Volunteering in Guatemala as a 17 year old

I’d recommend traveling with a friend or group if under 18, home stays can be more isolating. However, the local team helped connect me to other minors and hosted plenty of free social events. I really benefited from the opportunity to explore on the weekends I travels to Lake Atitlan, Tikal, and hiked Acatenango with friends I met through the program. Antigua Guatemala is very safe for female travelers, even at night, so I visited a lot of local festivals and food stalls. Overall, I loved the opportunity to work with kids and learn Spanish.