When doing research on where to stay in Antigua, Guatemala, I came across this small place called Earth Lodge. What initially attracted me to this place was that you can sleep in a treehouse with an AMAZING view! However, this place far surpassed my expectations. Here is everything you need to know about Earth Lodge, the most unique place to stay in Antigua.
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Why Earth Lodge is Truly Amazing
Earth Lodge Has the Most Incredible View
From Earth Lodge, you can see down into the Antigua Valley. At night, you can see the city lights glow, during the day, you can see everything. The valley below is surrounded by four volcanoes, all viewable from Earth Lodge: Volcan Acatenango, Volcan Fuego, Volcan de Agua, Volcan Pacaya (Which can be hiked with a guide for a unique marshmellow-roasting experience). Volcan Fuego is particularly interesting to watch because it erupts every 5 minutes or so. You can see the smoke easily from the lodge and from your room, but you are in no danger.
Earth Lodge Has Dogs Everywhere
This one feels like the most amazing bonus to me. There are dogs EVERYWHERE. They are all very friendly and mostly lay out in the sun. As a dog person, I was very happy to have the bonus company with me. Also, it is a dog-friendly location so you can bring your dog as long as it gets along well with other dogs!
You Can Spend the Night in a Tree House
This was the ENTIRE reason that I decided to book Earth Lodge for my husband and I. We would get to spend the night in a tree house overlooking volcanos and Antigua. Honestly, it lived up to all of my expectations and more. The view was incredible, the tree house had a hammock that was perfect for relaxation, and the room was comfortable. It was definitely a bucket list item.
Ammenities
- They have English speaking staff
- They are very accessible through email and will work with you on your booking if need be
- It’s super affordable! If you can’t afford the more “luxurious” options there, they have more hostel-like rooms as well
- Free wifi (However it doesn’t reach your treehouse, but sometimes it is good to disconnect)
- Hot Shower. What an amazing surprise.
- Delicious breakfast for sale. It may cost extra, but it is worth it. The food was delicious.
- Vegetarian/Vegan friendly meal options
- There are hammocks everywhere: at the treehouses, at the main bar, at the yoga area.
Earth Lodge is Eco-Friendly
- They compost their waste
- They grow their own avocados. They have a few hundred trees, they sell some whole sale to farmers markets. We even bought a bag of 8 of them for 3$ or 20q.
- They reuse recycling as building materials (plastic and glass)
- They capture rain water to use for agriculture
Bonuses:
- They offer transportation/pickup to and from Antigua
- fresh avocados 20q per bag
- Organic Popsicles 10q
- offer mountain yoga 50Q
- Bar on-site
- Hostel Amenities: Board Games, dart boards, fire pit, etc.
Cons:
- It is a 300m walk downhill from the road to Earth Lodge. The incline is intense and it is not for suitcase travel.
- You have to pay for parking but it isn’t much at all
- It is about 20 minutes UP HILL from Central Antigua so if you are driving yourself, keep that in mind.
- There are two ways to get there. One is MISERABLE AND DANGEROUS. Make sure that you take the road to the right of Cerro de la Cruz on your way up, trust me.
- There are bugs, which is to be expected in Guatemala when you are out of the cities.
- No air-conditioning (But honestly, we didn’t even need it! The weather is fantastic year-round on the mountain.
- If you aren’t used to hostels, it will be a new experience for you because it is very hostel-like.
These are all of the reasons why Earth Lodge is the most unique place to stay in Antigua.
Seriously, go there.
