Guatemala City Guatemala Tourism & Travel Information Hotels Tours Airport Transfers

Guatemala City					Guatemala

Guatemala City Travel Information

About Guatemala

Guatemala is a small country in Central America; on the north and west, it is bordered by Mexico, on the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean Sea, on the southeast by Honduras and El Salvador, and on the south it is bounded by the Pacific Ocean (see map of Guatemala). Its ecological diversity, Mayan Ruins, and colonial buildings reserved in perfect condition are its top tourist attractions.

The City of Guatemala is the financial, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic, as well as the largest metropolis in Central America. It is located along a valley in the central-south area of the country, 80 Km. (50 mi.) away from the Pacific Ocean, and is the door to the region.

The City of Guatemala has a square-shaped design, divided into Zones, and it is crossed by wide avenues and elegant boulevards, such as "Avenida La Reforma", "Vista Hermosa", and "Los Próceres".

Most of the low-priced hotels in the City of Guatemala are located in Zone 1 (downtown), while more elegant hotels are found in Zones 9 and 10. The latter one, known as Zona Viva (Lively Zone), also gathers the best restaurants, shopping malls, and entertainment centers.

Hotels in Guatemala

Hotels in Guatemala offer a wide variety of services, ranging from simple accommodations to luxurious resorts, with rates according to the services offered, architecture, and location.

First-class hotels in Guatemala belong to famous international hotel chains. Their buildings are essentially modern, some of them luxurious, with full facilities for their guests.

There are many hotels in the City of Guatemala. Low-priced hotels are mainly located in Zone 1 (downtown). Zone 4 and Zone 5 (to the southeast) offer not-so-luxurious accommodations but with excellent quality services, including swimming pools, hot water, and restaurants.

Top hotels in the City of Guatemala are located in Zones 9 and 10 (to the south), with magnificent buildings and world-class infrastructure.

Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala) also has really good hotel options. Other areas, such as Chichicastenango, Cobán, Panajachel, Puerto Barrios and Quetzaltenango offer a reasonable selection of hotels, some of which fulfill really high standards.

Tours in Guatemala

Tours in Guatemala offer an opportunity to enjoy wild nature in tropical rainforests, lakes, beaches, mangrove swamps, and active volcanoes, visiting the Mayan Ruins and buildings of the colonial period and enjoying the rich indigenous culture.

The tour around the City of Guatemala includes the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), the Palacio Nacional (National Palace), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Mercado Central (Central Market), the Parque Central (Central Park), several old churches, art galleries, and interesting museums. To the west, the ruins of Kaminaljuyú can be found, a really ancient Mayan settlement.

Antigua - the first capital of the country- is 48 Km. (30 mi.) away; it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1776. Built between three large volcanoes, Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango, its solid colonial buildings have earned it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Chichicastenango is a town located 3 hours to the west of the City of Guatemala, and it is very much visited for its cultural richness, displayed in traditional religious rituals, typical colorful clothes, and handicrafts offered in the market.

The Atitlán Lake is located in the nearby area, framed by the magnificent landscape of the volcanoes of Atitlán, San Pedro, and Tolimán. Several towns with their peoples’ unaltered traditions are settled around the lake, such as Panajachel, Sololá, and Santiago Atitlán (see photos).

Quetzaltenango, better known as Xela, 206 Km. (128 mi.) away from the capital, is the commercial hub of Southeast Guatemala. It is also the starting point for tours to the surrounding towns, which are famous for their thermal springs and handicrafts.

Cobán, a region where the best national coffee is produced, is a little over 4 hours to the north of the city of Guatemala. The place is ideal for ecotourism due to its extensive, extremely beautiful rainforests, crystal water falls, and amazing cave systems.

The Izabal Department is 3 hours to the east of the capital and it features white-sand, heavenly beaches and several archaeological remains. Puerto Barrios and Livingston are the main cities.

Flores, the capital of El Petén Department, is a little further north, about 8 hours away from the City of Guatemala. It is located on one of the islands of Petén Itzá Lake, and is connected to the continent by a 600-meter (0.40 mi) embankment. Santa Elena, its sister city outside the lake area, has an airport and both of them offer handicraft shops, several hotels and restaurants.

From there, it is possible to access to Tikal Archeological National Park, which preserves the ruins of an ancient Mayan city immersed in the tropical rainforest. The tour includes visits to the squares, pyramids, temples, acropolis, and museums, and hundreds of birds can be watched right in the middle of the lush local flora.

The Pacific coast is characterized by its black, volcanic sands, irrigated by rivers making up mangrove swamps and natural reserves for countless vegetal and animal species. Puerto Quetzal is the most important city and Monterrico is the Guatemalan’s favorite beach. Both cities can be easily accessed from the capital and are about 80 Km. (50 mi.) away from it.

Car Rental in Guatemala

Car rental in Guatemala is offered by local and international companies, with downtown offices in the main cities. It is usually expensive due to the insurance and the high deposit required.

The extensive road network lacks quality, and in rainy periods driving on secondary roads is not recommended as many of them are covered by lava ashes, which turn them into actual swamps. There are over 10,000 Km. (6,210 mi.) of paved roads connecting the capital to the main cities.

Air access to Guatemala is through La Aurora International Airport, located within the capital city, 3 Km. (1.9 mi) away from the Zona Viva (Lively Area) and 8 Km. (5 mi.) away from downtown. There are banks, ATMs, and taxis available 24 hours a day.

The taxi service offers flat rates for any type of journey (whether short or long), though the rates are rather expensive as compared to other means of transport in the country, particularly in the City of Guatemala.

Urban buses (known as "camionetas") are inexpensive, but there are few of them. In addition, there are minibuses (called “ruleteros”) with routes and rates similar to those of the “camionetas”.

Intercity buses connect most tourist areas in Guatemala. It is an inexpensive way of traveling throughout the region, although it may be uncomfortable due to the quantity of people who make use of them.

From the City of Guatemala, Puerto Barrios can be accessed by train, but the trip is really lengthy (it takes a whole day).

Cruise ships arrive in Guatemala from North America, the Far East and Europe, and dock at the ports of Santo Tomás de Castilla, Puerto Quetzal (on the Pacific Ocean) and Puerto Barrios (on the Caribbean Sea).

Tourist Information in Guatemala

Tourist information in Guatemala is provided by the Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo (INGUAT) (Tourist Institute of Guatemala), located at 7ª Avenida 1-17, Zona 4, City of Guatemala, and in the main cities. Tel: 2421-0000 and (801) 464-8281 (24-hour toll-free line for calls from Guatemala only).

Before traveling, visitors should contact the consulate or embassy of Guatemala in their country to obtain information on their migratory status.

The currency of Guatemala is the Quetzal, which maintains a fluctuating exchange rate in relation to the US dollar. The dollar is the most widely used foreign currency, and it is virtually impossible to exchange any other currency.

Banks are private, with branches in department capitals. Most of them have ATMs. However, it is advisable to carry cash to travel inland (see reference prices).

Credit cards are widely used in hotels and restaurants, and the most popular international ones are accepted -in particular VISA.

The suggested tip is 10-15% on the total price of food and other services. In general, it is not included in the final price.

Tax on purchases and services, called Impuesto al Valor Agregado (IVA) [Value Added Tax (VAT)], is currently l0% on the purchase price. Most hotels and stores offer fixed prices; however, haggling is common in markets and requires a sense of humor and perseverance.

In hotels, total taxes amount to 22%, which may or may not be included in the rate. For this reason, asking for the final price is recommended.

Traffic is chaotic in the City of Guatemala, and security is not fully guaranteed. Driving carefully and avoiding dark and distant places is bly advised.

Drinking bottled water and avoiding raw food is recommended.

The mountain range on the western area has frequent seismic activity and low temperatures at night. The most attractive period to visit Guatemala is during the dry season, between November and May. In addition, Holy Week is one of the most important events in the national holiday calendar.