Guatemala is a country in the Central America region of North America.
It has borders to Mexico in the north/northwest, to Belize in the northeast, to Honduras in the southeast, to El Salvador in the south. It has a Pacific coastline to the southwest, and a tiny piece of Caribbean coastline to the east.
Guatemala has a rich and distinctive culture from the long mix of elements from Spain and the native Maya people. This diverse history and the natural beauty of the land has created a destination rich in interesting and scenic sites.
The first evidence of human settlers in Guatemala goes back to at least 12,000 BC. Sites dating back to 6500 BC have been found in Quiché in the Central Highlands and Sipacate, Escuintla on the central... (more)
The first evidence of human settlers in Guatemala goes back to at least 12,000 BC. Sites dating back to 6500 BC have been found in Quiché in the Central Highlands and Sipacate, Escuintla on the central Pacific coast. Archaeologists divide the pre-Columbian history of Mesoamerica into the Pre-Classic period. El Mirador was by far the most populated city in pre-Columbian America. Both the El Tigre and Monos pyramids encompass a volume greater than 250,000 cubic meters. Mirador was the first politically organized state in America.
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Overview
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Have Been:
232,390
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Want to Go:
17,208
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Have Lived:
216,223
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Population:
13,550,440
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Closest Airports:
(FRS) Flores
(PON) Poptun
(CBV) Coban
Top Cities in Guatemala:
Guatemala
visited 3 times during mission trips and stayed for a month on my 3rd visit. Beautiful country and loved walking through the jungles to get to the villages. Saw Howler monkeys (one tried to pee on me) and also got to see the Mayan temples! Also was my first close encounter with a tarantula...it crawled on my face!
Question: Heading to Central America for 6 weeks in June. I know the common must do's IE Tikal. What are some other can't miss things or cities. (Not just Guatemala)
Answer This
asked about 1 year and 1 month ago
Heading to Central America for 6 weeks in June. I know the common must do's IE Tikal. What are some other can't miss things or cities. (Not just Guatemala)
5 Answers:
Question: I will be traveling through Guatemala in the next month or two. Any suggestions of places to visit while I'm there? Thanks
Answer This
asked about 1 year and 7 months ago
I will be traveling through Guatemala in the next month or two. Any suggestions of places to visit while I'm there? Thanks
4 Answers:
Suchitepéquez
The first major international organisation to fall victim to the global recession was WASP, the World Aquanaut Security Patrol. Funding cuts saw it broken up into smaller national units, many of which were immediately disbanded. Marineville, that icon of postwar internationalism and sixties design, was auctioned off to International Leisure, a division of Tracy International. It now combines a high-tech gated community with an exclusive resort….
Guatemala
In 1993 my friend Joan was supposed to meet me in Guatemala as she was working in Chiapas, Mexico as part of the Witness for Peace group. I took the bus up from San Salvador and went to Gautemala City first. Then another bus to Antigua (loved it there). Then took a puddle jumper plane to Tikal, the jungle that still covers much of the ancient Mayan cities. My friend Joan never made it, but I had an incredible time.
Guatemala
Volcanoes and soft-spoken indigenous residents, beautiful huipiles (bought 6), darling children, and bluest of lakes. Magical. Repression and heavy-handed governments may account for the people speaking softly since speaking to a tourist or anyone could get you a severe penalty. Asked what would happen to him if the volcano we were looking at exploded, a boy of 5 said matter-of-factly, "I would die."
Guatemala
I've been to Guatemala twice. The first time in 2000 on a family missions trip to the Peten. This was an amazing trip for the four of us. I returned in 2003 to do teacher training in the Peten, but also trained in Guatemala City and Antigua for 2 weeks. It was during that time that there was a political uprising and we needed to leave the capital city because of the violence. I remember the tension as tires were burning, some murders, and the whole time recognizing you were in a third world country with a corrupt government.
Guatemala
I've been to Guatemala twice. The first time in 2000 on a family missions trip to the Peten. This was an amazing trip for the four of us. I returned in 2003 to do teacher training in the Peten, but also trained in Guatemala City and Antigua for 2 weeks. It was during that time that there was a political uprising and we needed to leave the capital city because of the violence. I remember the tension as tires were burning, some murders, and the whole time recognizing you were in a third world country with a corrupt government.
Guatemala
June 18, 2004 --10 days (44 yrs old). Mission trip with Word of Grace Church: Antigua, Quetzaltenango. Community health evangelism projects among the Kichi or Mam people. We worked on the children's ministry team; worked construction building a school; some of us worked on the medical team-working in a make shift mash unit treating 100's of locals who walked 2 us for miles. Lani went with & took vital signs. One other nurse worked with me. I had a translator. We took physicals & history of problems, then sent them 2 the doctor-Hugo Gomez 4 treatment. Lani & I worked with the children 1 day, did construction 1 day & worked on the medical team the rest of the time. We prayed with the village people as well.
Guatemala
I have little to say of any merit on their behalf. The people have become ignorant of how to make tourists welcome or help. The city i stayed in was Antigua, not the Carribean but the capital of the new world of the past, at the foot of a smoking volcano. At one point I was in an argument with a guy I thought was a lunatic walking in front of me in an old ruin. He wanted payment for a guided tour he had just given me. Not to mention the seedy people every few steps offering anything you wanted. I have nothing nice to say about the people but the landscape and architecture were worth the time.
Guatemala
I spent the summer of 2006 in Guatemala with STEP OCI. This was a missions trip. Guatemala City was our base and we did outreach from there to numerous cities/villages. We also went to El Salvador and Nicaragua. We did many different types of ministry and this is where I discovered what it is that I am passionate about - reaching the Least, the Last and the Lost!

