Things to see and do Guatemala

Come and discover the history of chocolate in this small, very nice museum! After the explanation of the manufacture of chocolate, you can not only taste it on the spot (flavored with cardamom, orange, coconut, etc.), but also participate in one of the proposed workshops such as the preparation of truffles. Warm welcome.

Opened for a few years, this museum is an initiative of the «Cojol Yá Association» initiated by the same woman who created Santiago. It is a non-profit organization promoting the work of women in the village and aiming to preserve the art of Tissage weaving. Some of them have also cast on the museum's professions. In two small rooms you will find the explanations (in English and Spanish) of the various stages of weaving and can watch a video on the culture of Lake Atitlán. A loom is at the disposal of visitors so that everyone can exercise their talents. Sale of finished finished products created on site.

The new offices of the Inguat are a little out of the centre, but there is always interesting documentation, the service is efficient and the reception is pleasant. There are brochures on the city and the main tourist areas around it. Do not hesitate to ask questions to organize your tour in Guatemala (transport price, security, excursions, language schools, etc.), staff is very competent.

In Casa del Jade, the Jade Infernal Museum, created in 2003, exhibits more than 70 pieces of the four mésoaméricaines cultures most representative of their time: Mokaya, Olmèque, Maya and Aztec. Original sculptures and delicate replicas carved by local artisans for a trip over time with historical and cultural information. Technical information about the work of Jade, which can be appreciated by watching talented artisans. Strongly recommended to discover the secrets of the "Pierre du Ciel".

It is a place of great peace and quiet, in the image of the colonial cities coming from the Conquista, from the aisles to the right angles. For generations, the last remains of the ladino inhabitants and the large families of Antigua who have been building a mausoleums of a bright white.

Planted with épineux and cypress trees, it is a unique place. Find out about the Inguat on security conditions in this isolated location.

Flores is a city with steep alleys that, from the only circular road that circles the island, climb towards the highest point, which is the Municipal Park (or Parque de Flores). We will quickly make a tour of it, starting with Calle 15 de Septiembre, whose promenade (malecón) is very popular with the locals.

We cross the El Rosario street and then the Flores street, barely wider than the previous one despite its qualification as an avenue. Climbing towards the Municipal Park, it resounds daily with the cries of the children of the communal school installed in the street. In the evening, it transforms itself, like the other alleys, into a meeting place for the inhabitants of the city.

Surrounded by the town hall, the offices of Cincap and its small archaeological museum, the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church and the communal basketball court, the Municipal Park, a real furnace during the day, becomes a particularly lively gathering place in the late afternoon and evening. Young people compete in friendly basketball matches, and the not-so-young ones come together to chat.

You can go down the Pasaje Progreso, a roughly paved alleyway, and join Calle Unión, then Calle 30 de Junio, which concentrates the vast majority of the island's hotel establishments. At the end of this street, we reach Calle Centro América with all kinds of shops.

San Juan la Laguna is located near San Pedro. It is a pleasant stroll to discover another village without a great tourist stamp but where the municipality is very mobilized and active in local development. At the meeting of the Asociación de Guías de Ecoturismo, Rupalaj K'istalin and the activities she proposes: excursions, preservation of traditional medicines, manufacturing of organic shampoo and soaps, etc.

At the entrance, a map allows you to understand the site and the different paths around the waterfalls. The Q '' community lives in the surrounding villages.

The cooperative La Cuna Chorti sells its products throughout Europe, but is also visiting! Established in 1999, it is located in the Esquipulas region, a border village with Honduras and El Salvador. The consolidation was able to develop its initiative through partnership with the neighbouring Épargne savings and Credit Cooperative. The Chorti Café is prepared by the Belgian law society Mayan Quality Sprl, formed in 2006 by this same partnership. This will be your main point of contact if you want to organize an upstream visit (see contact details above).

Stretching over 11 kilometers long for 3 wide, and with a maximum depth of about 30 meters, the volcanic lake has its main tributary to the river Villalobos. Artificially cut in two by a dam, the northwestern part of the lake serves as a receptacle to waste from the capital (mainly industrial), which has had the effect of drastically slowing fishing. Fortunately, the southern part of the lake remains clean enough to allow bathers and fishermen to enjoy the fresh waters of Amatitlán in the beautiful season. The water wells of the river Michatoya (tributary of the María Linda River) and the thermal springs found all along the watercourse up to the foot of the volcano Pacaya further south also represent significant attractions for tourists and local tourists. A cable car, named El Filón, overflying the lake also allows you to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over the whole water body (20 Q per person). Here, in 2007, a submerged city was discovered at the bottom of the lake.

Its majestic silhouette dominates Antigua. Feared for its devastating moods, which have already twice reduced the most beautiful city in the Americas, the Agua volcano is now the object of a devastating curiosity from foreign tourists. The ascent is offered by a few agencies in Antigua. If you absolutely want to try the walk alone from the village of Santa María de Jesús, check with the Antigua Inguat and the tourist police beforehand to make sure the trip is not dangerous. If the Turística police give you their approval, find out about the weather conditions. Let us not forget that the summit of the volcano is at an altitude of more than 3,700 metres. The temperature on its slopes is therefore much lower than in the valley. The reward is at the top, at 3,766 metres, from where you can admire magnificent landscapes and enjoy a unique view of Antigua and the volcanoes Fuego and Acatenango.

Within the national park, on the right of San Felipe castle in Lake Izabal, there is a beach that is very popular with the locals. You can go swimming and picnic on the vast lawns of the park, sheltered from palm trees. However, the same right of entry is required as that requested for the visit of the Castillo San Felipe, or 20 Q.

A few years ago, fragments of bones of mastodons exposed in a sort of small museum adjoining the archaeological site were excavated.

A few steps from the reception of the Bombing'Il Pek'caves, the Río Simón runs away. A 30-minute "tubing" course (i. e. on a big buoy) is proposed along small rapids, for 20 Q. You can also go to the river to swim in one of its basins. To do this, walk 20 minutes to the «Comunidad del Porvenir II» where you'll find «La Poza», another bathing place.

Commissioned in 1935 by President Jorge Ubico, the Obelisco - or Monumento a los Próceres de la Independencia - is located in a small plaza that is the starting point of a 5 km round trip circuit that is particularly popular on weekends with city dwellers who like to run and walk fast. It is about going along the very green Avenida las Américas, through its statues and its park, to reach the Monumento a Juan Pablo II. From there, you can make a detour to the Plaza Berlín to have a nice view of the city and the Volcán de Pacaya.

The Guatemalan Institute of Tourism - INGUAT - is an inexhaustible source of information on the country's points of interest and possible itineraries. Don't hesitate to visit the offices of the cities in which you are staying, especially the one in Guatemala City, in zone 4. The agents who work there will design a customized tour for you, telling you what you can see and do in the time you have available. This is the perfect formula for travelers who prefer to wait until they arrive to organize their trip.