The Complete Guide To Guatemala

This article was published by The Independent and highlights the history, culture and nature of Guatemala. Alessia Horwich brings out the best of Guatemala for the budget traveller.

Why Guatemala?

This chunk of Central America, wedged beneath Mexico and washed by both the Atlantic and Pacific, is scenically beautiful, rich in history – and very cheap.

Guatemala is the only Central American country where indigenous Indian people are in the majority, and their culture is vividly conveyed in their bright, hand-woven textiles. Before the Spanish Conquest, the Mayan civilisation was arguably the most advanced in the Americas. It began to crumble before Columbus arrived, but bequeathed an array of exquisite cities, which are still being uncovered from within the Read more

Jean Francois – French Cuisine in Guatemala City

For a night out in Guatemala City you should definitely try Jean Francois, a delightful French restaurant in Zona 10.

Jean Francois restaurant is nicely decorated, and serves delicious food. The strangest thing about it is trying to find it! It is located at the end of an unmarked corridor, in an unmarked, small shopping center. You will find it at Diagonal 6, 13–63 in Zona 10. If you absolutely can’t find it you can call 333–4785 and ask how to get there!

Many people agree that Jean Francois is one of the best restaurants in Guatemala. The steaks come highly recommended, in any of the sauces, and the desserts, the Mousses in particular, are held in high regard Read more

Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City

There are two international airports in Guatemala, one in Flores, near Tikal, and one in Guatemala City.

The Aurora International Airport, which is located in Guatemala City is the larger of the two international airports. Most major airlines fly into the Aurora International Airport, such as American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Copa, Spirit, United, U.S. Airways and other Latin American lines, such as Iberia, Mexicana, Cubana, and TACA.

There is a $30-US departure tax for all persons flying out of Guatemala. It was included in the price of my Delta ticket. Also there is a security fee of $3-US, or 20 Q, which is charged each departing passenger and must be paid in cash.

For more Read more

A Night Out at the Brass Beer Co in Zona 10, Guatemala City

A night out at the pub can be the perfect way to wind down for the evening. At the Brass Beer Co in Zona 10 of Guatemala City you have the chance to do just that, while enjoying a variety of microbrewed beers.

Locals will be pleased with the home-grown varieties, and many foreigners enjoy a night out at Brass Beer Co because of their selection of beers from around the world.

(Photo: Rudy Girón/antiguadailyphoto.com)

The place isn’t your typical bar; it is decorated like an old brewery or beer company, and it can get a bit noisy, but at least it has a greater variety of beer than you will find at the local grocery store. They also Read more

The Grand Tikal Futura Hotel in Guatemala City

There are plenty of things to do in Guatemala City, and there are just as many places to stay. You have your standard Clarion, Holiday, and Best Westerns, but if you are looking for something just as nice, but a little bit different than the standard, try the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel.

The Grand Tikal Futura Hotel is part of the Futura Complex, which is considered to be the new downtown of the city, located in Zona 11 at Calzada Roosevelt 22 43.

The Hotel offers all the services you would expect from such a nice resort including and airport shuttle bus service, 24 hour assistance, a multi-lingual staff, photo service, a baby-sitter, currency exchange and more. Within the Futura Read more

Guatemala City Relief Map – Geographical Fun!

One of the coolest things to see in Guatemala City, in my opinion, is the Mapa en Relieve de Guatemala, the largest Relief Map in the world, and the only one of its kind.

The relief map is located in Parque Minerva and is an impressive 21,500 square feet. It shows the topography of Guatemala in great detail, at a scale of 1:1000. The map is best viewed from above, on the observation tower located high above the map.

Looking down on this amazing work of art, you can see lakes and rivers, cities, volcanoes, important locations and roadways. It is interesting to think about the fact that this map, constructed in 1904 was done without the aid of modern Read more

Museum – National Palace in Guatemala City

The Palacio National (National Palace) in Guatemala City, is another excellent stop to add to your tour of the capital.

The Palace was built in the 1930s and 40s and first served as a home for President Castaneda. It continued to be home to the Guatemalan presidents for many years, but now serves as a museum displaying works from various Guatemala artists.

The building is today known as Culture’s National Palace, and it is interestingly enough the origin of all the roads in the Republic and even has a spot known as Kilometro Cero (Zero Kilometer), which is the exact center of Guatemala, and is located in the center of the palace’s drawing room.

The Palace is one of the Read more

The Gringo Shares His Little Black Book…

We interrupt this tour of Guatemala City to share with you an important update from the Guatemala Gringo and his other Gringo affiliate sites (see the blogroll)…

The Gringo has worked to create a system that puts readers in touch with valuable people in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. If you need an English speaking driver, real estate information, legal services and so on, all you need to do is this:

Click on this link to sign up for whatever information you want. Then you will be put directly in touch with people that you can count on to get the job done.

It is an automatic system that is shared by all the Gringo affiliate sites Read more

Catedral Metropolitano in Plaza Mayor

Site seeing around Guatemala City is not complete without a trip to the Catedral Metropolitano located in the Old City on 8 Calle and 7 Avenida.

The Catedral was built in the mid-18th century and reflects the Colonial Spanish style. Within Guatemala City it is one of the most recognizable sites and dominates the Plaza Mayor in the Old City, where it is located.

The inside of the Catedral is amazing, and tours are free and open to the public, so it is definitely worth the visit. The ornate church and its many idols are a major attraction for history and religious buffs.

The Catedral is open for tours from 8 am – 12 pm for tours, and again from 3 pm Read more

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