fiogf49gjkf0d Perhaps the most fascinating part of the entire country is the
western highlands
, where not only is the scenery wildly beautiful, but you'll also find the most interesting Maya villages and amazing fiestas and markets.
Lago de AtitlA?n
is unmissable, a large highland lake, ringed by sentinel-like volcanoes, whose shores are dotted with some of the most traditional indigenous villages in the entire country.
Panajachel
is a booming lakeside town with some excellent restaurants, cafAŠs and shops, while
San Pedro La Laguna
on the other side of the lake has more of a bohemian travellers' scene. For handicrafts, the famous twice-weekly
Chichicastenango market
is unrivalled, with an incredible selection of weavings for sale.
Further scenic excesses lie around the country's second city of
Quetzaltenango (Xela)
, an excellent base for a series of day-trips to nearby hot springs, market towns, pagan shrines and volcanoes. Finally, there are the isolated and traditional villages deep in the mountains of the
Cuchumatanes
: perhaps the two best places to head for are
Nebaj
in the Ixil triangle and
Todos Santos CuchumatA?n
to the north of Huehuetenango. Both are intensely rewarding places to visit, with superb scenery, excellent walking and cheap guesthouses.
The
ladino
-dominated
Pacific coast
is generally hot and dull, a strip of black volcanic sand with a smattering of mangrove swamps behind it that blend into the country's most productive farmland. The area is devoted to commercial agriculture and dotted with bustling urban centres; points of interest are thin on the ground. The
beaches
are not as you imagine Pacific beaches to be, except at the wildlife reserve of
Monterrico
, where there is a fine stretch of sand and a maze of mangrove swamps to explore.
If it's real adventure and exploration you seek, nothing can compete with the hidden archeological wonders of
PetAŠn
. This unique lowland area, which makes up about a third of the country, is covered with dense rainforest - only recently threatened by development - that's alive with wildlife and dotted with superb Maya ruins. The only town of any size is
Flores
, from where you can easily reach
Tikal
, the most impressive of all Maya sites. Other dramatic sites like the monumental
El Mirador
require days of tough travel to reach.
In the
east
of the country are the spectacular gorge systems of the
RAo Dulce
, the ruins of
QuiriguA?
and on the Caribbean coast the funky town of
LAvingston
, home to Guatemala's only black community. Dividing this eastern area from the PetAŠn is another highland region, the
Verapaces
, where there is more stunning alpine scenery and the sleepy coffee centre of
CobA?n
.
Guatemala City
is of little interest to the traveller except for a couple of museums; it's much better to stay in the colonial capital
Antigua
, just an hour away, where there are great hotels, restaurants and cafAŠs for every budget.
Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections):
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