Hobbitenango: Hobbiton near Antigua, Guatemala
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Hobbitenango is a fun tourist attraction near Antigua, loosely based on the popular Lord of the Rings franchise. Except this version of Middle Earth is not where you would expect. This version of Hobbiton is in a valley surrounded by volcanoes in Guatemala.
It’s an enjoyable fantasy land with something for all ages. You can either visit for the day or you could opt to stay longer in their hobbit accommodations that charge by the night. After visiting here during a stay in Antigua I want to show you what you can expect if you visit this make-believe tourist attraction yourself.
Being 2400m high in the mountains you will no doubt find yourself in awe of the tropical forest views below. It’s the perfect place to switch off from the connected world and just enjoy the natural landscape.
The purpose of this attraction was to allow visitors to relax and enjoy what Guatemala has to offer – while also adding in a little LOTR spice to the experience.
| Country | Guatemala |
| Currency: | Quetzales |
| Do you need a visa? | Check here |
Check out how to hike Acatenango volcano and Pacaya volcano during your stay in Guatemala.
What is Hobbitenango?
Hobbitenango is a tourist destination just a short drive outside of Antigua. The best way to describe it is, it’s basically Middle Earth, except it’s not in New Zealand. No, this Hobbiton is located on the other side of the world in a valley in Guatemala – which is in regional Central America.
Created in 2016, this is a place for people to enjoy the natural landscape and some fun activities. They have 2 restaurants, a hotel, a small market full of stalls, activities, photo opportunities and of course, stunning mountain views.
They are an eco-friendly attraction who take sustainability seriously and they wanted to share their stunning views with the general public. And we are so glad they did! It’s a fun day out and allows you to pretend you’re in Middle Earth yourself!
Do you need to be a fan of Lord of the Rings to visit? No! It can be fun regardless if you’re a fan or not.
If you want to visit independently you can buy tickets at the entrance.
If you’d prefer to visit as part of a group, you can do so below:
- Visit Hobbitenango Themed Park + Antigua Guatemala – This guided tour takes you on a 4WD through antigua and to the surrounding mountains to explore the Hobbitenango park and famous viewpoints.
Want to get more LOTR content? Check these out:
- Home of the hobbits: Hobbiton movie-set
- LOTR New Zealand tour: An Independent self-guide
- Bobs Cove Track, an easy short trail with stunning views
- Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland: A tourist must see
Where is Hobbitenango located?
Hobbitenango is located just outside of Antigua (about 5.5 miles), Guatemala in which is one of the country’s largest cities. It’s in the small village of San Lucas. If you were to travel by car from Antigua it would take roughly 25 minutes from the centre of town.
It is located high up in the mountains with jaw-dropping views over Panchoy Valley. Plus, on a clear day you can see the volcanoes that the country is known for.
You have a few options to choose from when trying to get to the Guatemala Hobbiton.
- Drive yourself
- Take an taxi or uber
- Take the shuttle
If you drive yourself, you will be able to park in a local car park for GTQ 10 / £1 which is located at the bottom of a narrow hill. The park is at the top of this hill. If you are able to walk uphill you can expect to be at the entrance in a few minutes. If you are less able, you can wait for the shuttle that takes you from the car park to the top of the hill for a cost of GTQ 10.
Note: Due to being in the valley, there isn’t much phone service in or around the park which can make it hard to use the GPS for directions.
If you have no access to a car and are unable to rent one, you can take the shuttle bus for visitors to take from Antigua to the park. This costs around GTQ 30 / £3.19 (roughly). This ride takes about half an hour and will drop you off at the door of the park. You can get the shuttle from the Hobbitenango Oficina (Hobbiton Office) in Antigua.
Antigua does have uber, so if you already have an account you can use that, however it is often harder to get an uber back into the city as not as many ubers are in the area near the park. Rest assured though there are other local taxis often available for tourists that want to head back to Antigua.
The Hobbitenango Hotel
Not only is Hobbitenango a general tourist attraction near Antigua, it is also home to a hobbit house hotel! In total the hotel has three hobbit homes for rental for guests.
The little houses (known locally as casitas in the native spanish tongue) each sleep multiple guests and can be booked as nightly accommodation.
Each house has a different coloured door to give them each a bit of hobbit character.
- La Casita del Sueño has a red door
- La Casita del Nido has a yellow door
- La Cala Esmeralda has a green door
| House | Sleeps | Cost (per night) |
|---|---|---|
| La Casita del Sueño (The Dream House) | 1-2 people | £94 / GTQ 890 |
| La Casita del Nido (The Nest House) | 4 people | £111 / GTQ 1050 |
| La Cala Esmeralda (Emerald Cove) | 6 people | £128 / GTQ 1210 |
Breakfast is included with all 3 of the hobbit holes. Plus, the direction of the windows in the hobbit homes allow you a great chance to admire the view from your bed. If you’d like to see a good sunrise though you should head to the top of the hill.
These accommodations can be booked on the site directly.
Camping
If you would prefer to stay at the property for a lower price, they have some camping spots available for visitors to use for the night. You will need to bring your own tent and sleeping equipment since these are not provided on a camping pass. These camp spots cost £9 / GQT 85.
The campsite is located at the very top of the hill near the small hobbit pub.
Breakfast is not included in this option but you will get to sit around the campfire that the staff normally keep on long after the day visitors have left.
The doors to the park close around 6pm so only those with overnight accommodation booked will still be allowed on the property after this time.
Note: Although Guatemala is typically hot all year round, at this altitude it can get cold at night.
This means if you are staying overnight on the grounds it’s worth taking layers to keep warm.
If you left it too last minute and the property is all booked up, consider booking to stay at the Earth lodge
Things to do at Hobbitenango
Meet Gandalf
For the visitors who love Lord of the Rings you’ll be pleased to know you can meet Gandalf himself at the front of the park. Although he holds meet & greets most days, he is normally only around for an hour or two instead of all day. This can lead to long lines so you’ll need to bring your patience.
Visit the pub
This pub is hidden towards the back of the park at the top of the hill and it’s located inside a hobbit pub (as you probably guessed). Inside you will see the typical pub interior, only much, much smaller. At best you could probably fit 5 people in there at any one time. The beers on tap here are courtesy of the Antigua Brewing company and allow you to have a very small hobbit-friendly beer tasting.
Find the giant hand viewpoint
Without a doubt, this is the most popular viewpoint of the entire park. Due to the hand being situated high up towards the back of the park, it gets more of the stunning landscape view. From this hand, you can feel like you’re on top of the world, and get a cool picture in the process!
Tip: Visit the hand at the start of your visit as this photo op normally includes long lines.
Try some archery & axe throwing
If you want to try some interesting sports you can try your hand at axe throwing and archery here. Located just behind the small market to the right side of the park, the archery court is a space to let off some steam and practise your hand-eye coordination.
Eat at the restaurants
Since there are two restaurants, you have more choices when it comes to deciding where to eat. One of the restaurants (located near the front entrance) is the only restaurant included in the package ticket that includes a meal. The other restaurant is not included so you will be paying for everything separately as expected.
Play some Mini golf
Inside the park, you can play 6-hole mini golf scattered across multiple small hills within the property. This mini golf has a few surprises along the way and is a great way to get competitive! Each of the holes is on a different tier of the hill so if you have a bad aim, your ball could roll away, down the hill.
Look for photo opportunities
Throughout the park, there are different photo opportunities to take advantage of. Some examples are the view (of course), the hobbit doors, the Hobbitenango sign, the butterfly wings, the view swing and more. Take a look around the park and see how many more you can find!
Enjoy the Extra games
As well as the games we have already mentioned, there are a few other games to try your hand at here. These are a mix of party games and table games for all to enjoy. These include skee ball, giant Jenga, foosball and a giant swing.
Go shopping
There is a small market with multiple stalls with items to buy. Most of these items are handmade and available to purchase. The items are mostly crafted by locals and a lot of the profits go back into the running of the park, although a few of the vendors are independently run by outside retailers.
Go on the giant swing
Towards the back of the park, there is a giant swing. This swing is up at the top of a platform above the mini golf course and overlooks the valley below. If you take part you will be strapped in and will swing above the park.
Explore the walking trails
Due to the location, there are multiple different walkways through the forest and around the grounds. Each of these short trails takes you to a viewpoint somewhere on the property and helps you see as many views as possible from the park.
Relax in the hammock forest
this is exactly what it sounds like and you’ll likely go through it to get to the pub. The hammock forest has anywhere from 3-5 hammocks hung up in the small forest. This is a quiet part of the park due to being at the far end and away from the majority of attractions. This is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy Hobbiton.
How much does Guatemala Hobbiton cost?
The cost to enter Hobbitenango depends on the day of the week you visit. If you have some flexibility on your schedule while visiting Antigua then you will be able to choose the most suitable day and ticket style.
| Day of the week | Price | What’s included? |
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays (Mon-Fri) | Free entrance | Pay for each activity separately (GTQ 10 / £1 each roughly) |
| Weekends (Sat & Sun) | GTQ 50 / £5.30 entrance | Activities are free |
If the weather is nice and you plan on trying as many activities as possible, then going on the weekend could work out the most convenient and you wouldn’t need to bring as much cash with you.
How is the park eco-friendly?
One thing I love looking for during my travels is eco-friendly and sustainable places. With so many problems associated with travelling from over-tourism, to damage to natural landscapes and more, I am always a big fan of trying to get the word out about places that care for the environment.
.. And that’s exactly why I loved Hobbitenango so much. It might be smaller than many other tourist sites of a similar nature, but the difference is this attraction runs solely on solar power and wind.
The owners of Guatemala’s Middle Earth pride themselves on being completely self-sufficient and are able to run the attraction 100% off-grid. This means they are a completely green and sustainable property which should allow them much more recognition. More tourist attractions should try to be more sustainable in my opinion – the environment needs to be looked after.
Accommodation for just a day trip
If the accommodation at Hobbiton Guatemala is out of your budget, you can either stay in Antigua and travel just for a day trip, or you could stay locally at another property.
If you are a solo traveller then I’d recommend staying in a hostel to take advantage of the sociable aspect of the property. One of my favourites in Antigua was the Tropicana hostel. It has a pool, is centrally located and they have one of the best bars in Antigua!
If a hostel is not your scene then take a look on Booking.com to find a different type of accommodation that ticks more of your boxes, this could include apartments, hotel rooms and more.
Final thoughts on Hobbitenango
Now you know what to expect if you visit the park and honestly, I think it’s worth a visit. Hobbitenango is a great day out close to the city of Antigua where you can unwind and enjoy a few hours as an eco-friendly traveller.
And who knows, maybe this will inspire you to visit more LOTR destinations on your next trips!
