Attractions from Guatemala

Antigua

Parque Central

Parque Central is a rendezvous of locals as well as of travellers. It is a nice place to take a walk and on several days you will be able to find a market here, where you can buy homemade clothes, earthenware, dolls, blankets, and other forms of handicraft.

The Maya Museum, Casa Kojom

The Maya Indians' culture changes with time and with development. Thus Samuel Franco began to travel around and photograph their ceremonies and record their music in 1984. It took him three years and the result can be seen in Casa K'ojom. It is an impressive collection that tells a great deal about the Mayans and their history.

Volcanoes

It is very popular to climb the volcanoes surrounding the town and there is an impressive view of the entire area from the top. Unfortunately there have been some robberies and even murders on these tours, so it is important to be very careful and only go in groups and with armed guards.

Chichicastenango

The Market Square

Thursday and Sunday are fair days in the village and stalls are lined up from the break of dawn. The market place is lively and chaotic throughout the day and it is possible to buy home cooked food, masks, vegetables, fruit, spices and so on. The stalls are open until late afternoon and if you have the guts, it often pays off to put off your buy until right before they close. Most people would rather sell their goods at a lower price than have to drag them all the way home again.

The Mayan Shrine of Pascual Abaj

This Mayan shrine, which is said to be several hundreds, maybe thousands, of years old, can be found a little outside of Chichicastenago. The shrine is still used to perform offerings to the Mayan God of Earth, who makes sure that the soil remains fertile. If you visit this place, you might be lucky and sit in on an offering of, for instance, a chicken.

The Santo Tomás Church.

This church dates back to the colonial age and was built in 1540. Despite the fact that the village is officially Catholic, it is common to see rituals performed in the church that look more Mayan than Catholic. The church has an impressive architecture and a flight of steps, which resembles the steps in the pyramids. This flight of steps should only be used by very important people and visitors should enter through a door on the other side of the church.

Flores

The Grutas Actun-Can Grottos

The Grutas Actun-Cas Grottos are limestone grottos with impressive structures. There are guided tours of the grottos and it is a good idea to bring a flashlight. The area surrounding the grottos is very nice and has many trails for those who wish to take a walk and enjoy the landscape.

The Lake of Lago de Petén Itzá

Sails on the lake are very popular. There is both the possibility of renting boats and of going on guided tours. There are stops at the small villages on the shores of the lake and a tour of the La Guitarra lagoon is included in the guided tours.

Guatemala

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is situated in the middle of the city and is center for many shops. It is especially recommendable to visit the square on Sundays. Thousands of local gathers here on Sundays to relax and listen to salsa music performed by the bands that play in the square.

The Centroamérica Park

The park is home of the Casa de la Cultura which houses the Museo de Historia Natural that exhibits old Mayan artefacts and tells about the liberal revolution in the politics of Central America. Outside the Casa de la Cultura, in the right hand corner, you will find a small market, which sells different kinds of handicraft and everyday supplies.

The Fuentes Georgina area

An impressive area of great scenic beauty outside Quetzaltenango, which offers tropical plantation with colourful flowers. Nearby you can also find pools with natural, hot mineral water - it is said to be the most beautiful place to go for a swim.

The market town of Zunil.

Zunil is a small market town close to Quetzaltenango. The village is placed in an outstanding landscape with high mountains surrounding the village, only exceeded by an even higher volcano. Monday is fair day but the comfortable atmosphere and beautiful church is definitely also worth a visit.

The port of Puerto Barrios

Puerto barrios used to be a very important port on the coast. It was built in order to have a port from which bananas could be shipped out to New York City and New Orleans. Another, more recent port, has been built south of the city and Puerto Barrias has become a quiet town. Boats to Livingston go out from Puerto Barrias.

The Santa Lucia Cotzmalguapa area

Santa Lucia Cotzmalguapa is an important place for those who are interested in Mayan culture and art. The Sugar fields contain big stones with carvings. Artefacts from ancient times have been preserved along with old ceremony sites. An interesting place for visitors who want to know more about the Mayas.

Panajachel

The lake of Lago de Atitlán

Lago de Atitlán is one of the most popular places to visit on a one-day trip from Panajachel. The small, cosy village shows the life of Guatemala with locals dressed in colourful clothes and a relaxed atmosphere.

The village of Sololá

Sololá has attracted merchants for centuries. The town has several marketplaces and most of these are still lively and chaotic on fair days.

Tikal

The Tikal Temples

This monumental Maya area is found to the northwest of Flores. It is an extraordinary experience to see the 44-meter high temples rise between the trees in the middle of the jungle. In Tikal it is possible to see the amazing rainforest while investigating the ancient Maya palaces, temples and pyramids.

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