Ten powerful reasons to visit Guatemala

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• In lonelyplanet.es and in the new Lonely Planet guide of Guatemala

The pyramids of Tikal, with their almost vertical slopes, are the most famous Mayan monument in Guatemala, although in reality the whole country is a living tribute to this ancestral culture. But Guatemala is much more than the Mayan imprint. There are many traces of the conquest of the Spaniards, the most spectacular being the architecture: neat squares, ruined buildings, cathedrals such as Guatemala City, colorful churches ... a whole colonial world in the form of bricks, tiles, statues and religiosity.

And to all this we must add the natural wonders of this small Central American country. With just 2% urbanized area, Guatemala offers a superb natural landscape. There are few national parks, but these are impressive, especially in the vast Petén region. These are the 10 essential snapshots to understand Guatemalan color and magic.

Temple II and the carved stone steles in the Grand Plaza, heart of the Tikal site. Atlantide Phototravel getty images

1. Tikal, pyramids that appear above the green jungle

Mayan temples have risen for centuries in a corner of the Petén jungle , at the northern end of the country. The most impressive archaeological complex is that of Tikal, which rises imposingly over 44 meters high. But what makes it different from the rest is that it is surrounded by a dense jungle, and although its temples have been discovered and partially restored , and trees and vines have been removed from their squares, moving from one building to another through their wide carriageways Limestone means doing it under a thick jungle roof . The pyramids of Tikal, whose heyday took place between 200 and 900 after Christ, are astonished by their size, but also by their incredible architectural prowess . The best time to visit the Grand Plaza , the heart of the archaeological site, is first thing of the day, before tourists invade it. And the best view of the entire site is perhaps the one from the Two-headed Serpent Temple , also known as Temple IV , on the western edge of the enclosure, especially at sunset, with a spectacular view of the temples rising above the jungle, or at dawn, with almost mystical views. It is also worth admiring the lush fauna and flora around the ceremonial centers.

Historic center of Antigua, with the Agua volcano in the background. getty images

2. Antigua, colonial streets in pastel color

The old capital of Guatemala is the most attractive city in the country and also the most visited. With huge volcanic peaks and slopes covered with coffee plantations as a backdrop, Antigua, 25 kilometers south of the capital, Guatemala City, is the place that best combines colonial heritage, attractive landscapes, gastronomy, nightlife and The animation of the markets. Postcard views break into every corner, so it will be difficult to stop taking photos. In its streets there are pastel-colored houses next to well-restored colonial buildings and picturesque ruins between gardens. So much beauty was recognized in 1979 by UNESCO, which listed it as a cultural heritage of humanity. In fact, even the most humble pizzerias are hidden behind historical facades. Antigua is also a place known for its many Spanish schools , which attract students from all over the world.

In the surroundings, the Mayan communities, coffee plantations and volcanoes are the three main axes that justify an excursion. Thus, you can climb the Acatenango volcano to enjoy stunning views of its twin volcanoes, such as the flaming Fire , or approach the Old City , just seven kilometers from Antigua and the country's first capital, which today attracts visitors by its innovative community circuits and for its plantation of macadamia nuts , where you can visit the crops, try this dried fruit and the oils and cosmetics that are made with it.

Antigua is usually full of tourists, but in its surroundings we find villages where we will have a much more solitary and authentic vision: Santa María de Jesús , at the foot of the Agua volcano, with an important Sunday market, San Juan del Obispo , with a Unique colonial church and panoramic views of Antigua, or San Felipe , a villa of artisans who make the best pieces of jade, silver and ceramics in the area.

In Antigua there are about 150 hotels, inns and pools, but flashpacking (backpackers who do not give up the comfort of a comfortable hotel) has also reached the old colonial capital and there are modern and elegant hostels with cheap collective rooms, such as Maya Papaya or Adra And for the followers of The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth there is a particularly curious corner. The Hobbitenango , in the nearby town of El Hato, is a lodge whose aesthetic is inspired by the work of JR Tolkien . It has two restaurants and you can spend the night, overlooking the volcanoes, in two semi-buried houses with cozy fireplaces and the characteristic round doors and roofs covered with grass, a tracing of the imaginary purple hobbits immortalized in the cinema by Peter Jackson .

The pier of the town of Santiago de Atitlán, next to the lake of the same name. Piero M. Bianchi getty images

3. The cosmic energy of Lake Atitlan

For many, Lake Atitlan , southwest of Guatemala, is the most beautiful corner of the Central American country. Even the visitor with more kilometers in the backpack will be ecstatic contemplating this blue lake surrounded by volcanoes. It is the heart of the plateau that extends from Antigua to the Mexican border and, in a way, is the most impressive region of Guatemala. Here the Mayan identity is more pronounced , with the presence of a dozen different groups, each with its own language and way of dressing. The indigenous tradition merges with the Spanish and the Mayan rituals are celebrated inside and at the entrance of the colonial churches.

The main town on the lake is Panajachel , where almost all visitors arrive to start exploring the region. But around the lake there are other quieter villages, such as Santiago Atitlán , with its thriving indigenous culture, or San Marcos , a refuge for those seeking to connect with the "cosmic energy" of its waters. The area is a paradise for cycling and hiking that is practiced in hills and valleys, and even for paragliding and kayaking .

Without leaving Panajachel you can also enjoy a more contemporary culture in places such as Casa Cakchiquel , one of the first hotels around the lake built by a Swedish countess in 1948. Today it houses a radio station, a Japanese restaurant and a great gallery with photos and postcards of the Atitlan of another era, when steamboats crossed the lake. At its best, back in 1950, illustrious guests such as Ingrid Bergman, Aldous Huxley and Ernesto Che Guevara met to chat around their fireplace.

Mayan handmade carpets in the Chichicastenango market. Danny Lehman getty images

4. Chichicastenango, indigenous tradition in a thousand colors

Chichicastenango , 145 kilometers south of Guatemala City, is an open window to the indigenous tradition, an ancient crossroads for the Quiché Maya people that populate the area and a place full of spirituality. The city, surrounded by valleys and mountains, may seem isolated in time and space in the rest of the country, especially when the fog wraps its roofs and narrow cobbled streets. The colorful market , held every Thursday and Sunday, is a perfect place to buy souvenirs, especially if you are looking for exquisite fabrics or carved wood masks. Despite its mundane and commercial environment, it retains a halo of mystery. In the church of Santo Tomás , in the center of the town, and on the hill of Pascual Abaj , on the southern limit, Mayan rituals merge with Christian iconography into a syncretism that is characteristic of this part of the world. The masheños (the natives of this city) are famous for their fidelity to pre-Christian beliefs and ceremonies, and the brotherhoods take their saints in procession around the church of Santo Tomás. The temple floor often houses offerings, with flowers and bottles of liquor wrapped in corncob leaves.

If we want to flee from tourists, in other towns in the department of Quiché we will find a more rural air. This is the case in Santa Cruz del Quiché , 20 kilometers north of Chichicastenango, which also celebrates a weekly market and has some amazing ruins on the outskirts of the city: Gumarcaaj , the ancient Mayan capital Quiché that continues to be a sacred place where they continue doing rituals

Lívingston Bay. Olena Bolotova GETTY IMAGES

5. Lívingston, the Guatemalan Caribbean

Lívingston is a unique and different place. The Garifuna people , originally from this Caribbean area of ​​Guatemala, permeate everything with their colors, culture, rhythm, flavors and lifestyle. Descendants of the Caribs, Arawak and Africans, the Garifunas are probably the most unique ethnic group of the 23 indigenous groups in Guatemala. They have their own religion, cuisine, dance and music, which has resulted in a strong cultural identity that has survived attempts to crush it.

Lívingston, which can only be reached by boat, is reputed to enjoy a fun and relaxed atmosphere , with a simple, slow and charming pace of life, with that indolent air that many corners of the Caribbean have. The first thing that is essential is to listen to the peculiar music played by the Garifuna bands, usually interpreted in their language, a language with influences from Arahuaco, French and West African languages, although sometimes the compositions are in Spanish. The most curious can sign up for Garifuna dance or cooking classes at the Rasta Mesa cultural center.

The most direct and economical way to access the city is from the nearby Puerto Barrios, although it is worth taking extra time and reaching Lívingston by tracing the Dulce River: the mist-wrapped cliffs, the dense jungle, the jade-colored water in which is hidden by many manatees (sea cows) make the entrance by the river to this curious Caribbean town unforgettable. The beaches, on the other hand, are a bit of a disappointment because almost everywhere the buildings reach the sea and many beaches are contaminated . Although it is still possible to find some beautiful corner where to bathe, like Playa Blanca, it is better to go, following the course of the river, to the northeast, where the Seven Altars are: a succession of freshwater waterfalls that constitutes a pleasant destination for Go for a picnic or swim. Another of the most interesting options is the observation of manatees in one of the circuits that leave the city.

The Dulce River, at a point near the city of Lívingston. Alamy

6. Río Dulce, between mangroves and manatees

Río Dulce connects the largest lake in Guatemala, the Izabal, with the Caribbean coast. Due to its winding flow, through a valley of high slopes and lush vegetation, bird songs are heard if the classic and essential boat ride is made. It is not a tourist cruise, but a transport route, but you can dock at a couple of places to visit river communities and hot springs. An unforgettable experience that the agencies and the majority of sailors of the Lívingston pier will offer the tourist in circuits that occupy a full day and culminate in the town of Río Dulce. As we sail, the river leaves Quichés indigenous communities on its banks, or places like the Cueva de la Vaca , a canyon wrapped in the jungle with the screaming of tropical birds floating in the humid air. There are thermal springs or biological reserves such as the Chocón Machacas Biotope , within the Río Dulce National Park, to protect the beautiful river landscape, the valuable forests, the mangroves and the fauna of the inhabitants, with creatures as rare as the tapir and the manatee. A network of “water trails” (boat routes through several jungle lagoons) allows you to see other forms of animal and plant life in the reserve. And to get more into the local culture, we can stay at the Q'ana Itz'am hotel, a community-managed refuge in Lagunita Salvador .

Street market in the Guatemalan city of Quetzaltenango. ALAMY

7. Quetzaltenango, the territory of the Quiche Maya

The second city of Guatemala is better known by the name of Xela than by his royal, Quetzaltenango. Neither too big nor too small, it offers a good range of hotels and restaurants, but not enough to lose its naturalness. Its mixture of mountainous landscape, indigenous highland life, beautiful architecture and urban sophistication attracts many tourists. In addition, it is a good base from which to make excursions to high altitude destinations, such as the Chicabal lagoon , a lake in a crater and a Mayan pilgrimage site, or the Georginas Fountains , a natural hot spring paradise nestled in a lush valley.

In the center of the city, a very common mixture is felt throughout the country: indigenous culture fused with the Spanish influence and the subsequent influence of the Germans, who arrived when they left. And all this results in a curious architecture, which seems bleak, almost gothic. Most of Xela's points of interest congregate around the central square, a place to sit and watch life go by. Many travelers also arrive in Xela with time to volunteer in surrounding Quiche villages, to improve their Spanish, or to ascend (with effort and time) to the nearby Tajumuco volcano (the highest point in Central America) or to make an excursion to the lake of Atitlan.

Aerial view of the pools of Semuc Champey, north of Guatemala. EITAN ABRAMOVICH GETTY IMAGES

8. Semuc Champey, Lanquín and Cancuén, the unknown wonders

If we look for a corner outside the most common circuits, we can approach Semuc Champey , in the department of Alta Verapaz, in the north of the country. It is an oasis in the middle of the jungle, with turquoise waterfalls that form a series of limestone pools, creating an idyllic environment considered by many as the most charming place in Guatemala. You can visit in one day, but we would fall short, because Semuc and the nearby village of Lanquin are the most exquisite example of rural Guatemala.

In Lanquín people come to explore the wonderful cave systems on the outskirts of the town, but especially to go from here to Semuc Champey and its stepped pools , with colors ranging from turquoise to emerald, and whose visit compensates for the effort of Get to them.

More and more people are encouraged to go a little further north, to the considered new Tikal of the country. Cancuén , in the department of Petén, is a large Mayan site discovered in 2000 whose excavations are still ongoing and could rival the size of Tikal itself. It is believed that it was more a commercial center than a religious one since the usual temples and pyramids have not been found, but a palace around 11 courtyards and impressive carvings. .

Aerial view of El Dante, the largest pyramid structure in El Mirador. Eddie Gerald getty images

9. El Mirador, an excursion for intrepid archaeologists

The most adventurous will find in the trekking towards the Mayan city of El Mirador an exciting opportunity to explore the origins of the history of this civilization in a place where teams of archaeologists with whom you can talk are still working. He received that name from the chicheros of the area for the magnificent views that were seen from some of its pyramids. El Mirador is buried in the area farthest from the Petén jungle, just 7 kilometers from the Mexican border. It was the capital of the Mayan world and possibly brings together the largest group of buildings in a single site of this civilization. In its time of splendor it occupied more than 16 square kilometers and was inhabited by tens of thousands of people. The researchers still do not explain how it prospered in an area where there are few natural resources and no water sources. Among its hundreds of temples covered with vegetation is the Great Pyramid of La Danta , also known as the Great Pyramid of Guatemala or the Great Pyramid of Petén . It is the tallest Mayan construction in the world , with 76 meters, and at the end of its ascent there is an imposing perspective of the jungle. One caveat: visiting this place involves an arduous round-trip hike (about sixty kilometers each way), which is a minimum of six days between mud and mosquitoes, unless done by helicopter.

Panoramic of the island of Flores, in Guatemala. Oliver Wintzen Alamy

10. Flores, the city-island of colors

With its pastel-colored houses that descend from the central square to the emerald waters of Lake Petén Itzá , the city-island of Flores, in the north of the country. An elevated road connects Flores with its modest sister city of Santa Elena , on the mainland.

Located in front of a vast jungle reserve, the peaceful island of Flores is an ideal place to replenish energy and an excellent base to explore Lake Petén, which covers an area of ​​99 square kilometers and is the third largest after Lake Izabal and that of Atitlán. While having a drink in one of the quiet terraces that overlook the lake or sailing on an old ship to even smaller islands, we can chat with other adventurers who go to Tikal or more remote sites. There are little hotels and restaurants scattered on its streets, many with roofs that overlook the lake. It is a city that invites you to walk and also an optimal enclave for bird watching.

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