123 Best Sights in Guatemala

Three modest museums---Casa K’ojom; Museo del Café (temporarily closed); and Rincón de Sacatepéquez (not worth visiting)---make up this cultural center in the village of Jocotenango just outside Antigua. The center also offers horseback riding around the farm on Tuesday and Thursday by advance arrangement. Minivan shuttles (Q5, round-trip) leave hourly from the south side of the Parque Central. Taxis from Antigua run Q20 to Q25.

The city's fine-arts complex consists of the imposing Teatro Nacional and the open-air Teatro del Aire Libre. Named for Guatemala's Nobel Prize–winning novelist who spent much of his life in exile for opposing Guatemala's dictatorship, the hilltop cluster of buildings overlooks the Old City. Check out the performance schedule while you're here and pick up a ticket if something strikes your fancy. Prices are far lower than what you'd pay at a comparable venue in Europe or North America. The only way to see the theater, other than attending a performance, is to take a 1½-hour tour.

The view from this hillside perch north of the city, with its cross in the foreground, city rooftops and Volcán Agua in the background, is Antigua's best-known postcard vista. In person, the view is even better.

Only visit during the hours of 8 am and 5 pm when a police officer is stationed here.

Plan on a 45-minute walk one way, bring a bottle of water, and wear sunscreen and a brimmed hat.

The capital's Cervecería Centroamericana has brewed the majority of the beer sold in Guatemala since 1886. If you've been traveling around the country, you've seen (and likely sampled) Gallo, its ubiquitous flagship beer, pronounced GAH-yo. The cervecería manufactures a complete line of beverages, including Gallo Light, Victoria lager, the dark bock beer Moza, and Malta Gallo malt liquor. Gallo, incidentally, is marketed in the United States, but under the name "Famosa." (A certain California winery already holds the rights to the "Gallo" name there.)

The brewery offers fun, informative hour-long tours in Spanish and English of its installations several blocks north of the Old City each Monday to Thursday at 8, noon, and 3 pm. (A taxi is the best way to get here.) Reservations are necessary, and should be made at least a week in advance. Best of all, the whole thing is free, and the tour concludes with samples (also free) in the brewery café.

Antigua's largest convent was built by Capuchin nuns, whose number had swelled because they, unlike other sisterhoods, did not require young women to pay dowries to undertake the religious life. They constructed the mammoth structure in 1736, just a decade after the first of their order arrived from Madrid. The convent was abandoned after the earthquake of 1773, even though damage to the structure was relatively light. In the 1940s the convent was restored and opened to the public. The ruins, which are quite well preserved, include several lovely courtyards and gardens, the former bathing halls, and a round tower lined with the nuns' cells—two of which illustrate cloistered life with rather eerie mannequins. Climb to the roof for a memorable view of the surrounding landscape. The building now houses the offices of the Consejo Nacional para la Protección de La Antigua Guatemala, the national council charged with preservation and restoration of the city. At this writing, a museum is under construction in the convent's interior, slated to open in late 2010. It will house colonial artifacts collected by the council.

Shortly after it was founded in 1699, the Convent of St. Clare grew to be a rather elaborate complex housing nearly 50 nuns. When it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1717, the sisters quickly rebuilt it. It was struck by violent tremors again in 1773, and the site was finally abandoned. The remaining arches and courtyards make a pleasant place to roam. Keep an eye out for hidden passages and underground rooms. Across the street is Parque La Unión, where, interestingly, you'll see several public washbasins where women do laundry.

Dos Pilas is about 7 miles (12 km) west of the northern end of Lake Petexbatún. The nearest town is Sayaxché. Dos Pilas was founded in AD 640 by nobles from Tikal who fled Tikal after it was conquered by Calakmul. Most impressive of the ancient structures found here are limestone staircases and stelae covered with carvings that recount the battles against other city-states in the region, including Tikal. Unlike most other Mayan cities, this one was surrounded by a defensive wall. Dos Pilas was abandoned the late 8th century AD. This is not an easy, or inexpensive, destination to reach. In Sayaxché, you may be able to organize transportation by boat and horseback. In Flores, Martsam Travel, among others, hosts tours.

The Center of Conservation and Research is a collaboration with the government of Japan. There's a small exhibition and info center about its restoration and conservation work.

You can mail packages from your hotel, but it's far more fun to come to the main post office, housed in a cantaloupe-color structure dating from the colonial era.

El Mirador is still being explored and excavated, but elaborate plans are being laid to establish a huge park four times the size of Tikal. Dr. Richard D. Hansen of the University of Utah is director for the Mirador Basin Project, sponsored by the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES). The Mirador Basin contains the El Mirador site itself, four other known Maya cities that probably were as large as Tikal (Nakbé, El Tintal, Xulnal, and Wakná), and many smaller but important sites—perhaps as many as 80 to 100 cities. The Mirador Basin is home to an incredible diversity of plant and animal life, including 200 species of birds, 40 kinds of animals (including several endangered ones, such as jaguars), 300 kinds of trees, and 2,000 different species of flora. It has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Currently, fewer than 2,500 visitors get to El Mirador annually, as it's a difficult trek requiring four to six days of hiking (round-trip). The jumping-off point for the trek is Carmelita Village, about 50 miles (84 km) north of Flores. There are no hotels in the Mirador Basin and no roads except for dirt paths. Local tour companies such as Martsam Tours in Flores and elsewhere can arrange treks. For those with the budget, around US$675 can get you there by helicopter.

El Museo Lítico has stelae (commemorative stone slabs) found at Tikal and interesting photos from early archaeological excavations.

El Museo Tikal has a replica of Ha Sawa Chaan K'awil's burial chamber and some ceramics and bones from the actual tomb (the jade, however, is a replica). The museum may be a letdown after the magnificent structures you see in the park.

El Zotz is where you'll find the remnants of a Mayan city, guarded by bats and monkeys and a few park guards. On a clear day you can see the tallest of the ruins at Tikal from the top of El Diablo Temple or other mostly unexcavated mounds. The name, which means "the bat" in Ket'chi Mayan, refers to a cave from which thousands of bats make a nightly exodus. Troops of hyperactive spider monkeys seem to have claimed this place for themselves, swinging through the treetops and scrambling after each other like children playing a game of tag. Unlike those in Tikal, however, these long-limbed creatures are not used to people and will shake branches and throw twigs and fruit to try to scare you away. During the rainy season the mosquitoes can be fierce, so bring your strongest repellent. A few tour operators in Flores arrange two-night treks to El Zotz.

Some visitors have been robbed on guided treks from Tikal to El Zotz.

In the midst of working fields of sugarcane north of town, Finca El Baúl clumps together a collection of stelae from the Preclassic to Late Classic periods (AD 250–900). The site shows influences of the indigenous Pipil people, who spoke the Nahuatl language of central Mexico, as well as the Maya. Though billed as an outdoor museum, you'll find little explanation of what you're seeing at El Baúl. Most visitors come here, rather, to observe the occasional Mayan rituals that still take place on the site. There's no fixed schedule, but if you do stumble upon an observance, be unobtrusive. A few visitors wandering aimlessly through the fields have been robbed. We recommend a taxi to get here and back. Most drivers know the place and are happy to serve as your guide and protector.

Known for its steaming waterfall, think of Finca El Paraíso as a natural spa for the tired traveler. (The entire complex is technically a mixed-use farm, with livestock and crops.) Don't be dissuaded from a trip here even if the weather is hot and humid, as the falls descend into an icy cold river. A trail from the front gate leads to a short yet somewhat bumpy climb to the falls—be careful, as the rocks can be slippery. Around the falls are small indentations in the rock that serve as natural saunas. You can also hike upstream to the narrow cave at the source of the river. The rock formations here are otherworldly. About 2 km (1 mi) downstream from the hot springs is a simple restaurant that serves hearty meals. From here you can also rent horses and ride to the springs.

The estate has been family-owned and run since 1870. Coffee tours are offered daily at 9 and 11 am and 2 pm, and take you from cultivating and harvesting to roasting and tasting. If you have a group of two to five people, a two-hour Latte Art Session—by prior reservation only—guides you through the preparation of a variety of latte beverages, a great knowledge-souvenir to impress the folks back home.

For a nation so involved with the coffee industry, Guatemala offers few opportunities for visitors to watch its principal export being produced. The Finca, three blocks west of Cobán's Parque Central, is a pleasant exception. Here you can take a 45-minute tour of an operating coffee farm and witness the process of planting, growing, harvesting, and processing coffee beans. Owned by the Dieseldorff family, which has lived in Cobán for more than a century, the wooden buildings have a distinct Old World feel.

Portions of the Grutas de Lanquín, a system of caves cut through by underground rivers, are easy to explore. The first 30 minutes of the hour-long hike consist of a trail with iron railings to help you keep your footing among the huge stalagmites. Things get hairier toward the end, and you'll want an experienced guide who knows exactly how to help you navigate the path. Visit toward sunset and you'll see thousands of bats leave their dwellings and head for the starry night sky. Entering the caves is worth it, despite the garish labels painted on the rock formations. You could probably figure out yourself what the formations are, but signs point them out to you anyway: sapo (toad), oveja (sheep), tigre (tiger), or señora (woman).

You'll get wet and dirty, so wear old clothes. The interiors of the caverns are illuminated, but you'll appreciate a small flashlight.

If religious iconography is your thing, step inside this lovely church dating from 1813 to see its baroque interior. Many of the elaborate paintings and sculptures originally adorned La Merced in Antigua, but were moved here after earthquakes devastated that city. The church also has two small museums.

Despite opposition from the city council, which felt the town already had plenty of monasteries, La Recolección was inaugurated in 1717, the same year it was destroyed by an earthquake. Like many others, it was quickly rebuilt but shaken to the ground again in 1773. A stone arch still graces the church stairway, but the ceiling did not fare so well—it lies in huge jumbled blocks within the nave's crumbling walls. The 1976 earthquake inflicted further damage. The monastery is in better shape though, with spacious courtyards lined with low arches. Enter by a small path to the left of the church.

The Church of Our Lady of Mercy is one of Antigua's most eye-catching attractions, known for its fanciful yellow stucco facade that incorporates Mayan deities. The attached monastery, which has an immense stone fountain in the central courtyard, has excellent views of nearby volcanoes. The church was built in 1548, only to be destroyed by an earthquake in 1717. It was finally rebuilt in 1765, six years before a second massive earthquake forced the city to be abandoned. Architect Juan Luis de Dios Estrada wisely designed the church to be earthquake resistant. The squat shape, thick walls, and small, high windows are responsible for La Merced's surviving the 1773 quake with barely a crack. The church did suffer significant damage in the 1976 earthquake, but a massive restoration project reinforced the stone floor.

The beautiful adobe Iglesia de San Antonio Palopó stands in a stone plaza that marks the center of town. The interior is particularly peaceful. During the day the steps are a meeting place where all passersby are sure to stop for a while.

The Church of St. Francis, built by its namesake Franciscan order between 1800 and 1851, is known for its ornate wooden altar. A small museum explains the church's history.

The town's Iglesia de San Jacinto dates from 1524 and is said to be the oldest surviving church in Central America. It suffered severe structural damage in a 2001 earthquake.

This bluish church on the east side of Parque Benito Juárez is known for its unusual baroque design. Although lovely, it looks a bit out of place in the town's mix of Greek Revival and colonial structures.

The main road leads to the squat white 1547 Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol, the church dedicated to town patron, St. James the Apostle, but where Tzutuhil deities can be seen in the woodwork around the pulpit. Fondly remembered onetime American parish priest Father Stanley Rother was assassinated in the church rectory by right-wing death squads in 1981 for his outspoken support of the Tzutuhil cause.

Totonicapán's main church, the Iglesia San Miguel Arcángel, dedicated to its patron, the archangel Michael, dates from 1545, although much of what you see is actually post-earthquake reconstruction done in the late 19th century.