From the Atlantic to the Pacific, Guatemala is truly a one-of-a-kind destination: a country of staggering beauty, with its towering volcanoes, forested mountains and evocative Mayan ruins of unsurpassed quality. Yet what makes Guatemala most brilliantly different is its large population (more than 40 percent) of Maya people who manage in this age of the computer to sustain many of their ancient religious beliefs, their traditions in costumes and crafts, and their customs of lively weekly markets and Technicolor fiestas.
GUATEMALA CITY
The front door to this Tennessee-sized country is Guatemala City, a cosmopolitan capital that is well-endowed with fine hotels and good restaurants, excellent museums and a lively nightlife, new shopping centers and traditional markets—Mercado Central and the Artisans’ Market. The top hotels are clustered in the quarter called Zona Viva (made up of zones 9 & 10), an upscale neighborhood where dozens of old mansions have been converted to fine restaurants, nightclubs and art galleries showcasing works by contemporary Guatemalan artists, as well as boutiques full of merchandise that draw on native excellence in weaving, embroidery and jewelry-making.
Some of the city’s most impressive buildings, such as the National Palace with its historic frescoes and painted wood ceiling, border the Parque Central, and the capital’s most commanding religious building is the neoclassical Metropolitan Cathedral. The prettiest of church interiors, however, are those of La Merced and San Francisco. Making time to visit a trio of city museums is essential: the National Museum of Ethnology and Archaeology; the Ixchel Museum, which honors the country’s weaving traditions; and the Popol Vuh Museum, devoted to tracing Guatemalan civilization through its splendid collection of
artifacts. Among the top hotels favored by business and leisure travelers are Real InterContinental Guatemala, home of the well-known steakhouse, El Camino Real, Radisson Hotel & Suites, and Marriott. And no matter what your tastes, you are headed for some fine dining in the capital— traditional dishes at Kacao, Italian at Pecorino, French cuisine at Jean Francois, Spanish specialties at Donde Mikel, or Thai cooking at Tamarindo.
CHICHICASTENANGO
In the highlands, 90 miles from Guatemala City, almost everyone’s favorite market town is Chichicastenango, once the home of the Maya Quiche kings. On the main square, El Calvario Chapel faces the Santo Tomas Church, a Mecca for Indians seeking guidance and grace from the gods. Their offering to the saints of flowers and foods are made on the church steps. Come to “Chichi” on Wednesday or Saturday night to be in place for the early startup of the Thursday and Sunday market days, when hundreds of Indians from the surrounding villages bring their crafts, produce and livestock to the central plaza. Two small charming hotels, the Mayan Inn and the Santo Tomas, are within easy walking distance of all the colorful commerce.
ANTIGUA
The fabulous colonial city of Antigua has many claims to fame: as the first Spanish settlement in Guatemala in the 16th century, later as the resplendent capital of all Central America, and jumping to the 20th century (1979 to be precise) as a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its fine examples of 17th and 18th century cathedrals, convents, historic homes and flower-filled plazas, it is easy to understand why Antigua is the country’s most popular destination. Located just 30 miles from the capital, visitors often head right here from the airport, using Antigua as a base for regional touring. A city-wide restoration program gave a new glow to its colonial treasures and historic homes, many now converted to attractive B&Bs and luxury inns, including the Casa Santo Domingo (actually occupying a former monastery), the Meson Panza Verde (with one of the best restaurants in the country) and the Posada del Angel (former president Bill Clinton slept here). There are many other great boutique hotel choices, and almost as many delightful restaurants for fine dining and boutiques for great shopping.
LAKE ATITLAN
Few travelers will want to miss the magic of staying along the shores of mile-high Lake Atitlan, whose shores are rimmed with volcanoes and dotted with 12 villages of the Maya Quiche Indians. Aldous Huxley once claimed Atitlan was the world’s most beautiful lake. You’ll understand why when you book a room with a view at Hotel Atitlan or Casa Polopo outside the main town of Panajachel and take a motor launch to visit such villages as Santiago Atitlan and San Pedro La Laguna. Alternatively, you may want to hike up San Pedro Volcano, go horseback riding or mountain biking. But certainly leave time to attend the traditional market at Solola, famous for embroidered clothing and held on Tuesday and Friday.
MORE MARKET MAGIC
Consider a broader circuit of the western highlands by traveling to Quetzaltenango, the departure point to Zunil’s Monday market for textiles sold by brilliantly costumed women; to Totonicapan on Tuesdays to buy embroidered textiles and see its beautiful colonial church; and to Huehuetenango, the main town before the drive up into the Chuchumatanes Mountains and the lively Sunday market in Todos Santos village.
TIKAL & EL PETEN
In Guatemala, scarcely a month goes by without a new discovery among the ruins of the ancient Mayan Empire, concentrated in the northern rainforested region of El Peten, an hour by air to the airport at Flores from the capital. With more than 3,000 structures recorded, Tikal is perhaps the granddaddy of all Mayan ceremonial cities, which flourished from A.D. 250 to 900. Its monumental treasury covers a 25-sq.-mile area, and includes soaring temples, a marketplace, ball courts and residential dwellings. Tikal is surrounded by a 222-sq.- mile national park, a wonderland of tropical flora and fauna. Visitors can stay right at the entrance to the archaeological zone at the Jungle Lodge, or along the shores of Lake Peten Itza in top rainforest comfort at the Hotel Camino Real Tikal or La Lancha, a jungle inn creation of movie director Francis Ford Coppola. A day-trip away from the hotels in the area are Ceibal, with its finely carved stelae; Yaxha, the third largest Mayan center in Guatemala; and Uaxacutun, where among the great palaces, the Maya perfected their hieroglyphic system of writing.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
Teeing off: World-class golf has come to Guatemala in the shape of the La Reunion Golf Resort, featuring a new 18-hole course designed by Pete Dye. Located just outside Antigua, the par 72, 7,289-yard course includes a driving range, putting green, chipping green, and practice bunker. On site is the Club House and La Reunion Hotel, with 17 superior rooms and master suites. Coming soon are 3-bedroom villas.
Catching the “big one”: The port town of Iztapa on Guatemala’s Pacific coast is the jump-off point for some of the world’s best sailfishing. Swirling ocean currents create a natural eddy rich in bait and pelagic fish where billfish, including sailfish, blue and black marlin, as well as dorado and yellowfin tuna, gather to feed. Indeed, the world record for sailfish released in one day—75—was set here in 2000. World-class fishing is accompanied by world-class accommodations at Villas del Pacifico Resort and the Buena Vista Sportfishing Lodge.
Celebrations for All Seasons
Jan.: Flores hosts a week-long Saints’ Day Feria, with a procession honoring different saints, some borne on pretty boat fl oats.
Apr. (2009): Holy Week in Antigua welcomes a procession of costumed celebrants who reenact Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem, walking over hand-fashioned and decorative carpets of dyed sawdust and flowers laid along the route.
Aug.: During the first week of the month, Coban in the department of Alta Verapaz hosts a wonderful Indian festival, Fiesta Nacional Folklorico Rabina Ajau.
Nov.: The annual Presidential Challenge, a major sailfish competition, is held in Puerto Quetzal on the Pacifi c Ocean.
Nov. 1-2: On All Souls/All Saints Day, the highlands come alive with village festivals of traditional dances, special celebrations in the flowerfi lled cemeteries, and giant kites fi lling the sky with greetings to the deceased.
Dec. 13-21: Festival of Santo Tomas in Chichicastenango, a gala of Indian markets, dances and music.
GUATEMALA CITY
The front door to this Tennessee-sized country is Guatemala City, a cosmopolitan capital that is well-endowed with fine hotels and good restaurants, excellent museums and a lively nightlife, new shopping centers and traditional markets—Mercado Central and the Artisans’ Market. The top hotels are clustered in the quarter called Zona Viva (made up of zones 9 & 10), an upscale neighborhood where dozens of old mansions have been converted to fine restaurants, nightclubs and art galleries showcasing works by contemporary Guatemalan artists, as well as boutiques full of merchandise that draw on native excellence in weaving, embroidery and jewelry-making.
Some of the city’s most impressive buildings, such as the National Palace with its historic frescoes and painted wood ceiling, border the Parque Central, and the capital’s most commanding religious building is the neoclassical Metropolitan Cathedral. The prettiest of church interiors, however, are those of La Merced and San Francisco. Making time to visit a trio of city museums is essential: the National Museum of Ethnology and Archaeology; the Ixchel Museum, which honors the country’s weaving traditions; and the Popol Vuh Museum, devoted to tracing Guatemalan civilization through its splendid collection of
artifacts. Among the top hotels favored by business and leisure travelers are Real InterContinental Guatemala, home of the well-known steakhouse, El Camino Real, Radisson Hotel & Suites, and Marriott. And no matter what your tastes, you are headed for some fine dining in the capital— traditional dishes at Kacao, Italian at Pecorino, French cuisine at Jean Francois, Spanish specialties at Donde Mikel, or Thai cooking at Tamarindo.
CHICHICASTENANGO
In the highlands, 90 miles from Guatemala City, almost everyone’s favorite market town is Chichicastenango, once the home of the Maya Quiche kings. On the main square, El Calvario Chapel faces the Santo Tomas Church, a Mecca for Indians seeking guidance and grace from the gods. Their offering to the saints of flowers and foods are made on the church steps. Come to “Chichi” on Wednesday or Saturday night to be in place for the early startup of the Thursday and Sunday market days, when hundreds of Indians from the surrounding villages bring their crafts, produce and livestock to the central plaza. Two small charming hotels, the Mayan Inn and the Santo Tomas, are within easy walking distance of all the colorful commerce.
ANTIGUA
The fabulous colonial city of Antigua has many claims to fame: as the first Spanish settlement in Guatemala in the 16th century, later as the resplendent capital of all Central America, and jumping to the 20th century (1979 to be precise) as a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its fine examples of 17th and 18th century cathedrals, convents, historic homes and flower-filled plazas, it is easy to understand why Antigua is the country’s most popular destination. Located just 30 miles from the capital, visitors often head right here from the airport, using Antigua as a base for regional touring. A city-wide restoration program gave a new glow to its colonial treasures and historic homes, many now converted to attractive B&Bs and luxury inns, including the Casa Santo Domingo (actually occupying a former monastery), the Meson Panza Verde (with one of the best restaurants in the country) and the Posada del Angel (former president Bill Clinton slept here). There are many other great boutique hotel choices, and almost as many delightful restaurants for fine dining and boutiques for great shopping.
LAKE ATITLAN
Few travelers will want to miss the magic of staying along the shores of mile-high Lake Atitlan, whose shores are rimmed with volcanoes and dotted with 12 villages of the Maya Quiche Indians. Aldous Huxley once claimed Atitlan was the world’s most beautiful lake. You’ll understand why when you book a room with a view at Hotel Atitlan or Casa Polopo outside the main town of Panajachel and take a motor launch to visit such villages as Santiago Atitlan and San Pedro La Laguna. Alternatively, you may want to hike up San Pedro Volcano, go horseback riding or mountain biking. But certainly leave time to attend the traditional market at Solola, famous for embroidered clothing and held on Tuesday and Friday.
MORE MARKET MAGIC
Consider a broader circuit of the western highlands by traveling to Quetzaltenango, the departure point to Zunil’s Monday market for textiles sold by brilliantly costumed women; to Totonicapan on Tuesdays to buy embroidered textiles and see its beautiful colonial church; and to Huehuetenango, the main town before the drive up into the Chuchumatanes Mountains and the lively Sunday market in Todos Santos village.
TIKAL & EL PETEN
In Guatemala, scarcely a month goes by without a new discovery among the ruins of the ancient Mayan Empire, concentrated in the northern rainforested region of El Peten, an hour by air to the airport at Flores from the capital. With more than 3,000 structures recorded, Tikal is perhaps the granddaddy of all Mayan ceremonial cities, which flourished from A.D. 250 to 900. Its monumental treasury covers a 25-sq.-mile area, and includes soaring temples, a marketplace, ball courts and residential dwellings. Tikal is surrounded by a 222-sq.- mile national park, a wonderland of tropical flora and fauna. Visitors can stay right at the entrance to the archaeological zone at the Jungle Lodge, or along the shores of Lake Peten Itza in top rainforest comfort at the Hotel Camino Real Tikal or La Lancha, a jungle inn creation of movie director Francis Ford Coppola. A day-trip away from the hotels in the area are Ceibal, with its finely carved stelae; Yaxha, the third largest Mayan center in Guatemala; and Uaxacutun, where among the great palaces, the Maya perfected their hieroglyphic system of writing.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
Teeing off: World-class golf has come to Guatemala in the shape of the La Reunion Golf Resort, featuring a new 18-hole course designed by Pete Dye. Located just outside Antigua, the par 72, 7,289-yard course includes a driving range, putting green, chipping green, and practice bunker. On site is the Club House and La Reunion Hotel, with 17 superior rooms and master suites. Coming soon are 3-bedroom villas.
Catching the “big one”: The port town of Iztapa on Guatemala’s Pacific coast is the jump-off point for some of the world’s best sailfishing. Swirling ocean currents create a natural eddy rich in bait and pelagic fish where billfish, including sailfish, blue and black marlin, as well as dorado and yellowfin tuna, gather to feed. Indeed, the world record for sailfish released in one day—75—was set here in 2000. World-class fishing is accompanied by world-class accommodations at Villas del Pacifico Resort and the Buena Vista Sportfishing Lodge.
Celebrations for All Seasons
Jan.: Flores hosts a week-long Saints’ Day Feria, with a procession honoring different saints, some borne on pretty boat fl oats.
Apr. (2009): Holy Week in Antigua welcomes a procession of costumed celebrants who reenact Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem, walking over hand-fashioned and decorative carpets of dyed sawdust and flowers laid along the route.
Aug.: During the first week of the month, Coban in the department of Alta Verapaz hosts a wonderful Indian festival, Fiesta Nacional Folklorico Rabina Ajau.
Nov.: The annual Presidential Challenge, a major sailfish competition, is held in Puerto Quetzal on the Pacifi c Ocean.
Nov. 1-2: On All Souls/All Saints Day, the highlands come alive with village festivals of traditional dances, special celebrations in the flowerfi lled cemeteries, and giant kites fi lling the sky with greetings to the deceased.
Dec. 13-21: Festival of Santo Tomas in Chichicastenango, a gala of Indian markets, dances and music.
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