impressive especially since on the way up they did it all in reverse!

At the top of the mountain, we got out of the shuttle and entered this incredible place where we were transported to the world of hobbits. You can take photographs at the viewpoints, play in the medieval fair, jump on the giant swing and appreciate the views of the Agua, Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes. There are also vendors selling different food and souvenirs. Hobbitenango also offers logging options where you can rent hobbit houses.

Panoramic view at the entrance to Hobbitenango

Mural painted on a bench. This is where I enjoyed my ice cream and had a dog visitor (see far left of photo where he is climbing the stairs)

Overlooking the stone hand of Colossus with Volcan Pacaya in the distance

Murals were everywhere, this one was painted on a concrete retaining wall

Panoramic with the stone hand of Colossus in the foreground and Volcans Pacaya and Atitlán in the distance

Another beautiful mural and vista approach

Local farms in the foreground and Volcans Pacaya and Atitlán in the distance

Standing on the stone hand of Colossus with Volcan Pacaya on the left and Volcan Atitlán on the right

Ultimate photo spot, it even has the name plate hanging above

Panoramic of the inside of the hobbit house

coffee before heading back down the mountain

This place was a lot of fun to explore, but all things come to an end and it was time for us to board the shuttle again to go down the mountain. When we got to the ATVs it was a fun downhill ride. I noticed both on the ride up and again on the way back, that the entrance to Cerro de la Cruz was not very far from where we would be taking the ATVs back.

This was an extra stop that I had wanted to see, primarily for the view of the city. When you look at maps, sometimes the distances between places can be deceptive, especially when there are hikes that incorporate serpentine paths to climb uphill. In hindsight, it’s a bit hilarious that I thought I would be able to walk from my hotel in the morning and would be there in 30 minutes. I might have been able to get to the entrance within that time but there is no way I would have had the time to do this based on how I had initially planned for seeing this location. That said, I was pretty tired and the sun was going to be setting within the hour so I made the call and decided to go for it. This was my last day/night in Antigua after all and I would be catching a shuttle back to the airport at 4:00AM the following morning so this was truly my last opportunity to see this site.

first landing area patrolled by police, the view only gets better the more you climb up the hill

Cerro de la Cruz overlooking Antigua below

While I would have loved to enjoy the view a while longer, it was getting dark quick and I was on foot. Not only did I have to walk back down to the entrance but also across town to my hotel and find some dinner on the way. But it was nice to check this off my Antigua bucket list.