El Paredon: A black sand paradise

Guatemala is pretty mindless to travel because the backpacker track is so beaten that when you meet other travellers they basically map out your route for you.

Everyone said to go surf at El Paredon, see the turtles, stay at Driftwood Surfer.

Driftwood didn’t work out, but through a combination of some lovely humans at Paredon Surf House and the universe working on my side as usual, we ended up being invited to stay at this incredible property right next to Driftwood. In a private bungalow. With an outdoor bathroom and starlit shower. And a private patio and our own hammock.

Paredon Surf House is stunning, it feels like a place my family should stay on vacation (because I always treat myself to $9 hostel beds when I travel alone), but there are also dorm beds upstairs so you can stay here affordably. Breakfast, lunch, and a family dinner are available at the hotel restaurant, and they are all delish. The bread that comes with the soup (first course of dinner) is soo good. The smoothies make my mouth water, I literally can’t stop talking about the smoothies.

Oh okay one thing I do have to flag is that the bugs here are insane. I got literally destroyed from sand flies, I don’t think I have ever had this many bites on my body at one time. Bug spray is a must!!!

Anyway!

This place has the chillest vibe of anywhere I’ve stayed. Everyone just CHILLS. It has been soo amazing for me because the wifi is strong and I’m not getting pulled into excursions or distracted by rowdy hostel guests (not saying these are bad things but don’t forget it is #wanderlustandWIFI) so I’ve been able to get a ton of work done and am starting to feel on track with my goals.

El Paredon is a 4-hour shuttle from Lake Atitlan or 3-ish from Antigua, and at the end your shuttle rolls onto a 15-minute barge through a river. El Paredon is a tiny village, probably the most remote place I’ve ever stayed, with no ATMs, no paved roads, like 4 restaurants, barely any tourists. The Swell Hotel is worth checking out and doing yoga if you can, its soo beautiful, reminds me of a villa in Bali.

Here at Paredon Surf House we are right on the beach, and every morning (except one because I was hungover ok) I have woken up to catch the incredible sunrise, which makes a stunning contrast against the black sand.

A main attraction here is the release of baby turtles: every morning from September-December, at 6am, Tortugas releases hundreds of newborn turtles into the sea. They have just hatched in the protected hatchery up the beach, and carried down in buckets to scurry into the ocean. They can’t see yet so just follow the sound of the waves. Spectators have to stand behind a line drawn in the sand and keep a safe distance as they waddle along, getting stuck in little divots or footprints, getting washed back by the waves, as they head towards their new life at sea. Apparently 1 in 500 survive — between the predators, current, and lack of strength (they are baby paper sand dollars. just the flimsiest) it’s a tough world out there!

The other main draw is the surfing!!! Which obviously is a learning curve but I’ve learned the biggest trick is to meet a local who will drag your board through the waves and give you a push when a good wave comes. lol joking but it definitely helps and I had the BEST time!

The hardest part is getting OUT THERE!!! It’s EXHAUSTING. I feel like I spend 90% of my time paddlepaddlepaddling. But I’ve been able to ride a few good waves into the shore during each sesh and my “instructor” says I have good balance so I’m feeling good :)

It’s so quiet here and during most of the day you will see no other humans on the beach, but at sunset the beach comes alive with surfers. I can’t really explain the magic of being out in the waves on the board, the sun tinting the sky some crazy pinks and oranges, the silhouettes of other surfers, and the fringe of the waves turning golden. It doesn’t feel real. I keep pinching myself and reminding myself I’m in Guatemala and this is real life. So grateful.