Guatemala Favorites

  Street scene in Antigua
by toonsarah
 
  • Street scene in Antigua
      Street scene in Antigua
    by toonsarah
  • Counting money after a sale
      Counting money after a sale
    by toonsarah
  • In San Antonio Popola
      In San Antonio Popola
    by toonsarah
  • Street scene in Petzun, visited with Xavier
      Street scene in Petzun, visited with...
    by toonsarah
  • Market in Santiago Atitlàn
      Market in Santiago Atitlàn
    by toonsarah
 

Most Viewed Favorites in Guatemala

76.

Shopping   Antigua Guatemala

Shopping, Antigua Guatemala

 3 Reviews  If you go to Antigua, Guatemala, do not hesitate in buying some indian handcrafts. It is amazing how racist mexican population is. Despite our indian roots, we are taught since we are children, to... 

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77.

Cathedrals & Cloisters   Antigua Guatemala

Cathedrals & Cloisters, Antigua Guatemala

 10 Reviews  The cathedral located at the east side of the Parque central dates from 1680 after the first one was demolished a few years before. It's certainly not the most beautifull church in town, but it's... 

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78.

Santiago de Los Caballeros   Antigua Guatemala

Santiago de Los Caballeros, Antigua Guatemala

 3 Reviews   Antigua at its height was a very powerful and important city. Spain divided its conquests in the New World into three sections, and the part we now call Central America was all governed from the... 

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79.

Colonial Architecture   Antigua Guatemala

Colonial Architecture, Antigua Guatemala

 7 Reviews  For a nice walk and look at buildings, wander round the streets behind the cathdral on the main square. This is where the nobility had their houses and although you can't go in many of them (some are... 

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80.

Ruins   Antigua Guatemala

Ruins, Antigua Guatemala

 3 Reviews  There's many ruins to look at in Antigua Guatemala, it's absolutely fantastic to see the contrast of colors and the rustic of 'em next to newly sprout bouganvilia flowers.... very common in Guatemala!... 

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81.

El Parque   Antigua Guatemala

El Parque, Antigua Guatemala

 2 Reviews  Hang out in the central park and just watch the people. The park is full of vendors, locals, daytrippers from Guatamala city and foreigners on weekends. Fooling around with the vendors. Bargaining is... 

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The chickenbusses

by a005116

The chickenbusses didn't stole their name! The old American schoolbusses now serve as local busses in big parts of Latin America. Just like in many other Latino countries busses are so full that you'll feel yourself like a chicken! People bring there chicken or goats 'on board', mothers give their children the brest and when there's not enough place in the bus, people will climb on the roof. There exists a law in the Guatemalean constitution that there are only sitting places in a bus, so when the driver sees a policecar he yells to the back 'stoop'. Behind the corner everyone gets back to his former position. Really a funny sight!

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Coins

by filipdebont

I think it is also exiting as you travel to a country where you have never been, to discover the different coins. Some countries have very beautiful coins, like the ones they have in Guatemala.There are 5 different coins : from 1 Quetzal to 5 centavo.All these coins have a different decoration which says something about the country.Coins from right to left :1 Quetzal : Paz Firme y Duradera (Peace strong and durable)50 Centavos : Monja Blanca Flor National (the white nun, the national flower)25 Centavos : Lady with xk'ap, the local headwear of Santiago Atitlan (see my Lago de Atitlan page)10 Centavos : Monolito de Quiriga (Monolith from the archaeological site of Quiriga)5 Centavos : Libre Cierca Fecundo

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General Information

by Ken_Weaver

Guatemala is slightly smaller than the US state of Tennessee. The 2002 population estimate is 13.3 million people. The indigeous population is 43% of the total.The Flag contains the coat of arms with a green and red quetzal bird and a scroll. That bird is a national symbol and can be more easily found in the Petén region to the north.

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RG - Basics III

by karakal73

All of this exists against the nagging background of Guatemala's turbulent and bloody history. Over the years, the huge gulf between the rich and the poor, between indigenous and ladino culture and the political left and right has produced bitter conflict. With the signing of the 1996 peace accords between the government and the ex-guerrillas, the armed confrontation has ceased and things have calmed down considerably, though many of the country's deep-rooted inequalities remain. At the heart of the problem is the red-hot issue of land reform – it's estimated that close to seventy percent of the cultivable land is still owned by less than five percent of the population. There is also a chronic lack of faith in the corrupt and inept justice system, which has led to a wave of public lynchings of suspected criminals across the country. At the same time the economy was destabilized badly by...

RG - Basics II

by karakal73

The diversity of the Guatemalan landscape is astonishing. Perhaps most obviously arresting is the chain of volcanoes (some still smoking) that divides the flat, steamy Pacific coast from the cool air and pine trees of the largely indigenous western highlands, with their green, sweeping valleys, tiny cornfields, gurgling streams and sleepy traditional villages. Further east towards the Caribbean, the scenery and the people have more of a tropical feel and at Lívingston, life beside the mangrove and coconut trees swings to reggae rhythms and punta rock.The rainforests of Petén, among the best preserved in Latin America, harbour a tremendous array of wildlife, including jaguars, tapirs, spiders, howler monkeys, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws. Further south, you may be lucky and catch a glimpse of the elusive quetzal in the cloudforests close to Cobán or see manatee in the Río Dulce. On...

RG - Basics I

by karakal73

Spread across a verdant and mountainous chunk of land, Guatemala is endowed with simply staggering natural, historical and cultural interest. Though the giant Maya temples and rainforest cities have been long abandoned, ancient traditions remain very much alive throughout the Guatemalan highlands. Uniquely in Central America, at least half the country's population is still Native American, and this rural indigenous culture is far stronger than anywhere else in the region. Countering this is a powerful ladino society, characteristically urban and commercial in its outlook. All over the country you'll come across remnants of Guatemala's colonial past, nowhere more so than in the graceful former capital, Antigua.It's this outstanding cultural legacy, combined with Guatemala's mesmeric natural beauty, that makes the country so compelling for the traveller. The Maya temples of Tikal would be...

People

by luiggi

Modern day Guatemala is a full spectrum of cultures, running the gamut from fully westernized (a large minority, about 40%), a blending of cultures (the majority), and a totally Mayan lifestyle (about 10%), with minimal western influence (mostly a blend of Catholic religious influence with traditional Mayan religion).

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Lake Izabal

by luiggi

Lake Izabal is the largest of Guatemala's lakes. It is a gentle expanse of water hemmed in by the Sierra de las Minas to the south and the Santa Cruz range to the north. The waters of the lake are rich in perch, tarpon and other game fish. Unique to the lake is the fresh-water manatee, or sea cow, a mammal that can weigh up to a ton. This species is in danger of extinction and the manatees are the largest mammals in the country.

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Guatemala city

by luiggi

The centre is based around The Plaza Mayor which holds most interest. It's flanked by the Catedral Metropolitana, the Palacio Nacional and the Mercado Central. The Cathedral construction began in 1782, in the neoclassic style, and was completed in 1815. The domes and bell towers were added later. The Cathedral also houses a valuable collection of paintings and religious figures.

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Maya Magic

by peterma

We had seen the famous ruins of ancient Greece and Rome, bot those simply can't the greatness of Tikal, the most impressive of all Maya sites. Located in the middle of the jungle, this site offers a trip back in time with marvelous restored Maya piramids, Acropolis and several other buildings. On the way between the severel buildings at the site you have the opportunity to meet Toucans, Pisotes, Colibris, Snakes, Monkeys and many other animals. More info later on this site ....

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Related Guatemala Favorites Tips

Top 3 Hotels in Guatemala

Palacio de Dona Leonor  Antigua Guatemala

 6 Reviews and 43 Opinions  On a business trip we stayed at the Palace Hotel Dona Leonor. I really liked the decoration of the... 

 Hotels in Antigua Guatemala

Jungle Lodge  Parque Nacional Tikal

 4 Reviews and 154 Opinions  We stayed two nights here, choosing it because of its nearness to the ruins. The plan was to be able... 

 Hotels in Parque Nacional Tikal

Barcelo Premium Guatemala City  Guatemala City

 1 Review and 202 Opinions  Nice hotel in a comfortable safe neighborhood in Zone 9. An easy walk to the Los Procures Mall and... 

 Hotels in Guatemala City

166 Hotels in Guatemala
 
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Reviews and photos of Guatemala attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Guatemala sightseeing.

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Favorites: Cities in Guatemala
  1. Antigua Guatemala Favorites
  2. Guatemala City Favorites
  3. Parque Nacional Tikal Favorites
  4. Panajachel Favorites
  5. Lago de Atitlán Favorites
  6. Flores Favorites
  7. San Pedro La Laguna Favorites
  8. Chichicastenango Favorites
  9. Puerto Barrios Favorites
  10. Santiago Atitlán Favorites
  11. El Remate Favorites
  12. Tecpán Guatemala Favorites
  13. Tikal Favorites
  14. San Marcos La Laguna Favorites
  15. Santa Cruz del Quiché Favorites
  16. San Antonio Palopó Favorites
  17. San Juan Cotzal Favorites

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Popular Regions in Guatemala

Departamento de Sacatepéquez Favorites  Departamento de Guatemala Favorites  Departamento del Petén Favorites  Departamento de Sololá Favorites  Departamento del Quiché Favorites  Departamento de Izabal Favorites  Departamento de Quetzaltenango Favorites  Departamento de Alta Verapaz Favorites  Departamento de Chimaltenango Favorites  Departamento de Huehuetenango Favorites  Departamento de Escuintla Favorites 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  My husband and I want to go to Guatemala for 5 weeks starting the last week of March 2012. We had planned to travel all over and... 

Agraichen profile photo

A: I have two good friends that travel to Guatemala frequently. One supports an orphanage, the other does general social work with kids in the area. Both find the... 

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