Are you a fan of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings? I’ll be honest… I’m not… The real reason I wanted to stay here? The view from the fairytale-like park of Hobbitenango. And honestly, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip to Guatemala.
Spending the night in one of the three hobbit houses this park offers is a pretty special experience. And I’m here to tell you all about it!
Just want to visit the park without staying overnight? Keep reading – you’ll get a good feel for what this themed park is like.
At the end of my experience, I’ll also answer all your (practical) questions.
Off to Hobbitenango!
At 1:45 PM, we arrive at the Hobbitenango office in Antigua. Not long after, a driver calls out my name, takes our backpacks, and we hop into the car. A small group of people jumps into the back of the truck – they’re only visiting the park for a couple of hours.
We drive uphill for about 30 minutes. Antigua sits at 1,500 metres above sea level, while Hobbitenango is up at 2,500 metres. It’s the final stop of our trip – and today also happens to be my birthday!
We’re hoping to unwind for a few more days here, with a stunning view over no less than five volcanoes.
The Hobbit Villa
Once we arrive at the park, we’re welcomed by Esteban. He tells us he’ll be looking after us and takes us to our house. There, he shows us a walkie-talkie – we can use it any time of day to ask for food or drinks, help with the wood stove, or anything else we might need. We feel like real VIPs.
The hobbit house I booked turns out not to be a “house” at all, but a small villa. It’s also tucked away in the park – no one can see us here. I booked the biggest one, as the other two were already taken and I had my heart set on this place. Yep, you read that right – the park only has three houses! So make sure to book in time.
We’ve got a spacious living room with a regular sofa, a sofa bed, and a chair. There’s a double bed, a roomy shower, a wood stove, a small fridge, and a rooftop terrace. It really feels like a cosy little villa – and since it’s a bit hidden in the park, it’s super private too.
There’s no view at the moment – it’s cloudy, and up here that means you’re literally in the clouds.
Happy Birthday to me!
At 5 PM, we have to hand over the key so they can prepare my birthday surprise. Admittedly, it’s not *really* a surprise – I secretly booked it myself. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself 😉 Still, I’m very curious to see how it turns out.
We explore the park a bit. It would all look even more stunning if the sun was out, but to be honest, the cloudy weather adds a kind of mystical vibe. There’s definitely something magical about it. After playing a few games (more on that later), we enjoy a Guatemalan beer at the little bar.
I open the door to our hobbit house… Wow!
The place is filled with balloons, the wood burner is crackling, and on the table there’s a slice of cake, two little glasses, and ‘Feliz Cumpleaños’ written on a board. They really went all out. My birthday is officially perfect!
Over our last glass of wine, we play a round of Jenga. There’s also a Hobbit-themed board game here, but it looks way too complicated for now.
We’re really enjoying ourselves here. Later we cosy up in our hobbit house, read a bit, and call it an early night.
Hello volcanoes
The alarm goes off at 5:45. According to the weather forecast on my iPhone, it’s supposed to be clear this morning. I open my eyes and yes – there it is, the Agua volcano. Just visible from my bed!
As the sun rises, the view becomes even more impressive. From Hobbitenango you can see five volcanoes: Pacaya, Agua, Fuego, Acatenango and Atitlán.
In the photo below on the left, you see the Agua volcano, followed by Fuego, and the one I climbed earlier this trip – Acatenango. Pretty special to now just see it from your window. It would be even cooler if Fuego decided to erupt, but of course, it’s been taking a nap for the past two months. Still, even without lava fireworks, the view is absolutely priceless.
During this trip I’ve really come to love volcanoes, and this is such a perfect way to end it.
About the Fuego vulcano
We enjoy the view from our living room and then walk over to the Instagrammable giant hand for some photos. There’s no one else around – we have the whole place to ourselves. What. A. Beautiful. Place.
Around 8:00, we head to the restaurant for breakfast. Turns out breakfast is included, which wasn’t clear on the booking site – so that’s a nice surprise. And it’s not just any breakfast – it’s big and seriously tasty.
Then it’s time for the games. I’m usually not that into games, but here it’s actually fun. We play mini golf, axe throwing, archery, giant Jenga, and a few other games I don’t even know the names of.
We also both give the Giant Swing a go. I’ve been trying to conquer my fear of heights this whole trip, and I think I’ve finally done it… Though you might think otherwise if you heard my “waaaaaaaaaaah OMG fcking hll” scream echo through the mountains 😉
One thing we noticed here in Hobbitenango: it’s not packed with Western tourists yet – most visitors are actually locals. And luckily, it’s not crowded at all.
The biggest surprise? Even though we’re at 2,500 metres altitude, it’s not cold at all – at least not when the sun’s out. By the end of the day, we both ended up sunburnt. We’d been careful with sunscreen the whole trip, and of course, we get burned here…
We briefly consider walking to the nearby Altamira theme park, but then realise – this is our last day in Guatemala. And by now, it’s cloudy again anyway. So we decide to take it slow, order a few beers, and just relax in the park.
The Perfect Sunset
And then comes the most beautiful surprise we could’ve hoped for… Just before closing time, the clouds begin to clear and we’re treated to a stunning sunset! I grab my camera and take one final walk around the park.
The next morning, the clouds are back. We genuinely feel lucky to have witnessed both a beautiful sunrise and sunset here. We have breakfast, pack our backpacks, and get dropped off in Antigua by the shuttle.
An absolutely perfect way to end our trip!
All Your Questions About Hobbitenango Answered!
Thinking about visiting or even spending the night at Hobbitenango? Below, I’ve answered all your questions!
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