Shopping in Guatemala-5 Top items to buy?? need suggestions

Here's my 2 quetzales' worth:

1) Textiles! Lots of options from simple woven items for gifts/scarves/table runners to intricate huipiles

2) Carved painted animal masks in Chichicastenango (jaguars are my favorite)

3) Paintings by the Chavajay brothers in San Pedro or other Atitlán artists

4) Seed/bean necklaces and bracelets in Antigua

5) Food: Pepián, boxboles, fresh tortillas, mango ice cream, chocolate covered bananas...Mmmmm

Happy trails!

Two more thing I would add to hopefulists list would be coffee and jade. I always enjoy bringing some good coffee home to enjoy at work. It makes it easier to go back. If you are interested in jade Antigua has a few nice shops. Enjoy

You can also buy cute owl banks at many of the candy stores in Anigua. My son loves his.

Good ideas, ttraveler - I haven't splurged on jade yet but my husband loves the coffee. Another fun kid gift idea is crisp Quetzales notes in different denominations. When I get good 1's, 5's, and 10's I tuck them away to give to my great (as in a generation down as well as really fun) nieces and nephews when I get home.

Every once in awhile I see a business with a friend or relative's name; I love taking a photo, especially if the owner is included, and framing it for the namesake back home. So far I've done this 8 or 9 times.

I would agree. Coffee and textiles. It was unfortunate for us that we spent the first 3 weeks in Guatemala then the last week in Belize. Since we were back packing it was easy to say no to all the deals since we did not want the extra wait. However, once we got to Belize the same textiles were 3 times the price. Some of the best deals on textiles were found on our last stop on the boat tour at Pana but we didn't buy because we didn't want the weight.

I really regret not buying a leather purse with colorful woven trims (all locally crafted) and a shirt with a line of trim along the collar and front.

Chocolate is good. We bought some wonderful hot chocolate mix at a place in Antigua. Very spicy and delicious. I also bought a pair of pretty earrings - silver & jade. Other than that, I agree with everyone else, it was textiles - they are wonderful.

One thing that I do regret not buying was a gorgeous purse made of textiles - it was in one of the shops at an expensive hotel and it seemed like a lot of money, but it was so beautiful. I would have hung it on the wall as art.

We had some wonderful chocolate while in Guatemala but once home it didn't taste very good. Maybe we didn't store it properly for our flight home. I would actually love to go back to Guatemala just for more shopping and I must admit eating. I found the food there to be wonderful. I loved going in the little chocolate shops and icecream shops or sitting in a courtyard having a drink. The hot chocolate was perfect.

In Antigua there is very good coffee and chocolate for sale at Fernando's on Av Norte. This is a good cafe for breakfast. The crafts market in Anigua has a huge --almost overwhelming--selection.

Have a great trip. We loved Antigua (G City not so much...)

Mmmmm, Fernando's - great coffee and b/fast. We stayed just down the street from there at Casa Florencia.

It's a favorite of mine, too - just a few doors down from Casa Cristina and from Posada La Merced, too (the 2 places in addition to host family I'll be staying in Antigua this summer).