If you’re planning a trip to Guatemala, you may have stumbled upon Hobbitenango, a hobbit-themed eco-park that’s nestled high in the mountains outside the charming city of Antigua. But what exactly is Hobbitenango—and is it worth the visit? My husband, Justin, and I recently visited—and even stayed overnight at—this quirky attraction and are spilling the beans about everything you need to know about Hobbitenango, the most unique park in Guatemala.
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Hobbitenango was nice enough to host us at their hotel; however, all opinions are our own.
What is Hobbitenango in Guatemala?
Hobbitenango is an adventure park, of sorts. It offers a variety of photo spots, like the famous giant hand that you can stand on that overlooks the Panchoy Valley below; activities, like archery, mini-golf, and a giant swing; and, of course, plenty of hobbit holes, straight out of Lord of the Rings!
I’ve read that the founder was originally interested in creating eco-friendly structures around Antigua, stumbled upon hobbit holes that were built in Wales, and decided to buy property high in the mountains to turn his dream into reality.
Now, Hobbitenango offers three hobbit holes that you can actually stay in overnight (which we gladly did!), two restaurants, and several other hobbit-themed buildings and areas all over the property where you can relax and drink in the surrounding views.
I personally don’t think you need to be a Lord of the Rings fan to still get a kick out of visiting Hobbitenango. The views of the surrounding mountains and volcanoes are absolutely STUNNING (you can even see the Fuego Volcano erupting off in the distance every 20 minutes or so); there’s plenty of activities that have nothing to do with hobbits to keep you busy for several hours; and the structures themselves are adorable and picturesque (even if you don’t know what the hell a hobbit is!).
How to get to Hobbitenango
Located at 7,800 feet above sea level, high in the mountains, Hobbitenango feels like a different planet, but it’s conveniently located less than a half hour drive from Antigua, Guatemala.
There are several ways that you can get to Hobbitenango from Antigua.
Getting to Hobbitenango by Shuttle
In my opinion, the best way to get to Hobbitenango is by taking the shuttle provided by the park. It leaves from the park’s office in downtown Antigua, located at 3a Avenida Norte #20A, at 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM and 4 PM and returns back to Antigua at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM and 5 PM every day. In our experience, the shuttle is pretty timely, so I’d suggest showing up 15 minutes early to ensure that you get a spot onboard and don’t miss it!
The shuttle is a big beefy 4×4 truck, with seats in the back of the cab and benches in the bed. The mountain roads leading up to Hobbitenango are super steep and bumpy in certain places, so it kind of feels like an adventure, just getting there—we had a blast sitting in the open-air back of the truck as the Guatemala jungle whizzed by!
The shuttle is Q45 (about $7 USD) per person for roundtrip transportation, which will likely be the most affordable and convenient way to get to and from the park.
Getting to Hobbitenango by Uber
Uber is alive and well in Guatemala and, as a whole, we were impressed with its service in the country. Drivers seemed plentiful, it was crazy affordable, and there’s no chance of something getting lost in translation with your driver.
An Uber ride to Hobbitenango from Antigua, in the app, should run you about Q30-60 one-way. However, I’ve heard that almost all Uber drivers will actually ask for additional payment, on top of what the app requests, due to the remote and unpaved mountain roads they’ll have to drive on to get there. I’d anticipate spending at least Q100 (or around $13 USD) one-way if you plan on using Uber.
Before our visit to the park, we wanted to go to another ecolodge and avocado farm that’s near Hobbitenango in the mountains, called Earth Lodge, for lunch and assumed that we would be able to easily find an Uber driver to take us from there up to Hobbitnenango. After waiting for almost an hour and having about 20 Uber drivers cancel the trip on us, we realized that it was going to be quite a challenge to get anyone to drive from Antigua out into the mountains for us.
Luckily, Earth Lodge happened to have a shuttle driver who offered to drive us to Hobbitenango for 100Q, but in hindsight, I would have much preferred to just take the park’s own (much cheaper!) shuttle there. So learn from our mistakes—you might have a hard time finding an Uber driver that is willing to drive all the way there!
Note that the Ubers will need to drop you off in a dirt parking lot, where you’ll buy your ticket to Hobbitenango and then ride a complimentary 4×4 shuttle the rest of the way up the mountain.
Getting to Hobbitenango by ATV Tours
If you want a more adventurous transportation option, there’s a handful of different ATV tours, like this option, that zoom through the mountains and jungle around Antigua and make their way up to Hobbitenango for about an hour in the park before enjoying the spectacular sunset here.
We met friends during our hike up Acatenango that did an ATV tour to Hobbitenango and LOVED it. Definitely sounds like the most fun way to get up here!
Getting to Hobbitenango by private tour
If you prefer a more intimate experience, you can join a private tour, like this one, that will pick you up at your hotel in Antigua or Guatemala City. This would be a good option for you if you don’t want to mess around with figuring out transportation to Hobbitenango yourself and want to learn more about this quirky destination, as well as Antigua.
Getting to Hobbitenango by rental car
If you are brave enough to rent a car in Guatemala, you could theoretically drive up to Hobbitenango’s dirt parking lot yourself, where you can buy your ticket and grab a 4×4 shuttle the rest of the way up to the park.
From Antigua or Guatemala City, however, you’ll encounter lots of potholed and unpaved mountain roads, which is likely prohibited by your rental car contract—so this wouldn’t be my recommendation.
How much does Hobbitenango cost?
Hobbitenango costs Q50 ($6.50 USD) per adult and Q30 ($3.90) for children between 4-10 years old, which includes enjoying all of the park’s activities as much as you’d like. Given that you could easily spend several hours enjoying Hobbitenango’s views and activities, this seems like a pretty solid deal to me!
Things to Do at Hobbitenango
So, once you’ve figured out a way to get up to Hobbitenango, what exactly is there to do?
Giant swing
Hobbitenango is home to the largest tree swing in all of Central America, which swings up to 2500 meters (or 8200 feet!) above sea level.
To enjoy this ride, you’ll get fitted with a harness, get clipped into a slingshot of sorts, and then released to swing high above the park. You must weigh under 200 pounds to go on the swing for safety purposes.
I’ve never heard of anyone getting injured on the swing, but, in hindsight, it didn’t necessarily strike me as the safest contraption I’ve ever come across (there’s essentially just one carabiner clipping you into the swing)—so this is a definitely use-at-your-own-risk kinda thing. That being said, it definitely was a thrilling ride, with my legs freely swinging high above the park, with stunning views of the valleys, mountains, and frickin’ volcanoes all around me!
If you’re interested in enjoying the swing, I’ve heard that the line for this can get absurdly long as the day wears on, but, when we visited early in the morning, there was literally no one else there and the attendants agreed to let me go on as many times as I liked.
Archery, ax-throwing, and machete throwing
If you want to get in touch with your inner Legolas, there’s a booth where you can try your hand at archery, ax-throwing, or machete-throwing—or all three!
I am HORRIBLE at pretty much anything that requires hand-eye coordination, but still managed to hit close to a bulls-eye on my third archery attempt!
Mini golf
There’s a golf course with six holes of mini-golf, with obstacles like waterfalls, tunnels, and even a dragon along the course (this is a hobbit-themed park, after all!). Note that the golf course has more limited hours than the rest of the park, operating from around 8 AM to 5 PM every day.
Carnival games
There’s little carnival games, sprinkled throughout the park, like ball toss or bean bag toss. Definitely great for travelers with kiddos!
Photo stops
Arguably, the most famous attraction at Hobbitenango is a giant stone hand, dripping with moss, that juts over a valley of lush green fields and, beyond, the rolling mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala. You can get some pretty epic photos and videos here—and at a variety of other spots in the park!
For example, there’s a couple of wings for you to stand in front of (which seems to be quite popular in Guatemala!), as well as “El Nido” (or “The Nest”), a wooden platform, surrounded by lush greenery with epic views of the surrounding scenery.
El Nido is typically open to the public but you can reserve it in advance, starting at $50 USD per person ($25 of which goes towards food or drink from Hobbitenango) for two hours. It honestly sounds super romantic—the rental cost is inclusive of the platform getting decorated with white cushions, roses, and candles. If you’re raring to propose to someone in Guatemala, this might be the perfect spot!
Otherwise, just know that this also means that it might be reserved and unavailable when you visit.
Trails
There’s three hiking trails (and a handful of unofficial paths) that weave through the park. You could definitely spend an hour or so, just moseying up and down the park’s random pathways and staircases, taking in the spectacular views.
Eating at Hobbitenango
Hobbitenango has a restaurant with an a-la-carte menu, a tavern, and a cafeteria that has an all-you-can-eat buffet on weekends. The breakfast buffet costs 149Q for adults or 69Q for kids and the lunch buffet is 184Q for adults or 79Q for kids—which actually is inclusive of your admission to the park.
Of course, the restaurants and tavern look straight out of Lord of the Rings, with cozy features, like fireplaces, and huge round windows that offer beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.
Since we stayed onsite, we actually had both of our meals delivered to our rooms, so we can’t speak to service in the restaurants. However, we were REALLY impressed by the quality of food—it was clearly made from incredibly fresh ingredients, well plated, and definitely one of the best meals we had in Guatemala!
The food at Hobbitenango is a teeny bit on the expensive side for Guatemala (you can expect to pay around $10 USD per lunch or dinner entree), but generally on par with most of the touristy restaurants in Antigua—and, given that you don’t exactly have many options near the park, the price, all things considered, seems pretty fair to me.
Additionally, they have some really fun-sounding cocktails, many of which are hobbit-themed (like the “Fire Spell” or “Viejo Hobbit”) and come in fun glassware, like a glass skull. We weren’t in the mood for cocktails when we visited, but we’ve read reviews that Hobbitenango actually has some of the best mixologists in Guatemala!
Beyond the more formal dining options, there’s a number of stands selling ice cream and other snacks if you don’t need a full-blown meal. Plus, there’s several open hobbit holes, with chairs and tables, that seem designed for having a snack or a beer and just enjoying the views.
The Hotel at Hobbitenango
As mentioned above, Hobbitenango actually has three private hobbit holes that you can stay in—La Casita del Sueño, which can accommodate up to two guests; La Casita del Nido, for up to four guests; or La Cala Esmeralda, for up to six guests.
The rates at Hobbitenango are pretty affordable, ranging from just $115 to $155 a night (which includes breakfast and your admission to the park)—not too shabby for one of the most unique stays in Guatemala! You can check out availability and pricing here.
Check-in is anytime from 1-6pm, although you’re welcome to come to the park earlier and they’ll happily hold your bags for you. Check out is at 11 AM.
We stayed overnight in La Casita del Sueño and had a FANTASTIC experience.
When we arrived on site, we were greeted with our personal assistant, Nelson, who basically helped us with anything we needed during our stay, such as ordering food and drinks, lighting our indoor fireplace in the evening to keep our little hobbit hole nice and toasty warm, and bringing us extra blankets. Nelson was incredibly friendly, attentive, and spoke pretty solid English.
Nelson took us to our hobbit hole for the night, which was built into the earth on the side of a hill. The room itself was surprisingly spacious and SO adorable, with a cozy fireplace and bed, HUGE windows that overlooked three volcanoes, and features that felt hobbit-y, like dark wooden beams on the ceiling. There was also a large bathroom, with a separate shower room that even had its own oven that could turn it into a wood-fired sauna.
We stayed at Hobbitenango after a couple of hectic days exploring Guatemala, like climbing the Pacaya Volcano hike to get pizza cooked over a volcanic steam vent and getting our butt-kicked on the Acatenango hike. It was SO nice to have a comfortable place to relax for a night, getting our food delivered to our room and just taking in the spectacular views.
It’s worth noting that the hobbit holes are pretty rustic—there’s no central heating or cooling, so if you’re visiting during a particularly warm day, it might get a bit toasty in there. And there’s no televisions or wifi to speak of—this is definitely a place to disconnect and relax, not work remotely (although we had decent cell service if you need it!).
The only negative thing I have to say about our experience staying at Hobbitenango is that the rooms get chilly at night and are heated by a wood-burning fireplace near your bed. Nelson lit the fire for us when we were ready to go to bed and we thought it was so cute and romantic—until our room got SUPER smokey. We eventually called Nelson to put out our fire and just asked for extra blankets to keep us warm (which worked great for us!).
From reading others’ reviews after staying here, I don’t think this is an isolated incident—it seems like most guests struggle with how smokey the rooms get. Accordingly, I hope in the future that Hobbitenango adds some kind of additional ventilation system so that guests can enjoy the warmth and coziness of the fire, without worrying about smelling like barbecue in the morning!
Additionally, your hobbit holes are behind a gate that’s latched shut, with a sign on it to keep day visitors at Hobbitenango out. This didn’t appear to stop a handful of visitors who wandered into our little garden area and even asked for a peek inside our room—so, during the hours that the park is open, don’t be shocked if you have some surprise visitors. This didn’t bother us too much and you do get a lock and key if you want to leave your room to wander around the park—but it’s just something to be aware of!
Tips for Visiting Hobbitenango
Stay the night.
So here’s the thing—the sunset at Hobbitenango is arguably one of the best sunsets we’ve seen in Guatemala and otherwsie, with the towering volcanoes jutting out of a blanket of clouds, bathed in golden light. If you’re going to the trouble of visiting Hobbitenango, I would absolutely recommend trying to time your visit for sunset.
That being said, it definitely isn’t the best time to visit the park to enjoy all of its attractions. Many of the most popular things to do in Hobbitenango, like the giant swing or the hand photo spot, close around 5 PM and, even if they’re open, you’ll have to wait in super long queues.
The best time to enjoy the attractions at Hobbitenango is first thing in the morning, as there’s no one else around. For example, Justin and I got the giant hand spot totally to ourselves for about 45 minutes on a Saturday when the park initially opened. I got to walk right up to the giant swing and could have ridden it as many times as I wanted. You get the picture.
So how can you visit first thing in the morning and enjoy the sunset?
Easy—stay the night! You get to watch the sunset in the park, stay in a bucket list-worthy place overnight, and have the park to yourself in the morning. Everybody wins!
Bring layers and comfortable shoes.
If you’re visiting in the early morning or the evening, it gets pretty chilly up in the mountains. Bring some warm layers so that you can keep enjoying the views!
And regardless of what time of day you visit, make sure to wear comfortable shoes. There’s lots of walking and climbing up stairs when visiting Hobbitenango, so this definitely isn’t the time to bust out your six inch stilettos. Justin and I both wore our Teva sandals (here’s the pair he uses and the pair I use) and they worked out great.
Wait until you’re acclimated.
Hobbitenango is located at 7,800 feet above sea level, which is pretty darn high up there. If you’re coming from El Paredón, Guatemala’s most popular beach town, or from some other destination that’s at sea level, you might want to wait a day or two in Antigua to get acclimated to the altitude before heading straight to Hobbitenango.
Although pretty rare, people can actually experience altitude sickness at over 6,000 feet—and with so many cool things to do in Antigua, you might as well spend a few days exploring the town instead!
I hope you enjoy Hobbitenango in Guatemala as much as we did! Do you have any questions about visiting this quirky attraction? Let us know in the comments below!
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