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Where architecture is candy-colored, volcanoes keep everyone on their toes, and 95% of the population is native Maya...
Guatemala-a small Central American country flanked by the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea-is an adventure seeker's paradise, home to thrilling lake escapes, stunning black-sand beaches, and Maya ruins lurking within lush green jungles. Thirty-seven volcanoes create a dramatic backdrop for candy-colored villages, where fuchsia sprays of bougainvillea drape whitewashed Spanish colonial architecture like a watercolor painting come to life.
Lose yourself in bustling mercados, where you can score street food and rainbow-striped indigenous textiles, then explore Guatemala's nightlife and epic food scene. Helmed by young celebrity chefs, the New Guatemalan cuisine movement blends traditional Maya ingredients and techniques with international flavors, a testament to Guatemalan culture itself.
The country's population is composed largely of Maya peoples, mestizos of mixed Maya and European descent, the Xinca (non-Maya Indigenous), and the Garifuna (mixed African and Indigenous). The result is a lively, syncretic culture and a Spanish dialect immediately recognizable by slang terms like cuate (friend) and cabál (exactly!). Guatemalans proudly call themselves chapínes, and orgullo chapín-chapín pride-is felt throughout the country.
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The land of eternal springtime
Guatemala enjoys a mild climate year-round, earning it the nickname "el país de la eterna primavera"-the land of eternal spring. True to its moniker, it is a country in full bloom 365 days a year, its streets and landscapes teeming with colorful blossoms.
Guatemala also has 360 microclimates, home to a staggering diversity of flora and fauna, including the quetzal-the bright green and red bird that has become the emblem of Guatemala, even lending its name to the country's currency.
Guatemala abounds with mesmerizing natural oases, the most popular being Tikal National Park and the Atitlán Nature Reserve. Exploring Tikal National Park, you may encounter jaguars, ocelots, howler monkeys, coyotes, tapirs, armadillos, and iguanas, while the Atitlán Nature Reserve is a bird watcher's paradise. If you're lucky, a trip to El Biotopo del Quetzal south of Cobán may yield a peek at the eponymous bird.
Visiting these areas with a local guide is strongly recommended. Exhibit caution and respect when encountering any sort of wildlife in its natural habitat.
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Tamales, recados, and world-class dining
Traditional Guatemalan food, known as comida típica, originated when the country's indigenous flora and fauna met European ingredients, resulting in a highly spiced cuisine based on recados (stews) like pepián, jocón, and kak'ik. At every meal, a bowl of creamy frijoles negros (black beans) is meant to be scooped up with floury-soft pan francés buns or corn tortillas.
Tamales, often associated with Mexican cuisine, originated in Guatemala 2,000 years ago as cornmeal balls called wa'aj (food of the gods). Roughly 200 types of tamál exist in Guatemala alone, the most popular being the tamál colorado, a corn souffle stuffed with meat, capers, olives, and peppery recado steamed inside banana leaves. Sample Guatemalan dishes at a mercado, or hit the streets for a shuko, a Guatemalan-style street hot dog topped with guacamól.
Guatemalan cuisine continues to evolve, its contemporary food scene concentrated mostly in Antigua, Quetzaltenango, and Guatemala City's Zona 4, a repurposed warehouse district now home to dozens of hip eateries. In Guatemala City's Zona 1, culinary anthropologist Rosa Pu serves haute K'iche fare, while elsewhere in the city chapín celebrity chefs like Diego Telles, Pablo Díaz, Debora Fadul, and Sergio Díaz helm high-end fusion restaurants, which made the Top 50 Latin American restaurant lists in 2022 and 2023.
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The seat of the Maya world
Guatemala was (and still is) the seat of the Maya world, with a 5,000-year-old heritage that lives on in the country's awe-inspiring Maya ruins and 22 Maya peoples, who comprise roughly 50% of Guatemala's current population.
Hundreds of Maya structures have been discovered in Guatemala to date, featuring elaborate artistic elements. Tikal is by far Guatemala's most well-known (and heavily touristed) Maya city, notable for its massive, architecturally sophisticated pyramids constructed during the Classic period (250-900 CE) and located deep in the jungles of the El Petén region. Also in El Petén are the ruins of El Mirador, a late pre-Classic (2000 BCE-250 CE) city reachable via a five-day trek through a jungle brimming with monkeys, birds, and insects. More easily accessible are the post-Classic (950-1539 CE) fortress city of Mixco Viejo, with its well-preserved pyramids and platforms, and Iximche, with its sweeping plazas. Both Mixco Viejo and Iximche make a convenient day trip from Antigua.
It's best to visit with a guide, especially for jungle treks. Alternatively, helicopter tours are a fantastic way to witness Guatemala's majestic Maya ruins without breaking a sweat.
Read more
- The volcanoes that will dictate what you do (and eat)
- Guatemala's must-visit city
- How to experience market culture
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GUA flight price history
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$295 Average Going deal
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$700 Normal ticket price
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Interested in a trip to Guatemala?
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With local expert:
Eva Sandoval
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Eva Sandoval is an Italian-Guatemalan-American travel writer and editor whose work appears regularly on BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, and Fodor's Travel Guides. Her family in Guatemala City knows to have a tamál waiting for her as soon as she steps off the plane.
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