ROSTRO MAYA - The Nose of the Mayan Face — Attraction in Sololá

We decided to do it on our own because we didn’t want to wake up at 4 am to hike, knowing that by the time we were there, every day was a bit cloudy with a bit of rain. We took a tuk tuk and then a bus for maybe 30Q each and we started the trail we freaked out but it seems to be that a man was waiting for us. He was basically doing nothing but waiting for foreigners and I guess he saw and he said he owned the land and he was going to take us to the top. I felt okay at that time but my friend was scared of him. We followed him on the path but I was how freaked out she was and I decided to believe more in her instincts than in mine, and we left the guy unexpectedly. For me it was okay because I speak Spanish but I was a bit weird that a man in the middle of nowhere was just waiting for people to guide them through the mountain.

At the end rain came and we decided to back to our hostel. In the way back we found a nice old man and he said we should go in the morning and with a guide. Overall I would recommend you go but with a tour guide because I also heard that you have to pay fees along the way to many landowners which at the end will make everything...

Highly recommend doing this trip (worth the 3am rise!) but would NOT recommend doing it without a guided tour on your own. We read several blogs and were under the impression that this is doable DIY but found out we were wrong for two reasons: 1. It is nearly impossible to find the right trail once having got off the chicken bus without relying on a tour that happens to be there at the same time. 2. The people guarding the area and the viewing platforms (referred to as "banditos" in most blogs) are not accepting tourists who are unwilling to pay a Q50 entrance fee. We had only taken Q10 each with us as we were under the impression that this might do, but the locals have seen through this strategy and are making everyone hike back down who isnt going to pay the full amount. Whilst we did save a few dollars (we had to borrow the money from another tourist on a tour) ultimately this was not worth the hassle and arguing with the local guards. Paying a few dollars more and having a guide and direct shuttle transfer would definitely have...

Did this hike from top to bottom then again from bottom to top. Depending on where you start, there’s an entry fee per person to do the hike. At the bottom me and my sister we’re going to be charged 30Q each but the gatekeeper person agreed to 50Q total (so try to barter a bit if you have a group).

In dry season (Jan-March), there’s quite a bit of dust that kicks up so if you have a bandana to cover your nose/mouth, I’d advise that. If going up the mountain, you’ll come across a fork in the path with an “arrow” painted on a rock- you want to take the LEFT path to get to the nose. The right path will lead to another town.

Incredible vistas near enough to the top so you don’t have to go ALL the way to the top of the “nose” because the next town up will try to charge you another fee. Downgrading a star because of the startling amount of trash along the route. I kind of expect that to be picked up if people are paying to...