Guatemala

My Guatemala travel summary:

Visited: December 1996, various business visits from 2010 to 2015, April 2015

Duration of visit: 75 days

Capital city: Ciudad de Guatemala

Population: 16 million (2015)

Guatemala travel blog reading time: 15 minutes

• Learning Spanish in Antigua de Guatemala, while living with a local family.
• Bandit attack while climbing Pacaya Volcano.
• Sunrise watching from the top of a pyramid in Tikal.
• Indigenous weekend market in Chichicastenango.
• Multiple business trips to Guatemala City.

Trapped between Mexico, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, and bordered by the Caribbean and Pacific, Guatemala is the largest country in Central America. It is known for volcanoes, earthquakes, a large Indigenous population, and the long civil war (1960–96).

Guatemala was part of my American Big Tour in 1996-97, which started in New York City and ended in Buenos Aires 15 months later. I started my Guatemala travel adventure by crossing the border from Mexico.

Besides visiting the ancient Mayan city of Tikal, my main goal in 1996 was to improve my Spanish to communicate fluently with locals during my travels through Central and South America.

After years of conflict and a 36-year civil war in Guatemala, insecurity was improving and foreign visitors began returning in larger numbers.

Due to genocide against the Indigenous Maya population and widespread human rights violations during the civil war, the atmosphere was still tense. Large-scale fighting had ended, but small armed groups continued robbing locals and foreigners. I stayed very cautious while traveling and avoided the streets at night.

The capital city of Guatemala City, often called Guate, is the largest urban center in Central America, with over 3 million inhabitants (1996). Despite its size, it offers relatively few attractions, exciting places to visit or memorable things to do for travelers.

Authorities chose the current location of the capital to protect it from earthquakes, but devastating quakes in 1917-18 and 1976 still caused massive destruction and reconstruction.

I spent only one day exploring Guatemala City. I didn’t find much to see beyond a few average museums, the Central Market, a small central square, and Plaza de la Constitución with the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, once the headquarters of the Guatemalan president. The overall atmosphere didn’t impress me much.

The most interesting sight was the chaotic movement of old, worn-out buses arriving at the central terminal from across the country. During my visit, city transport companies were on strike, so authorities used almost any vehicle to transport people and goods. The improvisation was remarkable.

In general, I consider Guatemalan bus drivers true artists. They constantly wrestled with their steering wheels, using strength and skill to keep the buses aligned and safely navigate curves.

While staying six weeks in the old capital Antigua Guatemala, I often made day trips to Guatemala City for embassy paperwork, shopping, or movies. I carried only a passport copy and minimal cash, keeping documents and valuables safely in my room in Antigua.

During one weekend trip, I watched a movie in a comfortable cinema and later walked to the main bus terminal. Although it was only 5:00pm, there were no buses back to Antigua that day.

I had only 5 USD in local currency, which was not enough for a private ride. I quickly found very basic accommodation for 4 USD, leaving me just one dollar for a simple street meal.

The next morning, I walked back to the bus station without any money, searching for a bus to take me home to Antigua. My Spanish suddenly became perfect as I explained my problem and asked the driver for a free ride.

“No hay problema amigo!” he said, letting me on without asking for payment.

I felt uncomfortable walking through the bus while poor farmers and street vendors paid for their rides. Meanwhile, the wealthy gringo traveled for free.

Back in Antigua, I attended my Spanish lessons and later returned to the bus station to find the driver. When I repaid him for the morning ride, I felt relieved, even though it was only a small amount.

Good people exist everywhere, you just have to find them.

Many travelers visit Guatemala to learn Spanish and settle down in Antigua de Guatemala or Quetzaltenango. I chose Antigua, with over 40 language schools and plenty of opportunities for weekend trips.

I studied Spanish 4 to 5 hours a day for six weeks and lived with a local family, where no other languages were spoken. One-on-one lessons with a native teacher, especially one who does not speak English, ensured very fast progress.

After 6 to 8 weeks of intensive study, students can usually communicate more or less fluently in Spanish. The experience was also very inexpensive, with accommodation, food, and five daily lessons included. One of the best ways to learn Spanish.

Tikal is a cultural highlight and one of the best-preserved pre-Columbian ruins in Mesoamerica. Its history began around 700 BC, when the Maya first settled the area.

Over 1,600 years, Tikal grew into a city of about 100,000 people, with pyramids, shrines, and powerful rulers deep in the jungle.

Around 900AD, it was abandoned and reclaimed by rainforest until its rediscovery in the late 20^th century. Archeologists restored it to its original form, while leaving surrounding nature almost untouched.

My father showed me a picture of the Temple I in National Geographic magazine, while I was still in high school. It showed a small hill covered with stones and trees in dense rainforest. Next to it was a photo with a restored pyramid standing as a symbol of ancient Maya mastery.

Years later, sitting atop the same pyramid in Tikal, I felt a deep sense of fulfillment in achieving the dream of visiting this magic place.

Another main landmark in Tikal is Temple IV, the tallest pyramid in Mesoamerica at 64 meters. Only Temple I and II are fully restored, forming the central square and showcasing Tikal’s peak splendor.

Even though the Tikal area is oriented toward more upscale visitors, I managed to hire a tent and camp just outside the archaeological zone. Still in dark, I entered the park early next morning and climbed Temple IV for sunrise.

Watching sunrise or sunset from the top of a pyramid is one of the best things to do in Tikal. Screaming monkeys, singing birds, and a mystical sunrise over the rainforest create a unique experience, with views stretching endlessly from the top of Temple IV.

The unique combination of Maya ruins and stunning nature is what makes Tikal so fascinating, the highlight of my Guatemala travel adventure.

I continued my trip to the small village of Uaxactun, 24 km north of Tikal. The journey was a real adventure: two hours in an old school bus on a muddy dirt road felt endless.

The road got so bad that all male passengers had to get off and push the bus back onto the track.

The archaeological remains in Uaxactun are modest compared to Tikal. Only few foreigners visit the area. The nearby village has no electricity or running water. About 650 people live in simple bamboo and palm-leaf houses.

I experienced an unusually warm welcome, with locals inviting me into their homes and showing daily life. Men work in the rubber industry, often spending weeks in the jungle, while women stay home caring for children and take care of the house.

Unlike other parts of Guatemala, children here eagerly asked to be photographed instead of demanding payment.

They were the happiest when I shared fruits or played football with them.

The town of Nebaj is located in the highlands, about 80 kilometers from Santa Cruz del Quiché. I took the journey mainly for the bus ride, which offered spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. The narrow road ran along the edge of a precipice, and at the highest point, a vast valley with canyons opened before us.

In Nebaj, I was invited to dinner by an indigenous Mayan family and warmly welcomed at Doña Juana’s home. They served traditional dishes including boxbol, atole de elote, and tortillas. Boxbol is a simple vegan dish made of corn dough wrapped in squash leaves and steamed with tomato sauce and toasted seeds, while atole is a traditional hot corn-based drink.

We talked all evening about the lifestyle and traditions of modern Maya people. Children first learn the indigenous K’iche’ language and later Spanish at school. Many elderly Indigenous people still don’t speak any Spanish.

I received a surprising answer about encounters with guerrillas during the civil war. They never had problems with rebels, but often suffered at the hands of the state military. Nebaj was heavily affected by the Guatemalan Civil War, with brutal tactics and massacres of Maya civilians across the department of El Quiché.

When I told the family, I was writing about my travel experiences, the older woman asked me to take photos of her.

It is very uncommon for Mayas to pose for tourists, but I was even privileged and also asked to take a photo of a small child.

Two hours’ drive from Guatemala City a massive volcanic crater is filled with water. Lago de Atitlán, surrounded by three volcanoes, is one of my favorite places to visit in Guatemala.

Panajachel is the largest town on the shore, largely oriented toward wealthy tourists, with many agencies, souvenir stalls, and restaurants. On the opposite side of the lake lie the quieter villages of San Pedro La Laguna and Santiago Atitlán, where life remains much simpler.

My favorite place to visit around Lake Atitlán was Santiago Atitlán. I stopped there on a Sunday when the market is especially colorful. Women wear brightly embroidered traditional dresses and carry large baskets on their heads. Men also wear traditional clothing, including white shorts with red stripes, decorative belts, and a machete.

Locals were very kind, greeting me at every step, helping with directions, and explaining daily life. Among themselves, they still communicate in their original indigenous language.

The next day, I climbed to the top of Volcán San Pedro at 3,000 meters above sea level. I went without a guide to save money, but struggled to find the right path until friendly locals and two boys helped me along the way.

At the summit I was disappointed, since misty clouds rose from the lake and covered the crater.

I descended into the valley on the other side of the mountain, making a route mistake. Due to low visibility, I ended up on the wrong side of the lake.

It was too far to walk back to Santiago Atitlán. I had no choice, but to ask a local for a lift in an unstable canoe. He kindly took me in his pirogue and, with slow powerful strokes, brought me safely across the lake.

Another unforgettable experience with a happy ending on my Guatemala travel adventure.

Chichicastenango (Chichi) transforms into the liveliest town of Guatemala every Thursday and Sunday. Residents of the surrounding villages, especially Indigenous people, sell goods from improvised stands at the central market. Handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, condiments, medicinal plants, traditional incense, pigs and chickens, machetes, textiles, souvenirs and more.

Many local believers also gather there to practice rituals for happiness, health, and a better future.

There were not many things to do in Chichicastenango, yet it was a perfect place to observe colorful costumes and hear a mix of Indigenous languages.

Chichicastenango hosts Central America’s largest indigenous market, famous for crafts, rituals, and local culture.

On the outskirts of Chichicastenango, I visited the thousand-year-old stone idol Pascual Abaj, a sacred ceremonial site deeply revered by local Maya people.

This pre-Columbian Maya idol survived the Spanish conquest, although it was damaged in the 1950s by members of Catholic Action. Located on top of Turk’aj Hill, it remains an important spiritual site where ancestral ceremonies with candles and incense are still performed today.

The last archaeological site I visited on my travel adventure in Guatemala was Quiriguá. Although its ceremonial architecture is modest, the site is famous for its remarkable sculptures, including the tallest monumental stone sculpture ever erected in the Americas.

Quiriguá is best known for its stelae – large carved stone pillars decorated with images on all four sides. Usually, the front and back show images of important rulers. The sides show hieroglyphs describing their biographies and the history of the city during their reign.

The stelae in Quiriguá are the tallest in Mesoamerica. The largest, Stela E, rises 8 meters above ground with another 3 meters buried underground and weighs nearly 60 tons.

In terms of beauty, only those in Copán can compete with the stelae of Quiriguá.

Bananas are Guatemala’s leading export and playing a key role in the country’s agricultural economy and international trade.

The archaeological site of Quiriguá is located in the middle of a vast banana plantation, my next stop on the Guatemala travel adventure.

I walked through the plantation to observe the growing, harvesting, and transport system. Banana bunches of about 60 fruits are protected in plastic bags, picked green, and ripened during transport to global markets.

A cable system carries them from the fields to the packing plant. They hang on hooks and are pulled along a network of wires by motor traction for kilometers.

In the packing area, workers cut the bunches, wash them, remove damaged fruit, and manually label them. At the end, they pack each bunch manually into boxes which are loaded on trucks or in shipping containers.

American multinational corporations own most banana plantations in Central America and export produce mainly to North America and Europe.

Small farmers sell most bananas in local markets. These bananas differ in flavor, color, and size and taste better than industrial ones exported overseas.

One of the unforgettable moments of my travel in Guatemala was the ascent to Pacaya Volcano. It was the most active volcano out of 27 in the country in 1996, with Pacaya, Fuego, and Santiaguito in constant activity. The last major eruption had occurred on November 11, 1996, just weeks before my visit.

Due to attacks on tourists, climbing Pacaya Volcano is safer in organized groups with guides and armed security. Our group of twenty was escorted by two armed guards.

Two and a half hours of hiking through varied terrain brought us to the summit. The forest section was easy, but the crater ascent was slippery and difficult due to altitude up to 2,552 meters.

At the top, I was slightly disappointed by the low volcanic activity and limited visible lava. Smoke, steam, heat, and the black-yellow crater surface were an unremarkable memory of recent eruptions.

After a stunning sunset, we descended into the valley. While running down, soft lava sand and rocks filled my shoes. It was pure fun, almost like being children again.

At the foot of the crater, a disturbing surprise awaited us. In the twilight, right beside the path, we saw two bodies.

It later turned out to be the result of a shooting between robbers and security guards from another group walking behind us. We had been at the summit watching the sunset, unaware of anything happening.

We were in shock, and even the security guard began to panic. Our situation felt critical, with a long descent from the crater back to the parking area still ahead.

We did not know what had happened to the other bandits.

Were there more of them hiding in the forest, or had they escaped?

The descent into the valley became a nightmare. Guides forced us to walk silently in darkness, and I was more afraid of the nervous security guard with a gun than anything else.

When we finally reached the bus after two traumatic hours, reporters, photographers, and police officers were already waiting. We returned safely to Antigua Guatemala around 1:00am, still shaken by the violent events.

I thought agencies would stop organizing tours to Pacaya Volcano for a while, but I was wrong. The next day another group headed to the summit as if nothing had happened. Business is business, and life goes on.

Between 2010 and 2015, I visited Guatemala City several times to explore business opportunities as a representative of a security documents manufacturer. I mostly stayed around the wealthy Zones 9 and 10, home to luxury residences, expensive hotels, bars, and shops.

I met influential politicians with strong connections and ambitions to participate in major infrastructure and security projects that could also benefit them personally. The relationship between politics and business in Guatemala follows a familiar Latin American pattern.

At one-point Guatemala came under such international pressure that many key political figures, including the president, were imprisoned. I lost most of my contacts, as they were prosecuted, emigrated, or changed business activities.

Staying in luxury hotels, dining in exclusive restaurants, meeting political leaders, and traveling with security guards in armored cars exposed me to a completely different side of Guatemalan society.

I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but it helped me understand the extreme contrasts within the country.

For me, Guatemala is more than just another Central American country; it remains one of my favorite destinations on the continent. I spent enough time there to travel, live, do business, and explore the country from different perspectives.

The adventure ranged from riding crowded local buses and sleeping in guesthouses without running water to traveling on the back of trucks along dangerous mountain roads.

During my Guatemala travel adventures, I had to be prepared for everything; from warm family invitations to encounters with pickpockets or armed robbers.

I was fascinated by Maya descendants in vivid traditional clothing, unforgettable bus rides with loud rhythmic music, and incredible places such as Pacaya Volcano, Tikal, Quiriguá, and Uaxactun. Living with a local family while studying Spanish in Antigua Guatemala remains one of my best memories.