For those passing through Guatemala, unable to get more than a day trip in from Guatemala City, check out Mixco Viejo. These Mayan ruins aren’t anywhere near the splendor you will find at Tikal or Quirigua, but they are a favored spot for day-trippers from Guatemala City.

The ruins are dated back to the 12–century and they are believed to be remains of a ceremonial site, made up of many temples and palaces. There are also several ball courts that were used to play the Mayan ballgame of pitziil, a game that is a mix of soccer and volleyball. It is found here at the ceremonial grounds because it was believed to be a link between mortals and gods and Read more

A cool site to visit in Guatemala City is the ultra-modern Biblioteca Nacional, on the west side of the Parque Central. The building is especially noteworthy, since its modern design starkly contrasts with the colonial architecture of the Palace and the Cathedral on the other side of teh Plaza.

The library is built on the former site of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales on 5 Avenida 7–26 Zona 1. For more information about the National Library of Guatemala click here.

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