Biking to the Giant Kite Festival
November 1 is a normal day to most, but in Guatemala it is a very special holiday. On this day “All Saints” is commemorated, together with the Festival de Barriletes Gigantes, the Giant Kite Festival in Sumpango, Sacatepéquez. UNESCO has recognized the festival as an important part of the cultural heritage of Guatemala.
According to Mayan tradition, and what our grandparents tell us, the day of “Todos los Santos” is a mystical celebration: a special opportunity to communicate with our ancestors.
Since we were children we have gone to the cemeteries with our families to visit the deceased. All Saints Day is a celebration, a day to fly kites, taste cold cuts, roast corn and prepare delicious traditional dishes.
A day of celebration
In Guatemala, All Saints Day is spent with loved ones, visiting and celebrating with deceased family members in the cemeteries.
Morning in the colonial city
Our journey begins in the colonial city of Antigua. It is a beautiful morning, with spectacular views of the Agua, Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes. Antigua is truly emblematic, so much so that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is the perfect preamble to today’s great adventure on two wheels.
The minutes pass while we wait for each of our adventure partners to arrive. Today we have a large group of 12 cyclists. As a resident of this place, I am proud to share with locals and foreigners the roots of this Mayan tradition, with more than 180 years of history. As time goes by the circle of friends grows, and between greetings and smiles the excitement to start pedaling grows more and more.
MTB Guatemala, a pioneer of mountain biking in Guatemala, has designed an exclusive route that takes us, in an ecological way, to one of the most colorful traditional festivals in my country: the Giant Kite Festival. The event, celebrated on November 1 in the cemetery of Sumpango, is more and more popular with Guatemalans and foreigners alike.
After checking that all the participants are present and every bike is ready, our lead guide Brendan James gives the first instructions and the itinerary. He introduces our driver Erick, who will handle the transfers and drive the bus that accompanies us throughout the tour. The three guides split up among the group, and everyone is encouraged to ride at their own pace.
¡Estamos listos!
Among the participants are a group of girls looking to add one more adventure to their list, an architect from the capital, a family from Whistler, Canada and a family from Suchitepéquez. It is a mixed group!
It is nice to see how some of our clients choose to spend their birthday with the MTB Guatemala team. That was the case of a boy from Suchitepéquez who longed to join the tour and ride with us to the Giant Kite Festival; his family agreed and gave him the experience as a birthday present.
The excitement to start riding keeps growing. This event is something unique even for locals, and the first of its kind. The crowds at the festival are so massive that most people arrive by camioneta or private transport, as there is no chance of finding parking. Our bike ride takes an alternative route through the mountains and small villages.
After our first transfer we arrive at our starting point: Hobbitenango, an ecological park above Antigua. Our new friends are impressed by the views of the Panchoy Valley, the colonial city of Antigua and the surrounding volcanoes. The team reviews the day’s plan, the logistics of months of preparation.
Taking the back roads to Sumpango
After checking that every bike is in perfect condition, the long-awaited moment arrives: time to ride and venture into what MTB Guatemala has in store for us. We leave the highways behind and enter the small communities above Antigua, with beautiful forests and back roads. We follow dirt paths and less-traveled trails that farmers use to get from one place to another more quickly.
We ride through small, totally isolated communities. We see simple, friendly families wearing their colorful traditional clothing, the güipiles, and celebrating in the streets. Everywhere there are kites.
Children run around trying to lift their own little kites, sometimes made from plastic bags. Guatemalan children are full of energy, and they share their excitement all along our journey, cheering us on with applause, greetings and big smiles.
On All Saints Day, Guatemalan families gather and go together to the cemeteries to honor the memory of their ancestors. In the kites we can see how parents pass this ancient tradition on to their children.
The trip is always better by bike!
Frequent stops are needed to admire the many beautiful places along the ride. Nearly every town we pass through is celebrating, and in the distance we see the small eruptions of the Fuego volcano. Day of the Dead brings together hundreds of people in each community: they organize fairs, races, marathons and cycling events. Riding through so much celebration fills us with excitement.
At MTB Guatemala it is a priority that you enjoy the adventure at your own pace. At one point we split the group in two, by technical level: Brendan takes the advanced group to the more technical trails, while my fellow guide Alex and I stay with the larger group on a less technical but fun route.
Throughout the tour our driver Erick is attentive to everything we might need, following closely with a 4×4 support vehicle.
The busiest day of the year in the tiny town of Sumpango
As we get closer to Sumpango we are surprised by the crowds and the traffic. The kite festival brings tens of thousands of people to this small Mayan town, which closes all its streets for the festival. Cars park along the main highway and families walk for miles to get in.
With respect and admiration for everything around us, we make our way through the crowds of Sumpango on our bikes, and after a few minutes we arrive at our meeting point near the festival entrance.
We leave the bikes at a small bakery we arranged before the trip. MTB Guatemala tries to leave a positive impact on the communities we visit, and this is one way we can help a local family. With our bikes parked we are free to walk the festival.
It is the perfect time to explore the improvised market with countless items on display, mostly handicrafts. Each one reflects the work of the artisan and the legacy and culture of the community they come from. It is incredible to see so many people from different countries mixing with the locals.
The sights and sounds of the celebration
We approach the main attraction: a large field where the giant kites are on display. We stop at a small street stand where the aroma of typical dishes mixes with the sound of live marimba music.
The festival brings together families, friends and visitors from many countries in a hubbub of colors, emotions and tradition, and it grows more popular every year. The streets of Sumpango are full of Guatemalans in the beautiful, colorful traditional clothing of each region.
With so much variety it is hard to choose what to eat! Grilled beef, handmade sausages, guacamole, refried beans, chirmol (a fried tomato salsa) and golden corn tortillas cooked over charcoal. Events like this show a bit of Guatemala’s culinary traditions.
The art of the barriletes preserves heritage and culture
The Giant Kite Festival has many positive impacts. One of them is seeing how Guatemalan youth spend their time creating art that is admired by thousands of visitors from around the world. For these young people it is the perfect opportunity to express themselves and show the world a bit of their Mayan culture.
Each kite is a canvas expressing the emotions, art and social context of our Guatemalan culture. Some of the themes at this year’s festival were peace, harmony, unity and equality.
“Young people who make kites are often happy to share the message and context of their creation.”
After a few minutes the huge kites begin to rise. Men run through the crowd with reels of rope, shouting “Watch out! Step back!” People stretch their necks as the enormous kites fight their way up into the sky. We are swept up in joy, adrenaline and fear as thousands of people around us scream with excitement. The November wind lifts the kites while thousands of cameras try to capture every moment of this beautiful tradition.
De vuelta a casa
As we ride together back to the colonial city, the scenery changes once more, now with a melancholy sunset. We reach our destination: our mixed group has become one big family, and we celebrate our experiences with a small toast.
Between smiles and hugs we say goodbye, and with a certain nostalgia we watch our friends leave for future adventures. At the end of the day, our greatest satisfaction is seeing the happiness on the face of each friend who shared this unique experience!
Neftalí Ajín
Barriletes Gigantes by bike
Reserve your space for this year’s ride to the Giant Kite Festival.
