11 wonderful places in Guatemala

Guatemala is one of our favorite countries in Central America, this small enclave between two continental masses. From our trip around the country, we gathered 11 wonderful places in Guatemala, which we recommend to everyone. These are places that should be part of any road map throughout the country.

1. Ancient

Its full current name is Antigua Guatemala, and as its own indicates, Antigua is no longer the capital of Guatemala. But when, on March 10, 1543, the Spanish conquistadors founded this city, it was not only Guatemala's third capital, but the capital of a huge empire that stretched across what is now called Central America and the Mexican state of Chiapas and that, at its peak, it will have housed a population that would be around the 60,000 inhabitants. It is full of testimonies of the Spanish colonial presence in the country and is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the world.

2. Pacaya Volcano

The Pacaya volcano a few years ago had been in intense activity, with lava rivers running down its slopes, but now everything is calmer. Although there is no lava flowing from the subsoil, nor the intense orange of the explosions contrasting with the black of the night sky, this is a testimony to the immense power of nature that leaves us speechless. Well worth a visit to explore the volcano.

3. Monterrico

Monterrico is three hours from Antigua and is a must in Guatemala. The black-sand volcanic-sand beaches are beautiful. The village receives some tourists and travelers but has not lost its genuine character, its tranquility and relaxed pace. But it's turtles that attract tourists. Turtles face the force of the waves and currents to come and spawn on the beach at night. In the spawning season: starting in September and ending in November, it is the best time to visit the place.

4. Lake Atitlán

The Lake Atitlán is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The horizon is dominated by the three volcanoes (Tolíman, Atitlán and San Pedro) that rise from the southern shore of the lake, but the whole lake is surrounded by hills with steep and green slopes. The landscape does not fool you, and you do not have to be an expert in volcanology to see that the lake occupies a huge volcanic caldera, the site of huge volcanic eruptions in the distant past.

5. Acatenango Volcano

From the summit of Acatenango the view is spectacular and overwhelming, with inactive craters of the surrounding volcano. Look out for the volcano Fuego from behind. To the east, you can see the majestic volcano Agua and the city of Antigua and, to the west, the various volcanoes of Lake Atitlán. In the background, you can still see the Santa Maria and Tajumulco volcanoes.

6. Santiaguito Volcano

The Santiaguito volcano , on the edge of the Santa Maria volcano, is near Xela (Quetzaltenango) and is an active volcano. The Santa Maria volcano, from which the Santiaguito can be seen, is a stratovolcano, and although it is considered an active volcano, it has not had eruptions for more than a century. Since the last eruption, her energy seems to be being released by her younger brother, Santiaguito, a volcano that emerged in the crater that struck in that last eruption. The Santiaguito is most likely the same volcano fed by the same magma chamber. The Santiaguito, unlike the Hawaiian volcanoes, presents moderate explosive eruptions, releasing pyroclastic clouds, with sands, ashes, gases and rocks. Since 2008, its activity has become more intense and the volcano erupts, on average, every 40 minutes.

7. Tajamulco Volcano

Central America is the region of the world bounded on the north by the Yucatan Peninsula, to the south by the Panama Canal, and west to the east by the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, respectively. The region is volcanic because it is situated on the edge of the Ring of Fire of the Pacific, and the mountains are all volcanoes, many extinct, others dormant, some still active. The highest mountain in Central America is the extinct Tajumulco volcano , whose summit is 4220 m above sea level. It is possible to climb to the top of this volcano and contemplate the fabulous views from its top.

8. Chichicastenango

The village church is the ideal place to start exploring this typical and characteristic Guatemalan city. The indigenous population uses the small church for their shamanic rituals. Men and women shake lit lamps and utter words of prayer walking in front of the front door as if it were a temple. At the same time they burn incense and spread their smoke through the area and bodies of those present. As the day goes by, the rituals are changed by only changing their players. The village of Chichicastenango becomes a Guatemalan " mall " with fruit and flower vendors being replaced by handicraft vendors awaiting tourists.

9. Semuc Champey

Langquin, a small village in northern Guatemala, has come alive with travelers who use it as access to the magnificent natural park of Semuc Champey . In Semuc Champey, karst morphology has one of its high points. The Cahabón River runs through these limestone mountains and is lost inside the valley in a magnificent sumidouro carved in the rock. For 300 m, the river flows beneath a limestone bridge where there are several natural pools. These follow each other with completely crystalline blue-green waters. The Cahabón river runs under the bridge and pools and appears again in a resurgence in the form of waterfall.

10. Flowers and Lake El Petén

Flores is a small locality located on an equally small island in the lake of Petén Itzá, Guatemala's third largest (after Izabál and Atitlán). It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala, with a calm and intimate environment, typical of a small community, but also benefiting from the incessant movement of tourists that leave from here to Tikal and Lanquín. Few are those who sleep on the island, and this makes the features of the place do not get lost in that bustle.

11. Tikal

Tikal is, along with Chichén Itzá (Mexico) and Copán (Honduras), one of the best-known Maya archaeological sites in the general public. Although the ruins were studied in the 19th century, It was only from 1956 (and only until 1969) that the University of Pennsylvania (USA) and the Institute of Anthropology and History of Guatemala joined forces in a large-scale research, restoration and reconstruction project. The main buildings, as we see them today, are the result of this effort. More recently, since 1991, it has been our Spanish neighbors helping to bring back some of Tikal's lost glory.