Home to the Kaqchikel Maya and a strong Swiss-German influence Tecpán Guatemala is a mountain city with a layered history.
Located at 2200m (7,200ft) in the heart of the Guatemala highlands Tecpán is situated in a pine-forested region. The area once served as the capital of the Kaqchikel Maya – who built the metropolis of Iximché (1300AD) atop steep cliffs. It is said that the country’s name originated here, from the K’iche’ word Quauhtemallan or “place of many trees”
JOIN OUR NEXT BIG TRIP
GUATEMALAN HIGLAND TOUR
Join us for our largest cross country mountain bike tour of the season where we’ll connect the country visiting distinct regions on ancient Mayan trails.
Dec 27 – Jan 3, 2024
Mountain Biking in Tecpán Guatemala
The mountain biking in Tecpán Guatemala is characterized by high altitude, cool pine forests – pine needle singletrack and impressive views of the volcanoes of Lake Atitlán. With hundreds of mountain bike trails and tons of climbing it’s no wonder Guatemalan national cross country champion Jhonnathan DeLeon grew up training here.
Tecpán has a strong German / Swiss influence which you can see in the many log cabins and chalet restaurants. The weather here is cool to cold and many of the older houses have fireplaces – this is not your typical Guatemala!
Cerro Tecpán
Rising to 3300m (10,800ft) Cerro Tecpán’s pine-forested slopes are home to hundreds of trails – interconnecting woodlots and fincas. Guatemala’s first highway CA-1 once passed through here following the ridge of the mountain. CA-1 has long been abandoned but provides a fantastic backbone for a trail system that is utilized by horse and bike travel.
Our Tecpán Basecamp
In 2019 we moved our operations to Tecpán, renovating a mountain cabin and opening a 300 acre nature park at 2700m. Why Tecpán you may ask? Put simply it’s got the best mountain biking in the country with unprecedented access to nature and trails.
It’s all downhill from here
From it’s central location in the mountains Tecpán makes the perfect jump-off for a multi-day mountain bike adventure to neighboring Lake Atitlán and Quiché.
Patzún
Below Tecpan lie the barrancos of Patzún, a sprawling web of spidery and steep eroded canyons. The riding here is high, dry and varied. Linking long descents you can connect to the lake with over 2000m (6500ft) of downhill.
Our Top 3 Mountain Bike Tours in Tecpán Guatemala
The Route of the Kaqchikel
Two days of classic point to point biking all inclusive. Hotels, transport and meals
Connect our favorite technical trails that have taken us years to construct!
Green pastures and tough climbs. All tours start from out base in Tecpán!
Paseos Principiantes – Each and every Sunday in Tecpán
Tecpan Guatemala Gallery
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