Antigua, A visitor's resource to Central America's most beautiful city.

Founded in 1543, Antigua was built in an era of fantastic colonial wealth. Three enormous volcanoes (Agua, Fuego and Acatenango) surround a city of great charm and grace. History and geology have combined to create one of the world's great travel destinations.

Earthquakes eventualy forced moving the capital of Guatemala from Antigua to its present location in Guatemala City. The quakes that led to Antigua being all but abandoned in 1773, have largely prevented development since and, ironically, helped preserve the beauty and style the city enjoys today.

There are wonderful museums, parks, hotels, shops and restaurants. Antigua is small and the best way to get around it's colorful, cobblestone streets is to walk.

Van services are plentiful. They will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off at the door of your next destination.

See our site on Antigua: www.visit-antigua.com

 Guatemala City

Guatemala City has for the most part, avoided the third-world urban horrors of Mexico City or Bangkok, but it is still a noisy, busy modern capital of a developing country. While there are some great museums, the main reason one comes to Guatemala City is to fly in and out of the country.

Most travelers use Antigua as a central hub from which they come and go. Vans often pick people up at the airport in Guatemala City and take them directly to Antigua, only 45 minutes away.

See our site on Guatemala City: www.hotels-guatemalacity.com

 Lake Atitlan, The most beautiful lake in the world!

A dozen small Mayan villages squeeze between the lake shore and the towering volcanoes and steep cliffs that contain the lake. Plentiful flowers and colorful Mayan dress garnish deep blue water and green volcanoes. A more exotic setting would be hard to imagine.

Almost all visits to Atitlan start in Panajachel.

See our site on Lake Atitlan: www.atitlan.com

 Panajachel, The gateway to Lake Atitlan.

"Pana" as it is known locally, is the place to shop in the region. Hotels and restaurants range from primitive to first class, with everything in between.

Not that long ago Panajachel was pretty much the only village offering travel services on the lake ...primitive or otherwise. But over the last fifteen years some wonderful hotels have sprung up around the lake. The easiest, if not the only, way to get to most of them is by boat from Pana.

Panajachel, like Antigua is small and van services plentiful. They offer local tours, trips to Chichicastenango, Quetzaltenango and all destination in the Western Highlands.

Chichicastenango

The Chichicastenango market on Thursdays and Sundays is not to be missed. It is unrivaled in North America as a native market. "Chichi" is a popular destination. One moment all one hears is Italian, French, German, English and vendors hawking whatever in shrill Spanish. Walk three meters away and only Quiche is heard. Be sure to make the effort to walk that extra three meters.

There are a couple of good hotels in Chichicastanango. One night in Chichi before or after market day is a not a bad idea, but many come to see the market just for the day. Van services coming from Antigua will drop you off in Chichi in the morning and take you on to Pana in the afternoon, or vica-versa.

 Monterrico, Guatemala's best beach.

New highways have made Guatemala's Pacific coast easily accessible. For a couple of reasons Monterrico has developed into the place to be on the coast.

First, hotels and restaurants are better in Monterrico than in any other town on the coast. Monterrico has developed quality traveler services while maintaining a rustic charm.

Secondly, Monterrico is in the middle of a mangrove swamp. You even have to take a ferry to get there. Better yet, it is right next to the Monterrico Nature Reserve. There is an endangered sea turtle hatchery and a small local zoo. Plus you can take a tour through the swamp in a small boat.

Most international travelers come to Monterrico by van from Antigua, though transportation is readily available from Panajachel, Guatemala City or anywhere else.

See our site on Monterrico: www.monterrico-guatemala.com

Quetzaltenango

"Xela", or Quetzaltenango, is the largest Mayan city in the country. About eighty years ago it went through a neo-classic phase and Greek columns abound. Xela is close to Almolonga and Zunil on one side, and Totonicapan and San Francisco El Alto on the other; all of which are well worth visiting.

Getting to Xela is easy, again by van service, plus vans can take you to any of the other nearby villages.

 Flores & Tikal

The ancient archaeological Mayan site of Tikal is probably Guatemala best know feature, and with good reason. Its steep pyramids and setting in the middle of a tropical jungle is impressive to say the least. The surrounding vegetation is full of toucans, howler monkeys, tree frogs, parrots and even jaguars.

Flores, the city nearest Tikal, has an airport and many fly there from Guatemala City. Van do go between Flores and Antigua/Guatemala City and the road is new, but it's a long 12 hour drive. From Flores to Tikal is another hour and a half drive.

Other ruins not as well developed as Tikal, but in a way even more inrteresting for that very reason, are Uaxactun, Quirigua, Seibal, Yaxchilan, Copan, The Mirador Basin and Sayaxche.

See our site on Tikal, Flores and the Guatemalan lowlands: www.mayan-traveler.com

Rio Dulce & Livingston

Rio Dulce connects Lago de Isabel to the Caribbean. Neither Isabel nor Guatemala's tiny piece of the Caribbean are all that interesting (save for Livingston), but the boat trip from one to the other most certainly is. Rio Dulce goose-necks down a cliff faced canyon overflowing with foliage.

Livingston is fun. The only way to get to there is by boat and far and away the best route is via Rio Dulce. The laid-back Garifuna speaking blacks of Livingston have more in common with the nearby Belizians, than they do with their fellow Guatemalans.

Vans from Guatemala City and/or Antigua go to Rio Dulce and back daily. Once you get off the van at Rio Dulce you will be swamped with offers of boats to Livingston.

A note on chicken buses

You can take chicken buses virtually anywhere in Guatemala, including all of the above destinations. However figuring out which bus line goes where, and when it goes there, is difficult at best. Still, for game and sturdy travelers (especially those with more time than money) chicken buses are great.

Just keep in mind that what may be an exhilarating cultural experience to one, may be nothing short of slow torture to another.