Discover Guatemala
A short guide to the country of eternal spring: the Altiplano, Petén and Tikal, Izabal and the Río Dulce, Las Verapaces, and Antigua, the city where Amalia lives and teaches.
Guatemala, the country of eternal spring, is in Central America. It offers a good combination of travel options to satisfy the most demanding visitors. It is an essentially mountainous and volcanic country.
The climate is usually temperate on the plateaus and semitropical on the coasts. There are two seasons: the rainy one and the dry one.
The country offers culture, traditions, hospitable people, high mountains, tropical jungles, cloud forests, beautiful lakes, volcanic sand beaches with big waves on the Pacific and calm, white-sand waters on the Atlantic, and active volcanoes to climb or admire. In Guatemala there are eight volcanoes with activity reported in historical times, and four of them are active.
Guatemala has three World Heritage Sites: Antigua Guatemala, declared in 1979; Tikal National Park, also in 1979; and the Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quiriguá, in 1981. Spanish is the official language, but there are 23 indigenous languages, which makes it a multilingual country.
Throughout the country there are markets with local products for sale, especially textiles.
The Altiplano
The highlands offer a landscape of mountains, active volcanoes, colors and traditions, mostly of the Mayan population. There are cities like Quetzaltenango that offer colonial architecture and a cool climate all year round.
The north: Petén
In Petén, several ruins are surrounded by the jungle, among them Tikal, Yaxhá and El Mirador, which has the highest pyramid in the Mayan world. The biodiversity of flora and fauna makes this area unique.
Izabal
Its climate is hot all year round. It is worth taking a boat trip from Río Dulce to Livingston: during the trip, which lasts about an hour, you can enjoy the exuberant flora and fauna, and with luck it is possible to see a manatee.
In Izabal you can also find the archaeological site of Quiriguá, a World Heritage Site.
Las Verapaces
If you like adventure, walking and exploring natural places, this is the place for you. In this area you can practice caving, rafting and hiking. Orchids are everywhere, and the Quetzal Biotope is a mandatory stop on the route to Cobán. Some fortunate people have seen a quetzal.
A few hours away from Cobán is Semuc Champey, a heavenly place made up of turquoise pools, ideal for swimming or simply letting yourself be pampered by nature.
Antigua Guatemala
Antigua is a must-see destination when visiting Guatemala. It is one hour from the Guatemala City airport. This beautiful city is a World Heritage Site: it has cobblestone streets, colorful markets, colonial buildings, churches, and houses painted in pastel colors. The weather is temperate all year, and the view of the city is magnificent. It is surrounded by three high volcanoes, one of them active.
Holy Week is its greatest attraction, as is the teaching of the Spanish language. Enjoy a good coffee here, and why not learn to dance salsa as well.
Guatemala and its people are waiting for you. Do not delay your visit.