Volcanoes, effigies of the smoking saint Maximón, rainforests hiding ancient Mayan pyramids, buses packed with people and squawking chickens trundling through earthquake-surviving cities, and Caribbean beaches – this is just a taste of what you will find in Guatemala.
Before you complete your tour comparison Guatemala to find the right tour for you to visit this fascinating Central American nation, take a scroll through our list of the best things to do and make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Colonial architecture in Antigua Guatemala
A Richter needle-breaking earthquake in 1773 reduced the former capital city’s colonial Spanish elegance to rubble. Losing its prominence to Guatemala City, travellers have now replaced conquistadores, who refuse to abandon the pastel-painted civic facades, Santa Catalina Arch, cobbled streets and tranquil plazas. Dozens of low-cost language schools are a popular draw, ensuring the city’s tumbledown grace has been swiftly restored.
Ancient Mayan relics in Tikal National Park
Ancient pyramids peek over jungle canopy, as the Petén rainforest fails to hide the mysterious lost city of Tikal once inhabited by the powerful Mayan civilisation. A tour guide can escort you deep into the ruins, with some of the best views at sunrise, accompanied by the usual hullabaloo of spider and howler monkeys, and singing quetzals.
Get your volcano fix at crater Lake Atitlán
Ringed by three volcanoes, the emerald lake is the perfect base for exploring crater-side Mayan villages like Panajachel, home of indigenous women that proudly display their traditional garb. Coffee farm tours, windsurfing, and volcano hikes add to the growing list of eco-tourism activities here.
Step back in time in Flores
Lake Petén Itzá connects the old-fashioned city on an island to the rest of the world, while red-topped roofs and narrow side streets provide the quaint launching pad for Tikal jungle routes and free time for a swim.
Visit a coffee farm
Coffee production is one of the most important industries in Guatemala, which was the world’s biggest producer throughout the 20th century and into the 21st before Honduras stepped up their game and claimed the ‘title’ in 2011. Coffee plantations are mainly found in the Western Highlands, and a tour on a Guatemala travel package will teach you all about the growing, harvesting and roasting processes.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
