Sights in Guatemala
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Chichi Market
Guatemala's largest and most colorful indigenous market, the twice-weekly Chichi market attracts traders from highland villages for miles around. Stalls and blankets are set up on the plaza and the streets around it. As well as essentials like fruit, vegetables, clothing and spices, you can search for handicrafts such as textiles, masks and carvings.
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Lago de Atitlán
This dramatic crater lake is surrounded by looming volcanoes and its shoreline is dotted with traditional Mayan villages. For travelers, this is the beautiful heart of the Guatemala highlands, a place to kick back, relax and soak up the cultural scene.
Panajachel is the main lakeside town and where most foreigners stay. On the southern shore, Santiago Atitlán is a Tz'utujil Mayan market town with strong traditions, and a large arts and crafts scene. San Pedro Laguna is another village popular with backpackers for its language schools and proximity to San Pedro volcano. Boats run frequently across the lake, connecting villages.
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Antigua Market
Antigua Market - chaotic, colorful and always busy - sprawls north of 4a Calle. Morning, when villagers from the Antigua vicinity are actively buying and selling, is the best time to come. On the official market days Mayan women spread their wares over open-air areas north and west of the covered market area. Like many Guatemalan markets, Antigua market is cheek-by-jowl with the bus terminal, adding to the crowds, noise and dirt.
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Parque Central
This broad and beautiful plaza, easily the loveliest in the country, is the gathering place for Antigüeños and visitors alike - a fine, verdant place to sit or stroll and observe Antigua happening around you, from hawkers and shoe shiners to school kids and groups of tourists. The famous central fountain is a 1936 reconstruction of the original 1738 version.
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Pascual Abaj & Morería
On a hilltop south of the town, Pascual Abaj is a shrine to the Mayan earth god Huyup Tak'ah (Mountain Plain). Said to be hundreds - perhaps thousands - of years old, the stone-faced idol has suffered numerous indignities at the hands of outsiders, but local people still revere it. Chuchkajauescome regularly to offer incense, food, cigarettes, flowers, liquor, Coca-Cola, and perhaps even to sacrifice a chicken, in thanks and hope for the Earth's continuing fertility.
Sacrifices do not take place at regular hours. If you're in luck, you may witness one. The worshipers will not mind if you watch, but be sure to request permission before taking any photos and don't assume it…
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Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
The imposing Palacio Nacional de la Cultura lies on the north side of the Parque Central. It was built as a presidential palace between 1936 and 1943 during the dictatorial rule of General Jorge Ubico at enormous cost to the lives of the prisoners who were forced to labor here. It's the third palace to stand on the site.
Despite its tragic background, architecturally the palace is one of the country's most interesting constructions, a mélange of multiple earlier styles from Spanish Renaissance to neoclassical. Today, most government offices have been removed from here and it's open as a museum and for a few ceremonial events. Visits are by guided tour (available in…
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Zaculeu Archaeological Zone
With ravines on three sides, the late postclassic religious center Zaculeu ('White Earth' in the Mam language) occupies a strategic defensive location that served its Mam Maya inhabitants well. It finally failed, however, in 1525, when Gonzalo de Alvarado and his conquistadors laid siege to the site for two months. It was starvation that ultimately defeated the Mam. The park-like Zaculeu archaeological zone, about 200m square, is 4km west of Huehuetenango's main plaza.
A small museum at the site holds, among other things, skulls and grave goods found in a tomb beneath Estructura 1, the tallest structure at the site. Restoration by the United Fruit Company in the 1940s has…
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Parque Arqueológico Kaminaljuyú
The Parque Arqueológico Kaminaljuyú, with remnants of one of the first important cities in the Mayan region, is just west of 23a Av and is some 4km west of the city center. At its peak, from about 400 BC to AD 100, ancient Kaminaljuyú had thousands of inhabitants and scores of temples built on earth mounds, and probably dominated much of highland Guatemala.
Large-scale carvings found here were the forerunners of Classic Mayan carving, and Kaminaljuyú had a literate elite before anywhere else in the Mayan world.
The city fell into ruin before being reoccupied around AD 400 by invaders from Teotihuacán in central Mexico, who rebuilt it in Teotihuacán's talud-tablero…
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Biotopo Monterrico-Hawaii
Sometimes called the Reserva Natural Monterrico, Biotopo Monterrico-Hawaii is administered by Cecon (Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas de la Universidad de San Carlos)and is Monterrico's biggest attraction. This 20km-long nature reserve of coast and coastal mangrove swamps is bursting with avian and aquatic life. Its most famous denizens are the endangered leatherback and ridley turtles, who lay their eggs on the beach in many places along the coast.
The mangrove swamps are a network of 25 lagoons, all connected by mangrove canals. Boat tours of the reserve, passing through the mangrove swamps and visiting several lagoons, take around 1½ to two hours and cost around…
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Catedral de Santiago
The Catedral de Santiago was begun in 1542, demolished in 1668, rebuilt between 1669 and 1680, repeatedly damaged by earthquakes, wrecked in 1773, and only partly rebuilt between 1780 and 1820. The present cathedral, without its expensive original decoration, occupies only the entrance hall of the 17th-century edifice, and strictly speaking is not a cathedral but the Parroquia (Parish Church) de San José. It's most striking at night when it is tastefully lit.
More interesting by day are the remains of the main part of the cathedral, entered from 5a Calle Oriente. Slightly overhyping itself as 'the most important monument in the country,' it's nonetheless an impressive…
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Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo
Founded in 1542, Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo became the biggest and richest monastery in Antigua. Its large church was completed in 1666. Damaged by three 18th-century earthquakes, the buildings were further depleted when pillaged for construction material in the 20th century. The site is currently occupied by the Hotel Casa Santo Domingo. You can visit the hotel's public spaces, which are tastefully dotted with colonial statuary and archaeological pieces, any time.
The archaeological areas (áreas arqueológicas) form part of the paseo de museos (museum walk). It includes the very picturesque ruined monastery church (cleared of a 5m layer of rubble in the 1990s…
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Parque Hawaii
Parque Hawaii, a nature reserve operated by Arcas (Asociación de Rescate y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Wildlife Rescue & Conservation Association; www.arcasguatemala.com) comprises a sea-turtle hatchery with some caimans 8km east along the beach from Monterrico. It is separate from and rivals Cecon's work in the same field. Volunteers are welcome year-round, but the real sea turtle nesting season is from June to November, with August and September being the peak months.
Volunteers are charged around US$50 a week for a room, with meals extra and homestay options with local families. Jobs for volunteers include hatchery checks and maintenance, local school education…
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Parque Central
The Parque Central, officially the Plaza de la Constitución, is an excellent starting point to begin your journey onto other sights, which are grouped around here. The standard colonial urban-planning scheme required every town in the New World to have a large plaza for military exercises and ceremonies. On the north side of the plaza was usually the palacio de gobierno (colonial government headquarters). On another side, preferably the east, would be a church (or cathedral).
On the other sides of the square there could be additional civic buildings or the imposing mansions of wealthy citizens. Guatemala City's Parque Central is a classic example of the plan.The Parque…
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Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced
La Merced is Antigua's most striking colonial church and its construction began in 1548. The most recent of its several bouts of rebuilding has taken place since the 1976 earthquake, and the place is in pretty good shape.
Inside the monastery ruins is a fountain 27m in diameter, said to be the largest in Hispanic America. It's in the shape of a water lily (traditionally a symbol of power for Mayan lords), and lily motifs also appear on the church's entrance arch, suggesting the influence of indigenous laborers used to construct La Merced. Go upstairs for a bird's-eye view of the fountain and the town. A candlelit procession, accompanied by much bell ringing and…
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Monterrico
With Guatemala's best ocean beach and a sultry, tropical flavor, Monterrico is a hammock-swinging coastal village. What's more, the area is home to a large wildlife reserve and two centers for the hatching and releasing of sea turtles and caymans. Monterrico is fast becoming a popular weekend spot both with Guatemalan families and foreigners.
The highlight here is the long Reserva Natural Monterrico (20km/12mi), which preserves coastal mangrove swamps that are bursting with avian and aquatic life. Its most famous denizens are the endangered leatherback and ridley turtles, which lay their eggs on the beach along the coast. A sunrise boat tour of the reserve and lagoons is…
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Los Siete Altares
About 5km (1½-hour walk) northwest of Lívingston along the shore of Bahía de Amatique, Los Siete Altares is a series of freshwater falls and pools. It's a pleasant goal for a beach walk and is a good place for a picnic and swim. Follow the shore northward to the river mouth and walk along the beach until it meets the path into the woods (about 30 minutes). Follow this path all the way to the falls.
Boat trips go to the Seven Altars, but locals say it's better to walk there to experience the natural beauty and the Garífuna people along the way. About halfway along, next to the rope bridge is Gaviota's Restaurant, serving decent food and ice-cold beers and soft drinks.
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Vivero Verapaz
Orchid lovers mustn't miss the chance to see the many thousands of species at this famous nursery, Vivero Verapaz. The rare monja blanca (white nun orchid), Guatemala's national flower, can be seen here; there are also hundreds of species of miniature orchids, so small that you'll need the magnifying glass they will loan you to see them. Visits are by guided tour.
The national orchid show is held here each December, and by all accounts, it's spectacular. Otherwise, try to visit between October and February, when many flowers are in bloom. Vivero Verapaz is about 2km from the town center - a 30-minute walk southwest from the plaza. You can hire a taxi for around US$2.
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Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
The Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología has the country's biggest collection of ancient Mayan artifacts, but explanatory information is very sparse. There's a great wealth of monumental stone sculpture, including Classic-period stelae from Tikal, Uaxactún and Piedras Negras, a superb throne from Piedras Negras and animal representations from preclassic Kaminaljuyú.
Also here are rare wooden lintels from temples at Tikal and El Zotz, and a room of beautiful jade necklaces and masks. Don't miss the large-scale model of Tikal. The ethnology section has displays on the languages, costumes, dances, masks and homes of Guatemala's indigenous peoples.
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Iglesia de San Francisco
Little of the original 16th-century Iglesia de San Francisco remains, but reconstruction and restoration over the centuries have produced a handsome structure. In the north transept is the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro de San José de Betancurt (1626-67), a Franciscan monk who founded a hospital for the poor in Antigua and earned the gratitude of generations. He's Guatemala's most venerated local Christian figure, and was made a saint in 2002 when Pope John Paul II visited Guatemala.
His intercession is still sought by the ill, who pray fervently by the tomb. On the south side of the church are the Museo del Hermano Pedro and the ruins of the adjoining monastery.
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Museo Miraflores
Museo Miraflores is an excellent, modern museum inauspiciously jammed between two shopping malls a few kilometers out of town. Downstairs focuses on objects found at Kaminaljuyú, with fascinating trade route maps showing the site's importance.
Upstairs there are displays on textiles and indigenous clothing, separated by region, from around the country. Signs are in Spanish and (mostly) English. Out back is a pleasant grassy area with paths and seating - a good place to take a breather. To get there, catch any bus from the center going to Tikal Futura and get off there. The museum is 250m down the road between it and the Miraflores shopping center.
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Lívingston
Accessible only by boat - either by river or from the Caribbean port of Puerto Barrios - the coastal town of Lívingston is unique in Guatemala. It's home to the Garífuna (descendants of indigenous Carib and shipwrecked African slaves) and exudes a laid-back way of life, with Jamaican influences.
The distinctive culture, language and music incorporating African, Mayan and European elements gives Lívingston a more Belizean than Guatemalan feel, with coconut groves, gaily painted wooden buildings and a fishing economy. Apart from a couple of beaches, Lívingston is at the end of the wonderful river journey on the Río Dulce.
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Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara
Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara was first completed in 1702, and the existing construction, inaugurated in 1734, was wrecked in 1773 but remains large and impressive. In front of the church is one of Antigua's prettiest plazas, lined with palm trees. At the eastern end are public clothes-washing sinks, where some women still come to do their wash, spreading their laundry out on the ground to dry.
Also in the plaza stands a gift made to Antigua (formally Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala) in 1988 by the city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain: a cruceiro, a typically Galician stone cross carved with biblical scenes.
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Mapa en Relieve
It's worth venturing along to Parque Minerva to see the Mapa en Relieve, a huge open-air map of Guatemala showing the country at a scale of 1:10,000. The vertical scale is exaggerated to 1:2000 to make the volcanoes and mountains appear dramatically higher and steeper than they really are. Constructed in 1905 under the direction of Francisco Vela, the Mapa was fully restored and repainted in 1999. Viewing towers afford a panoramic view.
This is an odd but fun place, and it's curious to observe that Belize is still represented as part of Guatemala. To get there take bus V-21 northbound on 7a Av just north or south of the Parque Central.
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Nebaj
Hidden in a remote fold of the Cuchumatanes Mountains, Nebaj is the main town of the Triángulo Ixil (Ixil Triangle). The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, and the local Ixil Maya people cling proudly to traditions. Nebaj women are celebrated for their beautiful purple, green and yellow pom-pommed hair braids, and huipiles (tunics) and rebozos (shawls).
The main activities here are hiking in the mountains, shopping for colorful local textiles and visiting surrounding villages. There are a number of opportunities for working on volunteer projects in these mountain hamlets.
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Colegio de San Jerónimo
The Colegio de San Jerónimo was built in 1757 and used as a school by friars of the Merced order, but because it did not have royal authorization, it was taken over in 1761 by Spain's Carlos III, and in 1765 designated for use as the Real Aduana (Royal Customs House). Today it's a tranquil, mostly open air site. The handsome cloister centers on a lovely octagonal fountain, which operates most days - it's an evocative setting for various dance and other cultural performances.
Make your way upstairs for some excellent photo angles of Volcán Agua through stone archways.
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