Guatemala City
This excellent modern museum is inauspiciously jammed between two shopping malls a few kilometers out of town. Downstairs focuses on objects found at…
Must-see attractions in Guatemala
Iglesia y Convento de la Recolección
Antigua
A serene air pervades the remains of the monastery of La Recolección, which stands well west of the center. Erected in the early 18th century by the…
Tikal
This museum exhibits a number of superb ceramic pieces from excavations, including incense burners and vases, with descriptions of their uses and…
Western Highlands
This statue of the Virgin Mary (also known as Virgen de Candelaria) clad entirely in locally-mined silver, is a big draw for local Catholics. She is…
Quetzaltenango
Most of Xela's sights crowd in and around the broad central plaza. It's a great place for a stroll or to sit and people-watch. It was originally two…
Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
Guatemala City
This museum has the country's biggest collection of ancient Maya artifacts, but explanatory information is very sparse. There's a great wealth of…
Tikal
South and east of the Gran Plaza, this maze of courtyards, little rooms and small temples is thought by many to have been a palace where Tikal's nobles…
Antigua
Inaugurated in 1736 by nuns from Madrid, the convent of Las Capuchinas was seriously damaged by the 1773 earthquake and thereafter abandoned. Thanks to…
Antigua
Completed in 1757, the Colegio de San Jerónimo was used as a school by friars of the Merced order, but because it did not have royal authorization, it was…
Western Highlands
San Andrés Xecul boasts one of the most exuberantly decorated churches in the country, a fiesta almost in itself. Technicolored saints, angels, flowers…
Tikal
West of the Gran Plaza, across the Calzada Tozzer (Tozzer Causeway) stands Templo III, still undergoing restoration. Only its upper reaches have been…
El Petén
The most significant temple in Grupo E, Templo E-VII-Sub is among the earliest intact temples excavated at the site, with foundations going back perhaps…
Guatemala
This space is like a museum, market and workshop all rolled into one, with exhibits on regional outfits and daily demonstrations of backstrap weaving…
Tikal
Templo VI is one of the few temples at Tikal to bear written records. On the rear of its 12m-high roofcomb is a long inscription – though it will take…
Quiché
This formidable church dominates the south side of Parque Principal. Inside, to the left of the entrance, is a memorial to Juan José Gerardi, who as…
Chichicastenango
Be sure to admire the mural that runs alongside the wall of the town hall on the east side of the plaza – it’s dedicated to the victims of the civil war…
Guatemala City
Inside Museo Popol Vuh you'll find well-displayed pre-Hispanic figurines, incense burners and burial urns, plus carved wooden masks and traditional…
Quiché
This small museum is something of an unexpected gem for a town of Nebaj's size. It displays a collection of mostly ceramic objects excavated in the Ixil…
Chichicastenango
On the way down the hill to the shrine at Pascual Abaj, you might stop into this interesting gallery. Developed as an art institute for local children…
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango's enormous cemetery is a pleasant and fascinating green space for a walk. To the left of the main entrance, visit the grave of the gypsy…
Tikal
Templo V is a remarkably steep structure (57m high) that was built sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD. It consists of seven stepped platforms…
Western Highlands
San Francisco El Alto's 18th century church is a somewhat fortress-like affair, with solid arches holding up its domes. It's worth noting for it's…
Lago de Atitlán
The remnants of the Kaqchiquels’ 15th-century capital stand some 15km due east of Lago de Atitlán. The ‘palaces’ and temples uncovered here are modest in…
Guatemala
Perched on a hillside overlooking the Panchoy valley, this is a well-managed organic farm that's packed with small pleasures. Tours are given of a…
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales
Antigua
Dating from 1549, the palace was colonial headquarters for all of Central America, from Chiapas to Costa Rica, until the capital was relocated in 1776…
Cojolya Association of Maya Women Weavers
Santiago Atitlán
This small museum and showroom is devoted to the art of backstrap loom weaving. Well-designed exhibits show the history of the craft and the process from…
Quetzaltenango
This wooded hill is a popular weekend destination for city dwellers, for its wonderful views across Xela's broad plain and to the volcanos that fringe it…
Tikal
To the west of the Acrópolis del Sur is this broad grassy plaza, reached via a path to its southern edge. Built in the Late Classic Period, the seven…
Quetzaltenango
An interesting if chaotic collection of some 400 paintings by Guatemala's leading modernists is exhibited here, including works by Efraín Recinos, Jorge…
Antigua
The fascinating Museo del Libro Antiguo showcases the greatest hits of the early days of Guatemalan printing, plus a replica of Guatemala's first printing…
San Marcos La Laguna
This nature reserve is on a sacred hill west of San Marcos village. Well-maintained pebbly trails lead to swimming areas with shelters by the bank and a…
Lívingston
The best beach in the area is Playa Blanca, around 12km from Lívingston, a strip of white sand with chaise longues and umbrellas, restrooms and coconut…
El Petén
The trio of pyramidal temples at the North Acropolis are built atop older structures dating back to 100 BC. Comprising of seven platforms, the…
Antigua
Well worth the ascent, Cerro de la Cruz provides fine views looking south over town toward Volcán Agua. The prominent cross at the head of the lookout…
Chichicastenango
On the west side of the plaza, this whitewashed church is similar in form and function to Santo Tomás, but smaller. Ceremonies go on continually in front…
Lívingston
This is a friendly, informal, enthusiastic cultural center where you can drop in for classes in Garifuna cooking (Q125 per person, fish stew Q150),…
Tikal
Templo II, also known as the Temple of the Masks, was at one time almost as high as Templo I, but it now measures only 38m without its roofcomb. It's best…
Quetzaltenango
This museum is devoted to Maya weaving, with traditional outfits arranged by region. Director Raquel García is an expert on the symbols and meanings of…
Antigua
Displaying works by more than 70 Guatemalan artists in the halls and patio of a colonial mansion, Antigua's premier art gallery merits an extended visit…
El Petén
This impressive sight is also impressively hard to get to, requiring 4x4-only driving or horses. Nakum was a significant port on the Holmul river, a…
