Guatemala 2025
July 19th- July 27th 2025 – Travel Dates
July 21st- July 25th, 2025 – Clinic Dates
Every year in July/August, Los Médicos Voladores (LMV), The Flying Doctors, run a medical/dental clinic in one of the small towns or villages in Central or South America. We are in the process of organizing our 2025 clinic, and the following is an overview of what can be expected.
Once you join the trip, you will get a more detailed itinerary as arrangements are finalized and we get closer to our departure date. But the following is what you can expect.
You will need to make your own arrangements to arrive at Guatemala City Airport (GUA) no later than Saturday the 19th of July. Ground transportation will be arranged for you from the airport to the city of Antigua, Guatemala where you will stay overnight at one of the local hotels in Antigua. Upon arriving in Antigua, you will have the day to tour one of the Latin America’s most beautiful Spanish Colonial cities on your own. There are countless shops and markets to enjoy. On Saturday evening we will have a meet and greet type dinner at a local restaurant where we can all introduce ourselves and get to meet the other people on the team. On Sunday morning, we will board a bus to Retalhuleu, Guatemala where we will be staying each night at the Astor Hotel. Once we get to our Hotel in Retalhuleu and are all checked into our rooms, we will have another dinner where we will meet with our counterparts from Guatemala, and El Salvador. There will be several students as well as Doctors and Nurses from medical schools and clinics joining our team. The week to follow will be a great experience to work with people in your same field except from another country and culture. The rest of the evening you are on your own to enjoy the city of Retalhuleu.
On Monday morning we will board a bus to a rural village called Nuevo San Carlos, where we will set up and work at a local church. The first day or two can be rather hectic while everyone adjusts to the way things need to be done in a different country. We expect to provide care to approximately 1,500-2,000 people during the four and a half days the clinic is in operation.
Each night we will return to our hotel in Retalhuleu where dinner will be provided either at the hotel or one of the many local restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. After dinner you are free to tour the city of Retalhuleu and enjoy the sights and sounds of a busy city with its many clubs and vibrant nightlife.
On Friday July 25th, we will close the clinic early and there will be a tour available of the local areas. Upon arrival back to Retalhuleu, we will have our “last supper” where we will say goodbye to your new friends from Central America.
On Saturday morning we will board a bus back to Antigua and that evening we will have one last dinner with all the LMV volunteers that participated in this year’s trip. It will be a great time to reflect on the previous week and give me some feedback for improvements for the trip.
The cost of this year’s trip is $1,295 per person, and can be paid with the following options:
Zelle: flyingdocscorporate@gmail.com
Go to your bank and choose to send money with Zelle. Scan QR code to send fees
PayPal: Account https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2187094.
Checks: Mail to LMV Guatemala, PO Box 1465, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
- Fees include:
- All ground transportation to and from the airport in Guatemala and Antigua,
- All transportation to Retalhuleu and the clinic as needed
- All meals on working days of the clinic and meet and greet meetings.
- Alcohol is available, but NOT included in the cost of your meals
- We will do our best to accommodate any special diets, but there are no guarantees for every meal
- All room and board in Antigua on Saturday the 19th and in Retalhuleu from the 21st – 25th.
- Room cost on July 26th in Antigua.
- Additional Information:
- You should plan on leaving sometime on Sunday July 27th.
- If you wish to come before July 19th or stay on after July 27th and spend some time on your own in Guatemala, please contact me and I can make the arrangements at an additional cost.
- You will need to bring some cash with you for walking around money, and buying souvenirs etc., approximately $350.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at NE.Properties@yahoo.com.
Sincerely,
Peter C. MacKay, LMV Guatemala Trip Coordinator