Travel in Guatemala – Hotels, Guatemala Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide



Getting Away From It All In Guatemala

Vacation and Travel to Guatemala
Lake Atitlan and volcano St. Pedro in Guatemala.

Located in Central America, Guatemala shares its borders with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvadore. In Guatemala, Spanish is the official language, however there are over twenty-one distinctive Mayan dialects that are used in rural areas. The country of Guatemala is mostly mountainous with narrow coastal plains and a limestone plateau. Even though Guatemala is the largest country in Central America, it is actually no larger than the entire state of Tennessee.

One of the reasons most people visit Guatemala is to tour the ancient Mayan ruins. The ancient Mayans erected two of the largest cities in Guatemala, Tikal and El Mirador. In Tikal, tourists can visit the Tikal National Park in Guatemalas northern region of Peten, here is where the Mayan ruins in this city can be found. At the height of its history, Tikal used to be a dominating force of economical and political power. During this time period, two important lowland Mayan cities Palenque and Copan flourished. In Guatemala, in the Peten region, the pre-classic Mayan city of El Mirador ruins can also be toured. Being remotely located, it was not until 1848, that Tikal, Guatemala was first explored. Only through years of exploration and excavation are researchers now uncovering more ruins and artifacts to the present day.

In the upper region of Peten near the Mexican border, lies the city of El Mirador which means “The Lookout”, in Spanish. El Mirador is over two thousand years old and believed to have existed between 150 BC and 150 AD. It is here that some researchers believe the cradle of Mayan civilization began. Until 1926, the city and ruins in El Mirador remained hidden. The complexes are called “El Tigre” and “La Danta”. The complex of “El Tigre” base spreads out over fourteen acres, while “La Dante” comprises over thirty-five football fields in size. The complexes are the largest of their kind. Although it is still covered in thick vegetation, the city of El Mirador is one of the finest examples of Mayan architecture and pre-classic civilizations to date. Because of the Mirador Basin Project, the city is now becoming more accessible to tourists.

Dating back from Pre-Hispanic times, the city of Chichicastenango was considered the hub for trading and transportation routes in the Mayan region. The city is very mountainous and famous for its marketplace and observing traditional Maya Indian culture. The town plaza comes alive and bustling on Thursday and Sunday, when vendors from all over Guatemala gather to sell handcrafted items and food. Here tourists can find machetes, flowers, grindstones, incense, wooden boxes and many other unique items made by local tribes. Chichicastenango is also known for the Santo Tomas church, which is over four-hundred years old and can be found down the road from the marketplace. The church is built above a pre-Columbian Mayan platform and the eighteen steps leading up into the church each represent a month on the Mayan calendar.

Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the whole world. It gets its name from the Mayan word, “atitlan”, which means “the place where the rainbow gets its color”. Though the lake has yet to be sounded for total depth, it is believed to be the deepest one in Central America at 1,115 feet in some places. The lake is framed by the Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro volcanoes and is twelve miles long. Along the shores of the lake is the Nature Reserve of San Buenaventura. The nature preserve has protected the habitat, added walking path. hiking trails, butterfly preserve, orchid gardens, and a bird refuge. Lake Atitlan is a wonderful place known for its beauty and offers visitors the chance to fish, hang glide, repelling, canoing and many other recreational activities.

Guatemala is not riddled with hotels due to it being so remote and unexplored, but there are some stunning resorts like Santo Tomas de Castilla, the Westin Camino Real, or the five-star Quinta Real Guatemala. For someone looking for something with charm then the Hotel Spring will more than fit the bill. It is located inside an old mansion and has charm, class, great food and a relaxing lounge patio. The best times to travel to Guatemala are during the months of November through March, when there is less rain, but the climate is generally lovely all year-round so travel is possible at any time.

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