MEET THE HEART OF THE MAYAN WORLD
Perry Grone
Guatemala is the Heart of the Mayan World. magic, mystical and ancestral. Its history goes back four thousand years, when the Mayan civilisation emerged, whose legacy lives on today with the traditions and culture of its people.
Guatemala is a country of extraordinary cultural and natural wealth and with a privileged geographic location. The distances from place to place are short, which allows visiting several regions in one trip.
It is a unique, adventurous, unforgettable country, between its past and present, as well as the diversity of activities offered to visitors. Known as the country of eternal spring, it enjoys a pleasant climate that allows you to visit it at any time of the year. It also offers several access possibilities from anywhere in the world, with two international airports: La Aurora, located in the capital city; and Mundo Maya, located in the Petén area.
The colourful crafts markets and regional costumes, the hospitality of its people, the beauty of its natural landscapes that frame volcanoes, lakes, rivers and mountains, make Guatemala is engraved in the hearts of those who visit it. Its natural, cultural and historical heritage can be discovered in every corner of the country.
Guatemala hosts the largest number of archaeological sites of the Mayan culture, surrounded by an impressive flora and fauna, which makes them true lungs of humanity. The magic and mystery of the Mayan World subsist in millennial cities such as Tikal, Yaxhá, Aguateca, Mirador, Quiriguá and Q'uma'rkaj among others.
A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS
Mathijs Beks
LAKE ATITLAN
Lake Atitlan, located in the department of Sololá is considered one of the most beautiful in the world by the famous writer Aldous Huxley. The lake is 144 kms. of Guatemala City and is, without a doubt, the most important natural attraction of Sololá and one of the best known in Guatemala. Three spectacular volcanoes, Tolimán, Atitlán and San Pedro, form the natural framework of Iago.
It has an area of 125 square km and is located at 1,560 meters above sea level. The Lake complements its beauty with panoramic roads, beaches, riverside towns, mountains and volcanoes. It offers excellent opportunities to develop sport fishing, sailing, kayaking, free flight, water skiing and naturalistic recreation, as well as visiting the Mayan populations of the area.
Jimmy Baum
TIKAL
It means "Place of Voices" and is one of the largest Mayan cities so far known for its size as its World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Humanity since 1979. You can find and appreciate a large footprint of what was this site, with more than 3,000 archaeological elements, a city that lived between the pre-classic and classical periods.
Of its temples and squares, highlights the Plaza Mayor, heart of the Archaeological Park of Tikal and which is surrounded by the Temples I (Temple of the Great Jaguar) and II (Temple of the Masks), the North and Central Acropolis. There is the Plaza of the Great Pyramid or Lost World,
a set of monuments of the oldest in Tikal and the Palace of Windows, with a large number of interconnected rooms. Temple III or "Temple of the Jaguar Priest" has different carvings on its lintels. Temple IV or "Temple of the Bicephalous Serpent" is the tallest in Tikal, for its 70 meters high from where we can recreate one of the most spectacular views of the park. And Temple VI, or "Temple of the Inscriptions", gets its name from the cover of glyphs on its crest.
During the tour to the central square you can enjoy beautiful walks, observe different kinds of monkeys such as howler monkeys, parakeets, toucans, parrots and even jaguars. https://visitguatemala.com