At Heart of Travel, we're not just another travel agency.
Our guiding principles are more than just words – they're the essence of who we are.
Why Choose Heart of Travel
At Heart of Travel, we redefine the way you experience the world. We're not just a travel agency; we're your bridge to authenticity and human connection. Our journeys are built on values that elevate travel into an immersive, transformative experience. When you choose us, you're choosing to go beyond the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary.
Our commitment to meaningful connections sets us apart. We believe that travel is about more than visiting landmarks; it's about engaging with people and cultures in a profound way. By joining us, you become part of a vibrant community that spans borders, and you'll find yourself forming bonds that last far beyond your journey. Every itinerary is carefully curated to provide you with diverse experiences, combining adventure, culture, and relaxation in perfect harmony.
By traveling with Heart of Travel, you're not just a tourist; you're a responsible traveler. We prioritize the well-being of local communities, supporting small businesses and initiatives that make a positive impact. Our tours are led by knowledgeable locals who share their insider perspectives, taking you beyond the tourist façade and revealing the heart of each destination. Whether you're a solo explorer, a family, or a group of friends, our inclusive and diverse community welcomes you to embark on a journey of discovery and growth. Travel with us and rediscover the world through a new lens—one that fosters connections, celebrates cultures, and leaves footprints of positive change.
Meet Some of Our Partners
Our Story:
A Journey of Connection and Inspiration
The story of Heart of Travel begins with two kindred spirits, Chelsea Glass and Ana "Chiva" Castillo, brought together by a shared love for Latin America and a deep-rooted desire to redefine the travel experience. Chelsea's voyage commenced with a solo trip to Guatemala at 19, an adventure that transformed into three years of cultural immersion, language acquisition, and an unbreakable bond with the region.
Having lived and worked as a tour guide and language teacher in Guatemala, Chelsea returned home with a newfound mission. She envisioned a travel agency that would bridge cultures, empower local communities, and provide travelers with authentic, life-enriching experiences. This vision became the foundation of Heart of Travel.
Ana's journey was equally instrumental. Hailing from Guatemala, Ana's fluency in both English and Spanish led her to teach ESL abroad. Meeting Chelsea in Guatemala in 2011 sparked a profound connection, solidifying their friendship and shared passion for cultural exchange. By 2015, Ana was collaborating on freelance guiding projects, further deepening their commitment to creating meaningful travel experiences.
In 2017, Chelsea and Ana officially joined forces to bring Heart of Travel to life. Tragedy struck that same year when Carlos, a mentor and dear friend, lost his life in a motorcycle accident. Carlos, founder of Guinness Travel, was instrumental in shaping Heart of Travel's ethos. His unyielding belief in Chelsea and Ana's vision inspired them to create a travel agency that transcended traditional tourism.
Today, Carlos's legacy lives on in Heart of Travel's mission. We're not just a travel agency; we're a community-driven movement that aims to dismantle misconceptions, amplify local voices, and champion responsible tourism. Our journey is fueled by the desire to create connections that bridge cultures, challenge norms, and leave a positive impact. Join us as we continue to pave the way for transformative travel experiences that enrich lives, empower communities, and celebrate the beauty of Latin America.
At Heart of Travel, our company has been built on strong morals and dreams to create a better world. Our beliefs are what drive us to do better each day, invest in humans, and continue to believe that travel can truly change the way we live our life. So, what is Heart of Travel all about? Here are our core beliefs.
As one of our favorite traditions in Latin America rapidly approaches, we wanted to dive into a beautiful post written by our founder, Chelsea Glass, from a few years back. While Día de Muertos has become a wildly popular attraction to come and see in Oaxaca we think it's of utmost importance that we try to understand the rich significance this holiday holds and if we're lucky enough to visit, to do so with respect.
What Our Community Says About Us
Captured in Viñales, Cuba
Chelsea was born and raised in California and first began studying Spanish at the age of 19 while living in Guatemala and working in the tourism industry.After more than a decade immersed in the language, along with her post-graduate studies in Spanish at CSU Sacramento, Chelsea is a fluent Spanish speaker, and experienced language instructor, and a passionate tour curator. From 2012 to 2016, Chelsea worked in both tourism and language education (Spanish and ESL) while pursuing her M.A. in Spanish. In 2017, she moved back full-time to Guatemala to start Heart of Travel with business partner Ana Castillo. Her own experience learning Spanish helps us provide you with the best tips and tricks to master the language and it's thanks to her Spanish that she was able to create an extensive network of quality contacts throughout Latin America who bring our tours to life. Chelsea is committed to responsible and sustainable travel practices and believes in the power of travel to improve local economies and break down barriers. Through travel and Spanish language education, Chelsea and her team hope to share a more comprehensive insight into Latin America and to change the often negative narrative regarding Latin America and immigration. When she’s not working, Chelsea is happy being a mom, partner, animal lover, reader, writer, and gardener!
Captured in Acatenango, Guatemala
Chiva is one of our incredible tour leaders with 7 years of experience that started traveling solo at a very young age. Born in Guatemala, her passion for nature, languages, people and food have taken her through different parts of Asia as an English teacher, and later on Latinamerica as a tour guide. This has helped her broaden her mind and shape her perspective of the world, bringing together experiences she’s witnessed all over the globe She helped build Heart of Travel from the start back in 2016, and is fluent in Spanish & English, learning both at the same time as her native languages. When she’s not guiding a group she enjoys nesting home with her pets & plants, hiking, taking long walks and reading.
Captured in Oaxaca, México
Although Allie originally hails from the deserts of Arizona, traveling has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. She first came to Antigua, Guatemala at 20 years old as a university student studying human rights in Latin America. After finishing her study abroad program, well, she never fully left Guatemala. Now, Allie is our in-house photographer, social media expert, as well as content strategist. From photographing various tours to planning Heart of Travel photoshoots, Allie is the gal behind the camera. When she isn’t traveling or working on a photo project, Allie likes to do yoga, take morning walks around Antigua, and curl up with a good book
Captured in Pacaya, Guatemala
Eimy, born and raised in Guatemala, has a knack for languages and studied Linguistics in university. Eimy has helped to develop and create our online Spanish courses, and has also worked alongside Chelsea to create and dream up new itineraries and trips. With a passion for artisan coffee and authentic experiences, Eimy is always looking for activities that can share the beauty of a country and allow one to dive fully into the culture. Eimy is an integral part of our operations and logistics team and her attention to detail is an absolute asset within Heart of Travel. When she isn’t traveling, working, or sipping on a delicious cup of cafecito, she enjoys reading, writing, photography and is an avid hiker.
Captured in Paracas, Perú
Meet Gaby, an incredible brand and web designer with a passion for photography, travel and social work. Although she was born and raised in Guatemala, she has spent the last decade of her adult life in Canada - her second home - where she honed her professional marketing skills. Recently, she has made the move back to Antigua, where she is surrounded by beautiful volcano views, great weather, and an amazing community. Her experience working in marketing has allowed her to help teams come up with efficient solutions for their business and project management needs. She is thrilled to have joined the Heart of Travel team, where she knows the mix of all her creative passions will be able to flourish and grow, all the while being part of a team that loves working with entrepreneurs from communities that thrive on the tourism industry.
Captured in Machu Picchu, Perú
Jocelyn is originally from Kent Island, Maryland but has been living on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, in Puerto Viejo, for the last 5 years. She first fell in love with Latin America traveling after high school and, though the world is vast, found herself returning to this widely under-appreciated sector of the planet over and over again. She quickly became completely enamored with Costa Rica's language, culture, cuisine and, of course, weather, and decided to make it home. Jocelyn lives in her jungle home with her daughter, husband and four pups. When she's not working or mom-ing, she loves to take the dogs for a walk, surf and enjoy the beach. Jocelyn is our Client Services Coordinator and we are so lucky to have her!
Captured in Teotihuacán, México
My name is Gaby, and I'm proud to have been born in the beautiful city of Antigua, Guatemala. As a Systems Engineer with over 8 years of experience, I currently work as a senior front-end developer. My passion for web design and process improvement has led me to join the Heart Of Travel team, where I'm thrilled to share my expertise and contribute to enhancing the overall customer experience.
When I'm not coding, you can find me hitting the gym, going for a run, or spending quality time with my daughter. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to work for a company that values not only professional growth but also work-life balance and personal development.
Captured in Izabal, Guatemala
Laura, originally from San Lucas, Sacatepéquez, is our incredibly talented graphic designer and video editor. Laura is a crucial part of the creative team for our new online Spanish language learning program and never ceases to amaze us with her fresh ideas and engaging visuals. Laura is also the one making our PDF itineraries and welcome packets prettier than ever! In her free time, Laura enjoys drawing, diving into new TV series and movies, as well as taking in the fresh air in the surrounding nature near her home to spark imagination and creativity.
Captured in Valladolid, México
María Fernanda, affectionately known as Mafer, is originally from Antigua, Guatemala. Mafer joined the Heart of Travel team in 2019, working in the areas of administration assistance, event planning and community outreach. During the onset of the pandemic, Mafer was instrumental in Heart of Travel’s work with Fundanción Fénix, a grassroots project led by a group of women in Alotenango, many of whom became widows during the 2018 eruption of the Fuego Volcano. This is just one of many examples of Mafer’s work in our community outreach and impact department. She now works as Heart of Travel in our accounting department, as well as helps to plan and coordinate any wedding inquiries that come our way. Her hobbies include baking, taking walks with her pups, and spending time with her adorable baby boy, Liam.
Captured in Tikal, Guatemala
Alejandra has joined Heart of Travel as part of our design team where she helps to film and edit all of our Spanish course content and workbooks. She makes sure that each class is digestible and professional, and helps to create fresh graphic designs for us! When she isn’t creating content for Heart, she loves to dance– especially salsa! Ale is also an avid reader and enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures, making her a perfect fit for the Heart of Travel team.
Captured in Ciudad de Mexico
An architect born in Mexico City, Pau always grew up with the idea that beauty can be found anywhere! She worked as an architect and teacher of various disciplines at the university level until she left the city in 2016 to venture out and study a master's degree in Architectural Design, Rehabilitation and History in Italy. In Italy Pau learned to share her creativity through art and street drawing workshops, a practice that she brought back to Mexico to design immersive experiences in CDMX and the Mexican Bajío. She currently lives with her husband and son in the beautiful city of Guanajuato, where she is the founder of Del Mismo Barro Arquitectura, a multidisciplinary office where art, design and life merge.
Being a local guide since 2011, she is knowledgeable about her hometown, wonderful corners and delicious food, all the hidden gems that "chilangos" enjoy! Pau fell in love with Heart of Travel's vision for socially responsible tourism, and joined the team in 2019 to share the love for her country and her city, always working towards an integrated and participatory experience.
Our star Tour Leader in Havana, Paloma de la Caridad Pérez Rodríguez, was born on the eastern side of Cuba in the proven e of Holguín. A studied musician, she specialized in the clarinet while simultaneously pursuing a degree in film at the Higher Institute of Art. Six years ago she relocated to the capital city of Havana to put her energetic personality, appreciation of the arts, and passion for her country together and become an expert tour guide. Paloma’s infectious energy, extensive knowledge of Cuban history and current events, and her willingness and openness to share her experiences and perspectives with travelers is a trip highlight in and of itself!
Captured in Holguín, Cuba
Yeni Betancourt, is our girl on the ground in Viñales. Born and raised in the land of coffee and tobacco, Yeni loves traveling and cross-cultural exchange and experiences. It was her hunger to learn more about the world through meeting new people that motivated her to become a local guide in Cuba and later continue to guide throughout her country. Yeni knows that Cuba is hard to understand, yet easy to love and she finds great satisfaction in helping people to understand the unique complexities and challenges faced in Cuba while staying safe and having an absolute blast! With over 10 years in the industry, Yeni is a true pro and a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and contacts.Yeni is also a single mom living in her hometown Viñales with her son and mother and lots of extended family nearby. If you’re lucky, you might even get to have coffee or a rum in Yeni’s garden with some of the family during your visit!Yeni’s years of experiences paired with her love and devotion to her community make her an incredible asset to the Heart of Travel team and we can’t wait for you to meet her!