Guatemala

This chapter contains the Guatemala Today, History, Guatemalan Way of Life, Maya Heritage, Arts & Architecture, Land & Wildlife, Directory A–Z, Transportation, and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, Maya heritage and landscapes to flights, pub-lic transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the myriad wildlife and landscapes of Guatemala
• info on Maya culture, from ancient pyramids to 21st-century practices
• full coverage of Guatemala’s history and current affairs
• details on the big arts and architecture impact of this little country

Coverage includes: Guatemala Today, History, Guatemalan Way of Life, Maya Heritage, Arts & Architecture, Land & Wildlife, Directory A–Z, Transportation, and Lan-guage.

This is the Highlands chapter from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

The highlands – El Altiplano – stretch from Antigua to the Mexican border, and is Guatemala’s most breathtaking region by some degree. Most travelers spend a spell at the dizzyingly beautiful Lago de Atitlán, an azure lake dramatically ringed by volcanoes.

• take yoga classes by the sublime volcano-fringed waters of Lago de Atitlán in San Marcos La Laguna
• maps
• hike volcanoes and learn Spanish in San Pedro La Laguna, one of Central America’s back-packer hubs
• transport
• shop for huipiles and a hundred other souvenirs at colorful Chichicastenango
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Lago de Atitlán, Panajachel & Around, Santiago Atitlán, San Pedro La Laguna, San Juan La Laguna, San Marcos La Laguna, Jaibalito, Santa Cruz La La-guna, Tzununá, Quiché, Chichicastenango, Santa Cruz Del Quiché, Uspantán, Nebaj, Chajul, Acul, Western Highlands, Quetzaltenango & Around, Huehuetenango & Around.

This is the Pacific Slope chapter from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

Separated from the highlands by a chain of volcanoes, the flatlands that run down to the Pa-cific are universally known as La Costa. It’s a sultry region – hot and wet or hot and dry, depending on the time of year

• investigate the bridge in history between the Olmec and the Maya while strolling grassy Parque Arqueológico Takalik Abaj
• maps
• catch the surf in up-and-coming El Paredón
• transport
• spot wildlife among the mangrove-lined canal and lagoons in Biotopo Monterrico-Hawaii
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Tilapita, Coatepeque, Retalhuleu & Around, Champerico, Tulate, Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, La Democracia, El Paredón, Escuintla, Iztapa, Monterrico, Cuilapa, Lago de Amatitlán.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Guatemala, Guatemala’s Top 15, Need to Know, First Time Guatemala, What’s New, If You Like..., Month by Month, Itineraries, Guatemala’s Ancient Ruins, Guatemala Outdoors, and Regions at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

Your journey to Guatemala starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on Guatemala’s ancient ruins.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about outdoor activities
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Guatemala, Guatemala’s Top 15, Need to Know, First Time Guatemala, What’s New, If You Like: Colonial Architecture, Volcanoes, Ruins, Off-the-Beaten Track Places, Wildlife, Handicrafts & Textiles, Doing Nothing, Month by Month, Itin-eraries, Guatemala’s Ancient Ruins, Guatemala Outdoors, and Regions at a Glance.

This is the Guatemala City chapter from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guide-book.

Depending on who you talk to, Guatemala City (or Guate as it’s known) is either big, dirty, dangerous and utterly forgettable, or big, dirty, dangerous and utterly fascinating. Either way, there’s no doubt there’s an energy here unlike anywhere else in Guatemala.

• visit the surprisingly leafy and animal-friendly Aurora Zoo
• maps
• head straight for the rejuvenated Zona 1 for the best night out on the town
• transport
• be oddly mesmerized by Mapa en Relieve, a 3D representation of the country – part engi-neering marvel, part tourist curio
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: History, Sights, Activities, Tours, Sleeping, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This is the El Petén chapter from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

Vast, sparsely populated and jungle-covered, Guatemala’s largest and northernmost depart-ment is a wonderland of exploration. Whether it’s the mysteries of the Classic Maya, the bounty of the jungle, or the chance to lounge lakeside that inspires you, it’s all here in abundance.

• explore the vast ancient city of Tikal at sunset, sunrise, or any time in between
• maps
• trek through the jungle to the huge, though still scarcely excavated, Maya ruin of El Mira-dor
• transport
• awaken to the sound of howler monkeys and herons in idyllic Laguna Petexbatún
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sayaxché & Around, Flores & Santa Elena, San Miguel & Tayazal, San José & San Andrés, El Remate, Melchor de Mencos, Tikal, Uaxactún, Yaxhá, Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre, El Mirador.

This is the Central & Eastern Guatemala chapter from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

Stretching from the steamy lowland forests of El Petén to the dry tropics of the Río Motagua valley, and from the edge of the Western Highlands to the Caribbean Sea, this is Guatemala’s most diverse region.

• splash around the turquoise waters of a series of limestone swimming pools at Semuc Champey
• maps
• get down with the Garifuna culture in the unique Caribbean town of Lívingston, or check out the manatees on the Río Dulce nearby
• transport
• delve deep underground in breathtaking Grutas de Lanquín
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Alta & Baja Verapaz, Salamá, Biotopo del Quetzal, Cobán, Lanquín, Semuc Champey & Around, Chisec, Raxruhá, Parque Nacional Cuevas de Can-delaria, Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, El Oriente, Río Hondo, Chiquimula, Ipala, Volcán de Quet-zaltepeque, Jalapa, Esquipulas, Quiriguá, Copán (Honduras), Copán Ruinas, Copán Site, Carib-bean Coast, Lago de Izabal, Puerto Barrios, Lívingston.

This is the Antigua chapter from Lonely Planet’s Guatemala guidebook.

Antigua’s beguiling beauty starts to seduce the moment you arrive. Once capital of Guatemala, its streetscapes of pastel facades unfold beneath the gaze of three volcanoes, and beautifully re-stored colonial buildings sit next to picturesque ruins in park-like surroundings.

• resurrect your high-school Spanish at such highly regarded language schools as Proyecto Lingüístico Francisco Marroquín
• maps
• witness scattered slabs of masonry, such as at Catedral de Santiago, that display mute evi-dence of Antigua’s quake-ridden history
• transport
• admire and acquire traditional Maya wear at seminal Casa del Tejido Antiguora
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Activities, Courses, Tours, Festivals & Events, Sleeping, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Around Antigua, Jocotenango, Ciudad Vieja & Around, San Cristóbal El Alto, San Juan Comalapa.