Guatemala City, the world center of the Mayan culture and the capital city of a country with the same, is a colorful and cosmopolitan city that you will fully enjoy.
Guatemala combines ancient and modern history in a country where you will find all the modern facilities and one of the most innovative architectonic complexes in the continent, the Miguel Angel Asturias Cultural Center that owes its name to the accomplished Guatemalan author that was awarded the Nobel Prize.
A city that preserves the atmosphere of a vertiginous political history of struggles, Guatemala is still the scene for indigenous and mestizo groups gatherings, which define the social profile of a large part of North, Central and South America.
Description
Guatemala is just the beginning of an inexhaustible historical, cultural and social adventure that began with the Spanish conquest that, at the dawn of the 21st century, is still to be concluded.
Antigua, just 45 kilometers from the capital, is one of the best-preserved cities in all of the Americas. It has preserved its colonial style and was declared by the UNESCO in 1979 as a cultural heritage city, for its outstanding beauty.
Guatemalan crafts, coffee and architecture, its archeological sites and cultural activity attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year who fall head over heels with the place.
Guatemala is the northernmost country in Central America; to the north and west it borders with Mexico, to the east with Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and the Caribbean Sea and to the south with the Pacific Ocean.
The country is divided into 22 areas, equivalent to states or provinces and it covers an area of 108,889 square kilometers, with an estimated population of 10 million.
Guatemala has an extensive and unique natural beauty that makes it a natural paradise with an enormous variety of different landscapes, ranging from the Peten jungle and mountains and volcanoes to the lakes on the Meseta and the tropical beaches of the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean.
The legacy of the Mayan civilization, the colonial period and local costumes and traditions are Guatemala’s current main attractions.
Guatemala City was founded in the late 18th century and still preserves the architectonic characteristics of a colonial city.
Although Guatemala City is an international city, its inhabitants preserve traditions that date back to colonial times, many of which are purely religious and are most fervently expressed during the Easter week processions.
Location from the Airport
Guatemala’s airport is La Aurora International Airport; the airport has banks, car-rental agencies, shops and coffee shops. To get to the city from the airport, we recommend that you board to an authorized taxicab from the same airport.
Time Zone
Guatemala is located in a subtropical region of the northern hemisphere between parallels 13° 44′ and 18° 30′ north latitude and longitude 87° 30′ and 92° 13′ west of Greenwich.
Currency
Official currency is the Quetzal, which takes its name from the beautiful feathered national bird. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos and one quetzal. Bank notes issued in denominations of 1, 5. 10, 20, 50 and 100 quetzal notes that vary in color and design.
Weather
Most of Guatemala has an excellent all-year-round climate with an average temperature of 20°C.