There are many amazing sites in Guatemala that you won’t be able to see anyplace else. Items like the ashes of an ancient civilisation and rumbling volcanoes, as well as world-famous coffee straight from the hillsides where it’s grown and roasted.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Guatemala
A chicken bus, a brightly painted converted school bus, is a fun way to see the country and get to know the inhabitants in Guatemala.
Yes, the country boasts wonderful beaches and beautiful blue lakes, the most well-known of which is Lake Atitlan. So, all you gringos out there, get ready to pack up and leave! A rundown of the top tourist destinations in Guatemala:
1. Semuc Champey
The 30-minute journey through the jungle on difficult roads to reach Semuc Champey is definitely worth the jolts. Once you arrive, you can ease your aches and pains with a refreshing dip in the turquoise blue pools perched on top of a natural limestone bridge.
The Cahabon River, which carved out the limestone arch and now flows beneath it, is an equally stunning shade of turquoise blue. The limestone bridge is home to a network of caves, some of which are only reachable by diving down into the water.
2. Todos Santos Cuchumatan
Todos Santos Cuchumatán, in the province of the same name, is an excellent spot to observe indigenous Guatemalans going about their everyday lives dressed in traditional garb. It’s one of the last bastions of the practise in the United States.
The majority of the population is Mayan, and the Mayan language is still widely spoken. This village in the Sierra de los Cuchumatánes is famous for its annual celebration of All Saints Day (Todos Santos means “all saints”). There will be horse racing, as well as music, dancing, and plenty of booze.
3. Livingston
Only accessible by boat, Livingston is a hidden gem on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. Two ferries depart and return daily, which is a huge relief.
Tourists can experience authentic Garifuna cuisine and music in this cultural centre of the nation. The Punta is a traditional dance with an incredible pulse, and you might get the chance to participate in it on a lively evening in Livingston.
4. Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango is the ideal Guatemalan town, despite its somewhat cumbersome name. It’s the second largest city in the country, but it doesn’t really feel like either “big” or “little.” Quetzaltenango’s Mayan name, Xela, is also widely used.
Once the Spaniards withdrew, Germans moved there, giving the Central Plaza, where the Catedral de Espiritu Santo is located, a multicultural air. Hikes to the inactive Santa Maria volcano and the dormant but beautiful Laguna Chicabal can be started from the city.
5. Monterrico
White-sand beaches are a popular destination for vacationers looking to unwind. The popular beach resort of Monterrico on Guatemala’s Pacific coast does not offer those. Black ash from volcanoes covers the seashore.
If you want to go beachcombing, you should wear sandals because the sand might get very hot. Monterrico’s primary draw may not be the surf, but the sea turtles. Four different kinds of sea turtles lay their eggs on this beach every year.
6. Flores
The twin cities of Santa Elena and San Benito may be reached from Flores through a causeway that leads across Lake Petén Itzá. The last Maya stronghold against the Spanish invaders was located on the island of Flores.
Several visitors come to Flores specifically to see the nearby Mayan ruins of Tikal. The city on the island, though, is worth a visit in its own right because to its colonial architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, mediaeval church, and abundance of hotels and restaurants.
Wonderful examples of colonial architecture and historic Spanish churches can be seen during strolls through the Old Town. Take a boat ride around Lake Peten to see beautiful scenery and a wide range of bird species.
Visitors may cool off in the lake just like the locals do thanks to the abundance of piers lining the shore. See natural species including jaguars and monkeys at the Petencito Zoo. Ixpanpajul Natural Park is not far away, and it provides excellent opportunities for forest walks, ziplining, canopy tours, horseback riding, and wildlife watching.
7. Chichicastenango
Just hearing the term “Chichicastenango” makes you want to travel there. Considering that nearly all of the town’s inhabitants are of Mayan K’iche descent, it would be a fantastic site to learn about that culture firsthand.
Perhaps it’s the amazing market that takes place every Thursday and Sunday, where you can buy anything from lime stones used to make tortillas to traditional carved wooden masks. The Church of Santo Tomas stands next to the marketplace; it was constructed over a pagan temple.
8. Panajachel
Panajachel, a hamlet on a lake in the southern central highlands, gets its name from the Mayan word for the white sapote, a tropical fruit. The hamlet is located on the beaches of Lake Atitlan, which is surrounded by the Sierra Madre Volcanoes.
Central America’s deepest lake is Atitlan. The bustling marketplace in this once-Spanish colonial town is widely regarded as Guatemala’s finest souvenir-shopping destination. Lake Atitlan is a great site to rent a private boat and tour the indigenous communities that dot the lake’s shores.
Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of outdoor pursuits in the beautiful landscape surrounding Lake Atitlan. Aside from water sports (boat rides, swimming, kayaking), visitors may also go hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, touring coffee plantations, and discovering ancient Mayan sites (Sambaj, Chiutinamit, and more).
9. Antigua Guatemala
Antigua, a picturesque old colonial town in Guatemala’s central highlands, is a popular travel destination due to its striking location in front of three towering volcanoes. Antigua, once the proud capital of the Spanish Empire in Central America, was devastated by an earthquake in 1773 and replaced as the region’s capital by what is now Guatemala City.
Antigua, Guatemala still has an impressive array of well-preserved Spanish architecture, which gives the city a charming and romantic air. Antigua is a popular starting point for trips to other parts of Guatemala and a hub for those learning Spanish.
It is also home to a wealth of fascinating attractions in its own right. Strolling through the downtown area is all it takes to see beautiful buildings, old churches, and famous sights like the Santa Catalina Arch.
Central Park is a big green space in the centre of the city where people may relax or hail taxis to commute to other parts of the city. The park features trees, walking trails, monuments, and fountains.
Explore the city’s massive market, a labyrinth of tropical fruit shops and flower stands. The Hill of the Cross provides breathtaking vistas of Antigua, while the city’s museums and galleries highlight its history, culture, and art. Outside of Antigua, visitors can take a bus to visit coffee farms, cocoa plantations, and traditional towns, or they can walk up the volcanoes.
10. Tikal
Tikal, found in the Petén department of northern Guatemala’s tropical jungle, was one of the Mayan civilization’s biggest towns during its Classic period (about 200 to 850 AD). Researchers believe that between 50,000 and 100,000 people called Tikal home during its heyday.
Its strategic location, at the confluence of two rivers, made it an important political, economic, and religious hub. Tikal was at its peak during the Classic Period, although there is still ancient architecture there from as early as the fourth century B.C. Tikal’s kings came and went over the years, but the city itself thrived regardless.
It was the most important city in the area and exerted its authority on the other principalities. Tikal is one of the better understood of the major Mayan cities due to the accessibility of its royal tombs as well as other monuments and palaces.
Regrettably, the Mayans left the city about the year 900 A.D. for unclear reasons. Archaeologists did not find it again until 1848 because of the expansion of the vegetation. The newly uncovered section of the city is quite remarkable. Only about 3,000 locations have been discovered so far, with another 10,000 waiting to be found.
The Great Plaza, a vast plaza with a plaster-like floor, stands at the middle. Over time, more buildings sprung up all around the Plaza. The Northern and Central Acropolises are examples. Seventy stelae stand in a double row with altars in front of them on the North Acropolis.
Several of them feature hieroglyphic writing and carvings of ancient monarchs. The Central Acropolis includes the 700-foot-long buildings with numerous chambers that are commonly referred to as palaces.
The tallest of the six temple pyramids is Temple IV with a height of 65 metres (212 feet). Tree climbers can use the projecting roots and wooden ladders to reach the top. The massive wall of hieroglyphics in Temple VI tells the story of the city. East and west of the Great Plaza are where you’ll find Temple I and Temple II, respectively.
Tikal is famous not only for its impressive temples and other architectural marvels, but also for its remarkable polychrome pottery and carved inscriptions. The Mayas at this location recognised the need of water conservation and built sophisticated reservoir and culvert systems to collect and channel water.
Sacbes, elevated causeways built with lime-based cement, were another Mayan innovation used to link Tikal’s ceremonial nodes. A monument in Tikal was last dated 869 A.D., and the city was likely deserted by 950 A.D., according to scholars.
The exact reasons for the Mayan exodus from Tikal are still a mystery to scientists. But they left a piece of themselves in the rubble. The land around the city is now a national park, and tourists are free to roam among the ruins.
