Guatemala has a rich and distinctive culture, with a mix of elements from Spain and the native Maya people. The diverse history and the natural beauty of the land have created a destination rich in interesting and scenic sites. This mix of modern cities and ancient ruins are a delight to explore.

Guatemala is mountainous, except for the south coastal area and the vast northern lowlands of the Petén department. Two mountain chains enter Guatemala from west to east, dividing the country into three major regions: the highlands, where the mountains are located; the Pacific Coast, south of the mountains; and the Petén region, north of the mountains. All major cities are located in the highlands and Pacific Coastal regions; by comparison, Petén is sparsely populated.

These three regions vary in climate, elevation and landscape, providing dramatic contrasts between hot and humid tropical lowlands and colder, drier highland peaks. The country has fourteen eco-regions ranging from mangrove forests to both ocean littorals, with five different ecosystems. It has 252 listed wetlands, including 5 lakes, 61 lagoons, 100 rivers and 3 swamps. Six of those wetlands are of international importance or RAMSAR sites. Tikal National Park was the first mix UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world.

Guatemala is a country of distinct fauna. It has 1246 known species, of these 6.7% are endemic and 8.1% are endangered. The largest percentages of protected areas in Central America are here in Guatemala, with a total of 91 protected areas, more than 28% of the countries territory. Although the nation has been relatively stable since 1996, Guatemala's recent history has been plagued by civil war and military coups, which have slowed the nation's development. Large portions of Guatemala's interior remain wholly undeveloped, including the nation's many rainforests and wetlands, Guatemala's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contribute to Mesoamerica’s designation as an important biodiversity hot spot.

Official Tourism Body: INGUAT, 7 Av 1-17, Centro Cívico, Zona 4, Guatemala City. Telephone: 23331-1333 or 2421-2810.

EXCHANGE_RATE: 1 Euro = 11,4 Quetzal
1 USD = 7.4 Quetzal

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Guatemala's climate is lovely year round. The rainy season is generally from May to November. Climate variations are due to altitude, but it is generally hot throughout the country.

The north has a hot, tropical climate with maximum rainfall between May and September. The coastal regions and north-east are hot, with a dry and rainy season, and temperatures average 68°F (20°C). The highlands, including Guatemala City and Antigua, have a pleasant climate with less rainfall than the coast and cooler temperatures at night.

Belize - 223-3150

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UK - 020-7351-3042

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The Guatemalans celebrate Christmas and New Year, and Semana Santa (Holy Week) at Easter. The anniversary of the 1871 revolution is celebrated on Army Day, 30th June.

Guatemala City has a fiesta on the 15th August but the rest of the country doesn’t celebrate this. Independence Day is on the 15th September, Revolution Day is the 20th October and on 1st November they celebrate All Saints’ Day.

Guatemala’s international calling code is 502. There are no area codes. Phone numbers all have eight digits.

If you are calling home from Guatemala then it’s (country code)+(area code)+(private number). The phone system isn't great, but it works. There are lots of phone booths across the country and most of them don’t accept coins, you’ll need to purchase either a Telefónica or a Telgua telephone card to use them. Tourists can call abroad from call centres, where you pay by the minute.

Cell phones are quite cheap. If you are planning to stay for a while then you should consider buying one. The post system is traditionally not reliable, but your post cards usually get through. A stamp for Europe is Q5. Internet access is not widely available, though you may find Internet cafés in the tourist friendly areas - Antigua, Atitlán, etc. Some hotels may also offer computer banks with Internet access. The exception to this is Guatemala City. Several cafés and restaurants in Guatemala City now offer free WiFi. Just ask and eventually you will find some sort of free access.

The most important thing you need to do before you travel to Guatemala is to make sure you have good, comprehensive travel insurance. Check what it covers and how the payments will be made, i.e will payment be made directly from the insurers to the hospital or will you have to pay and then get reimbursed when you return home. You should also make sure that the insurance covers the possible need for air ambulances and emergency flights home.

There are no mandatory vaccinations for Guatemala, unless you are arriving from Africa or a country in South America that has a high risk of yellow fever. If you have had the injection then make sure you carry your yellow booklet, the vaccination certificate. If you have not had the injection then you will need to have it at least ten days before entering Guatemala.

There are a number of recommended vaccinations that you should consider having before you go, these are; hepatitis A & B, typhoid and, if you haven’t already had it, tuberculosis. If you plan to be in close contact with animals or will be spending a lot of time in the more rural areas then you should have a rabies vaccination too. Also, make sure you are up-to-date with your polio, tetanus and diphtheria boosters. A course of malaria tablets is a good idea if you are going to be visiting lowland areas such as Petén and the Pacific Coast.

Dengue fever is also a risk and as there is no vaccination for it, you will need to take precautions such as using repellents, covering up and sleeping under nets to avoid being bitten by insects.

Sickness and diarrhoea are very common, no matter how careful you are with food and water. Be sensible, only drink bottled drinks, don’t eat any food that has been sitting out for a long time and don’t eat anything that has been washed in tap water, such as salads, shellfish and most vegetables. Even if you do everything right you are still likely to suffer a short bout of sickness, simply because of the diet change, the different and increased amount of bacteria in foods and the lower standards of sanitation. Just drink plenty of bottled water, only eat very bland foods and take it easy until you feel better.

Guatemala's main airport, La Aurora International Airport (GUA), is near Guatemala City. Most international flights arrive from other Central American countries and North America. There are no direct flights from the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand; connections would have to be made via North America.

Guatemala's secondary airport is situated in Flores, Petén. This small airport receives flights from a small number of close destinations including Belize, Mexico City and Guatemala City. It is sometimes cheaper to fly into Cancún and a take bus through Belize, or fly to Mexico City and then take a low-cost flight on Aviacsa for around US$100 US to Tapachula which is on the Mexico/Guatemala border.

Buying an airpass before you go is a good idea, especially if you plan on visiting a few different cities during your stay. If you have a car you can drive, via the Pan-American Highway, from Mexico, Honduras, Belize and El Salvador. However, bringing your own vehicle into the country means a lot more hassle and delays at the border. You may have to pay unexpected entry fees and will encounter a lot of red tape.

Buses are a fairly decent way to travel to Guatemala from neighbouring countries; they are quite comfortable and relatively cheap. Buses travel from Belize City to Flores, which takes 9 hours, and to Guatemala City, which takes around 20 hours. From El Salvador you can catch a bus in San Salvador that goes to Santa Ana. Buses from Honduras leave from Copán, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba and Tegucigalpa. There are buses from Managua in Nicaragua and from San José in Costa Rica to Guatemala, and there are also bus connections with Panama City and, in Mexico, with Tapachula, Palenque, Chetumal, Tulum, Cancún and Mexico City. Tica Bus is a bus company that has newer buses and mainly travels between Central American countries with limited stops.

You can also reach Guatemala by boat. They travel from Punta Gorda in Belize, arriving at Puerto Barrios.

The small, three-wheeled tuk-tuk is a common vehicle providing local taxi service. It can carry up to three passengers. You will need to negotiate your fare with the driver before you start, because they generally don't have meters. The tuk-tuk originates from India and can be found in many developing countries. The name refers to the sound of the motorcycle engine powering the vehicle.

It's hard to miss the colourfully-decorated buses that crowd the streets of major cities and highways of Guatemala. These are chicken buses and are a common form of transport for Guatemalans and an adventure for tourists. The bus itself is frequently a used North American school bus.

Much cheaper than tourist vans or taxis, they are usually very crowded with three people squeezed into seats designed to seat two North American children and more people standing in the aisles. In addition to the driver there is usually a conductor standing in the door. The conductor collects fares and from time to time jumps out to direct the bus through a blind intersection or around a tight turn. On the highways the chicken bus drivers are aggressive, not hesitating to overtake in the face of oncoming traffic. Bus conductors frequently charge non-Latino tourists 2-3 times more than Latino tourists.

The history of Guatemala can be traced back to the arrival of the first human settlers, presumed to have migrated from the north at least 12,000 years ago. For much of that time the civilization that developed there flourished, with little to no contact with cultures from outside of Mesoamerica.

The Maya civilization dominated the region for nearly 2,000 years before the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, although most of the Great Classic Maya cities of the Petén region of Guatemala's northern lowlands were abandoned by the year 1000 AD. The states of the central highlands, however, were still flourishing until the arrival of the Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, who brutally subjugated the native states, beginning in 1523. Guatemala remained a Spanish colony for nearly 300 years, before gaining its independence in 1821.

It was then a part of the Mexican Empire until becoming fully independent in the 1840s. Since then, Guatemala's history has been divided into periods of democratic rule and periods of civil war and military juntas. Most recently, Guatemala emerged from a 36-year civil war, reestablishing a representative government in 1996.