Now although I’m a major addict of Antigua, at some point you may want to escape the killing heat of the Antigua afternoon. Although the city is surrounded by green hillsides and volcanoes, there aren’t a lot of green spots right in the city center. This is a town for commerce, not for in-between nature retreat moments.
However, do not despair my fellow traveller! Only a short ride from Antigua I found a lush avocado farm with tree houses, a restaurant with home-made meals, a hiking trail, a yoga platform and lots of cuddly dogs: Earth Lodge!
The lodge makes a perfect destination for little day (or a long stay) out, if only for a lunch with a view on the surrounding volcanoes… which looks like this ↓
Not so bad right?
How to get there?
I ordered an Uber from the center of Antigua for 34 GTQ, which took something like half an hour to the lodge. You can arrange a cab via the lodge itself as well, but they ask 50 GTQ for the (one-way) ride. Also, once you’re at the lodge just ask around and see if other people are heading back as well. I was able to share a cab for instance with another couple. It’ll save you even more on the way back!
I thought the ride to Earth Lodge was pretty nice. From the Cerro de la Cruz it leads all the way up to the surrounding hills. Gorgeous views are all around and that’s the forte of the Earth Lodge itself as well.
Unfortunately cars aren’t able to conquer the road to the lodge all the way. The last bit of the road is a very steep and narrow dirt road and you have to walk it yourself ↓
Don’t go on your flip flops as the stairs can be slippery (so I noticed ?)
Along the way the lodge will keep your spirit up with a lot of signs 🙂
And after a 10-minute walk, this is the first look upon the lodge ↓
This main building is both a chill-out area and restaurant, which has many nooks and crannies where you for sure can find your ultimate relaxing spot. There’s also a fairly decent collection of books in case you just want to crawl up and stay at the lodge for another week :). I wouldn’t blame you, in fact I’d be jealous.
I even met someone who’d stayed a month at the lodge, just because she thought it was so relaxing. I guess if you’re just really tired (from all that tough time of travelling :)) then this might be a good spot indeed to settle down for a while.
Some home-made products are sold in the corner of the restaurant and as the place is so remote from everything it’s possible to buy a couple of practical products in here too such, such as toothpaste or (natural) repellent.
Now what about an overnight stay?
I had been thinking about it, but ultimately I wanted to stay another night in the city, just because I was looking for a bit more excitement. But I think it would be very relaxing to stay at the lodge. There are several opportunities that fit any budget. The private cabinas (huts) are quite expensive (from $40,- USD and way up for the night) unfortunately, but it is possible to stay in the dorm for just $10,- USD per night.
Apart from that, another real expense would be the food. Compared to restaurants in Antigua the menu is a bit pricier at the lodge. I ordered the Chefs Salad (I love to order the things that include ‘chef’ or the like, because this basically MUST be the cook’s signature dish), but I didn’t find it that special at all to be honest. I wasn’t a big fan of the recommended smoothie either, but maybe I just had some bad luck. I did like the home made ‘beer bread’ that came on the side, but I only got a tiny portion of that unfortunately.
The staff on the other hand was very helpful and nice. This was a bit of a pleasant surprise as I had read a lot of reviews on Tripadvisor about very unhelpful and rude staff members. Not my experience.
I always forget to picture food. So therefore a snap of some avocados in sorts of sizes that grow on the property. ↑ It’s a Millennial’s avocado toast dream in here :).
Apart from the avocado plantation there’s way more to explore around the property. Once you descend from the restaurant area there’s this big field where you can enjoy yourself with slack lining, football or at the brand new yoga platform.
Moreover, there’s a trail (maybe even more, but I only found one!) you can hike by yourself. It starts right beneath the avocado trees and makes a little loop around the hill. Many birds were flying by and I bet that if you go very early in the morning you will see a lot more of those. Perhaps some mammals too!
That’s it. All in all I had a very pleasant visit to Earth Lodge. Don’t expect ultimate luxury, but if you want to do a bit of out-of-town exploration, love avocados and are in dire need of a breath of fresh air, this place might just be right for you!
Here’s where to find that lodge near Antigua! ↓
