Guatemala
Guatemala
Capital city description
Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala, a country in Central America. With around 3 million people, Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala. It can be interesting to visit "Guate," as the locals call it. Guatemala City has attractions and restaurants, often with few tourists. Guatemala City is located in the country's mountainous regions, between the Pacific coastal plain to the south and the northern lowlands of the Peten region. Guatemala is bounded to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize and (along a short coastline) by the Gulf of Honduras, to the east by Honduras, to the southeast by El Salvador, and the south by the Pacific Ocean.
Climate
In Guatemala, the climate is tropical, hot all year round in the lowlands, while it becomes cooler with increasing altitude in mountainous areas. In almost all of Guatemala, there is a dry season from late November to mid-April, when the northeast trade winds blow, and a rainy season, from May to October, when the predominant currents come from the southwest.
Languages spoken
There are 25 languages spoken in Guatemala but Spanish is the official and most spoken language.
Fun/Fascinating Facts
- The volcano-ringed Lake Atitlan is a jewel in the crown of Guatemala’s tourism industry, but it is also interesting below the surface. At 340 meters deep, Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America.
- Coffee is the most significant industry in Guatemala, and you are never far from a coffee farm in the highland regions. Today coffee from Guatemala can be found around the world, and it has become famous for its great taste.
- With more than 30 volcanoes in the country, Guatemala is known for its spectacular landscapes. Three of these volcanoes are active, including Fuego Volcano, just outside the colonial city of Antigua. Look out for lava flows at night.
- While Spanish is the official language and the most useful throughout the country, there are many other languages spoken in Guatemala. The 21 indigenous Mayan communities each boast their language, and many are still widely used today.
- Experts believe Guatemala derives from the indigenous Nahuatl word “Quahtlemallan,” meaning “land of many trees.” While the country does boast a massive amount of forest, large swathes are being cut down for myriad reasons.
Unique Customs/Traditions
- The highland town of Chivarreto is the venue for bare-knuckle fights each year on Good Friday. Explanations for the tradition vary, but it makes for a great day out. Head to the northern city of Quetzaltenango and look for onward transport.
- In the town of Todos Santos, All Saints’ Day celebrations take a unique form. Locals get trashed on alcohol before attempting to racehorses through city, watched by friends, family, and a growing number of intrigued tourists.
- The mixture of Mayan and Roman Catholic traditions has left Guatemala a fascinating cultural legacy. One of the strangest components is Maximon, also known as San Simon, a saint that grants favors in return for cigarettes, alcohol, and other gifts left by followers at his altar.
- While in some parts of the world, graves are not to be trodden on or even touched, and things are different in Guatemala. Here it is the tradition in certain parts of the country to have a party in the cemetery on November 1, drinking and dancing in honor of deceased relatives.
Popular universities
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Francisco Marroquín University | Francisco Marroquín University was Established almost 50 years ago, in 1971. Francisco Marroquín University (UFM) is a private university with an outstanding performance in the country. UFM has ten faculties, five research centers with dozens of projects, and five schools. One of those schools is a business school that offers a Master’s in Business Administration entirely taught in English. Another significant aspect of this university is that they have three campuses. The main one is located in Guatemala, but the other two are in Spain and Panama, so you may be able to visit more Spanish-speaking countries as part of your university. | |
| University of Istmo | The University of Istmo (UNIS) is a private university located in the municipality of Fraijanes. It has seven faculties of education, law, engineering, business, architecture and design, economics and business, and communication. They also have three research centers, and many events, seminars, and conferences are organized every year. As for admissions to this is the best university in Guatemala, you’ll have to take an entrance exam which costs 350 GTQ | |
| Rafael Landívar University | Rafael Landívar University is a private Catholic coeducational higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Vista Hermosa III, Guatemala. The Jesuits founded it in 1961. The main campus is in Zone 16 of Guatemala City and is Vista Hermosa III. Rafael Landívar University was inaugurated on 22 January 1962 with 138 students in the classrooms of Liceo Guatemala, lent to the Jesuits by the Marist Brothers. In July of that year, the university moved to a corrugated roof facility in Zone 10 of Guatemala City before moving to its present location in Zone 16. Campus Quetzaltenango is in the country's southwest, 200 km from the capital city, in a large valley surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, 2,334 meters above sea level. | |
| Galileo University | Galileo University is a private university in Guatemala City. It was founded and authorized on October 31, 2000. Initially, it was the School of Computer Engineering (FISICC) of Francisco Marroquín University. It stands out for its technological contribution to higher education in Guatemala. The university was founded as a school of systems engineering, IT (Information Technology), and computer science (FISICC) of the Universidad Francisco Marroquín. In 1977 the faculty created the foundation Santo Domingo, which came to assist in Guatemala's educational, technological, cultural, and artistic heritage. After 22 years, the foundation initiated procedures for the approval of a new university. It was authorized by the Superior Council of Private Education on October 31, 2000, as a university. The name honors astronomer and mathematician Galileo Galilei. The university has three towers, each identified with the name of an astronomer. The first is called Galileo, the second Copernicus, and the third Kepler. | |
| Mesoamerican University | Mesoamerican University is a private university in Guatemala. It has branches in Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango. In 1971, the Salesians of Don Bosco association signed an agreement of academic cooperation with the Francisco Marroquín University, and since 1972 they have developed humanities and educational programs. Drawing on the experience and intellectual development that had been made, the procedures which led to the foundation of the Universidad Mesoamericana started in 1996. The Central American University Council approved Private Higher Education in Guatemala on 1 October 1999. In 2000, they developed the faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences. In partnership with the Association of Managers of Guatemala, a year later, they established the Escuela Superior de Alta Gerencia (ESAG) to provide expertise. In 2002, another branch was established in Quetzaltenango as part of the Central American University, the High School Senior Management headquarters. Courses began in Computer Engineering and Business Finance in 2008. | |
Festivals & Events
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Cobán Folkloric Festival
Date: Last week of July
The Cobán Folkloric Festival, known locally as Rabin Ajau, is held annually and celebrates the culture of the Kekchis Aboriginals.
The Cobán Folkloric Festival features parades, rodeos, and expositions of conventional art, but its crown jewel is the Rabin Ajau—or “daughter of the king”—competition. Each year Mayan girls from across Guatemala arrive in Cobán wrapped in the traditional huipil and morga (blouse and skirt) of their hometown, ready to compete for the title of a Mayan princess.
Independence Day
Date: 15th of September
Independence Day is one of Guatemala's most celebrated national holidays on the 15th of September. In the weeks leading up to Guatemalan independence day, buildings and buses are adorned in nationalistic blue and white.
During the event, the country also holds numerous military parades. The whole country embraces this celebration with dances, the customary fireworks, and parades.
Holy Week or Semana Santa
Date: March or April
In March or April, Holy Week or Semana Santa celebrations occur all around Guatemala; the cobblestone streets of Antigua are covered in rich carpets of dust: colored sawdust. These alfombras are meticulously crafted and feature designs that mingle Mayan and Christian symbolism.
The religious procession moves over the carpets during the celebration, accompanied by priests and nuns dressed in robes carrying giant ornately decorated relics of Mary and Jesus. During the sacred ritual, the faithful watch in anticipation of each statue while singing along to the hymns and burning incense with a large crowd of swaying attendees.
All Saints Day Kite Festival
Date: 1st November
On November 1st, locals put together giant kites to fly during the Day of the Dead during the All Saints Day Kite Festival. After months of laborious artistry, the kites are finally prepared to soar to create these colorful, stunning, giant masterpieces. The kites are released on the sacred hill overlooking the cemetery.
The locals in this small municipality dress up in colorful clothing and head to the cemetery to spend the day cleaning up the graves and decorating them with flowers while they have picnics right next to their departed family members.
Feast of St. Thomas
Date: 13th December
Feast of St. Thomas is a week of parades, traditional dances, and fireworks, culminating with the Palo volador (flying pole dance).
Two men ascend a wooden pole as high as 100 feet, tie ropes around their waists, and then leap off, spinning gradually to the ground. The dance is a Mayan ritual request for rain and fertility of the land.
Attractions / Top Sights
Mayan Ruins of Tikal
When to visit: best time to visit Tikal is during the months of February and March
When to visit: https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/guatemala-gua.htm
Tikal is a spectacular place to tour if you want to see one of the most famous ruined cities of the Classic Period of the Maya. It is located in north-central Petén, Guatemala, about 50 miles northwest of the border with Belize. Tikal is the largest and possibly the oldest of the Maya cities. The site encompasses 3,000 buildings, including a handful of impressively tall temples that loom above the forest. It consists of nine groups of courts and plazas built on hilly land above surrounding swamps (which may have been lakes in former times) and interconnected by bridges and causeways. The city's principal civic and religious center covers about 500 acres (200 hectares).
Antigua Guatemala
When to visit: The best time to visit Antigua is between mid-December and mid-April
Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century. Built 1,500 m above sea level in an earthquake-prone region, it was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773, but its principal monuments are still preserved as ruins. In under three centuries, the city, built on a grid pattern inspired by the Italian Renaissance, acquired some superb monuments. Antigua, Guatemala, was the cultural, economic, religious, political, and educational center for the entire region until the capital was moved. In under three centuries, the city acquired some superb monuments.
Quetzaltenango
When to visit: The best time to visit Quetzaltenango between December to February
Quetzaltenango is the city of southwestern Guatemala, 7,656 feet (2,334 meters) above sea level near the foot of the Santa María volcano. The city’s high elevation causes the temperature to drop below freezing in the dry season. It is near the battle site in which the Spanish and their Indian allies from Mexico decisively defeated the K’iche’ Maya in 1524. Quetzaltenango is a center for trade between the coast and the highlands and a processing center with textile factories, mills, and breweries. The city has preserved much of its Neoclassical architecture. Quetzaltenango has several museums and cultural institutions, and many of Guatemala’s best-known scholars, writers, and musicians have lived there. It is linked to Guatemala City, 70 miles (110 km) to the east, with a paved highway and air routes.
Monterrico and the Biotopo Monterrico-Hawaii
When to visit: The best time to visit Monterrico and the Biotopo Monterrico-Hawaii between January and February
This reserve, administered by Cecon is Monterrico's biggest attraction. The 20km-long nature reserve of the coast and coastal mangrove swamps is bursting with avian and aquatic life. The reserve's most famous patrons are the endangered leatherback and ridley turtles, which lay their eggs on the beach in many places along the coast. The mangrove swamps are a network of 25 lagoons, all connected by mangrove canals.
Boat tours of the reserve, passing through the mangrove swamps, and visiting several lagoons, take 1½ to two hours and cost Q75 to Q100 per person. It's best to go just at sunrise when you're likely to see the most wildlife.
Semuc Champey
When to visit: The best time to visit between mid December to mid April
Semuc Champey (Where the river hides under the stones) is a natural monument in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, near the Q'eqchi' Maya town of Lanquín. It consists of a natural 300 m limestone bridge that passes the Cahabón River. Atop the bridge is a series of stepped, turquoise pools, a popular swimming attraction.
The best and most popular way to see Semuc Champey in all its glory is from the "El Mirador" viewpoint. Though it is a roughly 45-minute hot, uphill jungle hike from the parking area, the views into the valley are unparalleled.
Although it can be challenging to get to, Semuc is becoming more and more popular with travelers.
Chichicastenango Market
When to visit: Thursdays and Sundays
Chichicastenango is a beautiful authentic Mayan town in Guatemala. Tucked away in the mountain village is their famous outdoor market, one of the world’s largest markets for handcrafted goods. You can find everything from hammocks, traditional clothing, accessories, fresh produce, livestock, and many other beautifully detailed handmade goods. Several vendors come from villages far away and walk hours to sell their goods. Shopping at the Mercado de Chichicastenango is a truly authentic experience and a trip you should plan to make.
Livingston on the Caribbean Coast
When to visit: November to April
Livingston is a small village where Rio Dulce winds its way to the coast and meets the Atlantic Ocean. Even though it is not as popular as other attractions in Guatemala, Livingston is of great cultural importance due to the African-descendant population here – the Garifuna. Besides that, the village is well known for its Caribbean lifestyle: coconuts, seafood, palm trees, and ocean breeze.
Livingston is only reachable by boat and off-the-beaten-path destination that not everyone gets to see. Visitors that make it to this remote village are usually culture and nature lovers. You will be amazed by the natural scenery that surrounds the way to Livingston. A thrilling boat ride will take you through the stunning water canal of Rio Dulce, a unique natural sanctuary! This beach is the perfect place to relax, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the Caribbean Coast, and immerse in the cultural diversity that Guatemala represents.