123 Best Sights in Guatemala

About 10 blocks north of Parque Centro América is this palm-lined park where many families spend their Sunday afternoons. Ice-cream stands are in glorious abundance.

Surrounded by old colonial buildings, this tree-lined square is the center of Antigua and one of Latin America's most pleasant central parks. Residents and travelers alike pass quiet afternoons on shady benches listening to the trickling Fuente de las Sirenas ("fountain of the sirens"), conversing with neighbors, and getting their shoes shined under the jacaranda trees. Flowering esquisúchil (borage) trees accent the park; locals refer to them as árboles de Hermano Pedro, the tree of Pedro de San José Betancur, Guatemala's own saint. Legend holds that the flowers have curative powers for all manner of ailments. A 2016 park refurbishment laid new flower beds and installed new benches, rails, and energy-efficient LED illumination. The park is a Wi-Fi hot spot.

As in most colonial villages, the heart of Chichicastenango is its central square, and any tour begins here. It's pretty tranquil here when the market isn't open, but not on Thursday and Sunday when hundreds of vendors (and buyers) arrive from near and far. The market long ago outgrew this square, and spills onto adjoining streets. All the major sights are either here or nearby. Three blocks north is Arco Gucumatz, an arch over 5 Avenida where you watch vendors heading to the square the night before or very early the morning of market day.

The town surrounds its Parque Central, where you'll find a pretty fountain, oyster-shaped bandstand, and relief map of the region.

The city's central plaza, ablaze with pepper trees, is one of the most beautiful in Central America. It is surrounded by neoclassical architectural masterpieces, most of which date from the early 20th century (earthquakes took their toll on older colonial structures), such as the magnificent building called Pasaje Enríquez, built in 1900 in the style of a center-city European shopping arcade. Bees buzz around the park's numerous flower beds. Be careful if you're susceptible to harm from their stings.

On the road west to San Pedro, Parque de la Paz commemorates 11 Tzutuhil people, including several children, who were killed when the army open fired on a peaceful demonstration that protested the military presence here. The memorial is a sober reminder of Guatemala's tortured past.

Near Templo El Calvario, the park sits on what used to be a privately owned plantation. Today it is filled with lush vegetation and winding paths that have great views of the town. There are also picnic facilities and a play area for kids. Robberies have occurred here; we advise against making the visit without a guide. Aventuras Turísticas leads daily tours to the park.

Local shamans lead villagers in special rites at this site whose name translates as "stone of sacrifice" perched on a hilltop south of town. The shrine is dedicated to Huyup Tak'ah, the Mayan god of the earth, who receives offerings of flowers, incense, liquor, and, occasionally, slaughtered chickens. Because it's one of the most accessible of the highland shrines, Pascual Abaj often attracts travelers eager to see these rituals firsthand. Be as unobtrusive as possible, and always ask permission before taking photos. (The answer will almost always be no, though.) To see the shrine, follow 9 Calle until you see the signs for the narrow footpath up the hill. Boys hanging around the Parque Central will offer to guide you to the shrine for a small fee, and can tell you when the rituals will take place. Robberies of tourists have occurred along the route, so we recommend using the services of the official red-vested INGUAT guides instead. There is a mask factory on-site.

The Casa Santo Domingo hotel complex features six small museums on its Museums Promenade: Colonial; Archaeology; Pre-Colombian Art and Modern Glass; Marco Augusto Quiroa and the Artist Halls, which has contemporary art; Pharmacy; and Silver There are also workshops where you can watch wax and ceramics being crafted. All are open to the public.

Some people refer to this expanse as the Parque Central, but, despite a few trees, it's more vast concrete plaza than park. Clustered around this historic square are landmarks that survived the 19th and 20th centuries' earthquakes. One original building did not get through the 1917 earthquake: the colonial-era Palacio del Gobierno, which once stood on the plaza's west side, was leveled and later cleared, adding a second city block to the expanse of the square. In the center of the plaza is a fountain where children sometimes splash while their parents relax on the nearby benches. Photographers set up shop here on weekends, putting up small backdrops of rural scenes—you can have your picture taken in front of them. On Sunday, the best day to go, the plaza is filled with vendors and families relaxing on their day off.

Southwest of the town of Sayaxché is the remains of the fortress of Punta de Chimino, 2½ miles (4 km) north of Aguateca. It was the last residence of the area's besieged royal families as the area descended into chaos in the 10th century AD. The defenders dug several moats into the peninsula where the fort stood, turning it into an island.

Quiriguá, a Mayan city that dates from the Classic period, is famous for the amazingly well-preserved stelae, or carved pillars, which are the largest yet discovered, and dwarf those of Copán, Honduras, some 50 km (30 miles) south. The stelae depict Quiriguá's ruling dynasty, especially the powerful Cauac Chan (Jade Sky), whose visage appears on nine of the structures circling the Great Plaza. Stela E, the largest of these, towers 10 meters (33 feet) high and weighs 65 tons. Several monuments, covered with interesting zoomorphic figures, still stand. The most interesting of these depicts Cauac Chan's conquest of Copán and the subsequent beheading of its then-ruler, 18 Rabbit. The remains of an acropolis and other structures have been partially restored. The ruins are surrounded by a strand of rain forest—an untouched wilderness in the heart of banana country. A small museum here gives insight into Quiriguá's history.

Declared a protected area in 1997, Refugio de Vida Silvestre Bocas del Polochic is home to more than 250 species of birds, including blue herons, kingfishers, and snowy egrets. If you're lucky, you'll spot the blue-throated motmot. On the western end of Lago Izabal, the country's largest wetland encompasses more than 51,000 acres. The Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza (Defenders of Nature Foundation) manages the private reserve. From the office in El Estor you can arrange a guided boat trip to the reserve and a visit to the Q'eqchí village of Selempín, with meals prepared by local women. The foundation also runs a remote ecolodge at the base of the Sierra de las Minas. The thatch-roof lodge has rooms with bunk beds and a full kitchen.

A midnight thunderstorm is magical, but regardless of the weather you'll hear the roar of howler monkeys well into the evening.

The Reserva Natural Atitlán has a walking trail that loops through a small river canyon, crossing suspension bridges and passing a butterfly atrium and enclosures of spider monkeys and coatimundis. If you feel like playing Tarzan, the complex contains a zip-line tour (Q150), where you glide through the forest canopy courtesy of a series of cables, a helmet, and a very secure harness. There's also a private beach for a bit of post-educational relaxation. Campsites are available in the park, or if you'd like a bit more luxury, cabins ($$), albeit spartan ones, are also available.

Anyone can buy a huipil as a souvenir of Guatemala. How about coming home with a few flashy moves that will wow your friends on the dance floor? The Salsa Rosa dance studio gives group salsa lessons each weeknight at 6 pm, and the cost is a bargain Q25 per hour. (Instruction is in Spanish.) You can also opt for private lessons daily except Sunday for Q60 per hour—equally a bargain, we think—and delve into the fine art of salsa, merengue, cha-cha, or lambada. If you're new to Latin dancing, we recommend sticking with the relatively simpler merengue, which works well with an amazing variety of pop music back home. Call a couple of days in advance to make an appointment for private lessons and to arrange for an English-speaking instructor if you need one.

Often praised as the most beautiful spot in Guatemala, Semuc Champey lives up to that lofty billing. The site appears to be a series of emerald pools surrounded by dense forest and limestone canyon. On further investigation you'll notice that the pools actually form the top of a natural arch through which the raging Río Cahabón flows. Local legend has it that various explorers have tried to enter the underground passage by lowering themselves over the lip of the arch; many turned back right away, while some were swallowed up, their bodies never recovered.

You'll find a series of trails of various lengths here. Bring practical shoes. We recommend starting in the morning with the hour-long Mirador trail which takes you high above the site to give you a feel for the lay of the land (and the water). After that tiring trek, you'll appreciate the shorter, 20-minute Champey trail which leads you to the whirlpools for a refreshing swim. (There are no lifeguards here; swim at your own risk.) The half-hour Cahabón trail takes you back to the park entrance past the point where the river emerges from the cave. If possible, try to avoid holidays, when crowds of visitors dilute the natural experience of the park.

Olmec meets Mayan at Takalik Abaj, a little-known complex of ruins tucked away in the southwestern corner of the country. Historically, this lowland location gave far better access to central and southern Mexico than did sites elsewhere in Guatemala, and the Olmec influence was stronger here than other places around the country. Inhabitants of Takalik Abaj also formed strong commercial ties with Kaminaljuyú, on the site of present-day Guatemala City.

The name means "standing stones" in Quiché, a moniker given to the site by those who uncovered it in the 1880s. (No one is certain what its original inhabitants called the place, as is the case with the majority of Guatemala's indigenous ruins.) What is known is that the site dates from the Preclassic period, and was inhabited from the 8th century BC to AD 9th century, peaking about AD 200. The standing-stone name is apt: Takalik Abaj is home to almost 300 well-preserved stelae, made of granite, unlike the limestone used at ruins in northern Guatemala's Petén region. Several small pyramids round out the offerings on the site.

Guides staff the booth at the site entrance, and can provide you with a tour. These folks don't see a lot of visitors, so a Q15 tip is always appreciated. Alternatively, the nearby Takalik Maya Lodge can set you up with a tour.

A short walk from the modern markets of central Cobán sits the city's best known sight, which offers one of the best views in the area.

Tradition holds that an indigenous hunter happened upon a pair of sleeping jaguars here, but decided not to kill them. He later returned to the location to find an image of Jesus, which town elders took as a sign that a church should be built at the site. The present El Calvario is not that original church; the structure you see dates from 1810, and sits at the top of a cobblestone path with 130 steps, each representing a bead of the rosary. A series of small shrines, each sheltering a cross darkened with ash, lines the path up to the church. The lowest shrine is traditionally devoted to prayers of any type. The middle stop is for requests related to affairs of the heart. The highest shrine, near the church entrance, is the place to pray for good health. If you light a votive candle, pay attention to the way the flame burns: local belief says an upright, vertical flame is a sure sign your prayer will be answered; any flickering of smoke or tilting of the flame portends a less certain response.

Terra-X handle real estate and property management.

The 4,000-year-old city of Uaxactún once rivaled Tikal's supremacy in the region. It was conquered by Tikal in the fourth century and lived in the shadow of that great city for centuries. Inscriptions show that Uaxactún existed longer than any other Mayan city, which may account for the wide variety of structures. Here, among the stelae and palaces, you'll find a Mayan astronomical observatory (designated "Structure E-VII-B"), thought to be the oldest in Mesoamerica. From the observatory, the sun lines up precisely on the solstices and equinoxes. As the excavated ruins here are much smaller and less impressive than at Tikal, you won't have to fight the crowds as you do at neighboring Tikal, leaving you free to enjoy the quiet and mystic air of the ruins. Although there are daily local buses from Santa Elena to the village of Uaxactún near the ruins, you'll probably want to arrange with a tour company in Flores to see the Mayan site. Predawn tours from Flores are beautiful. Some multinight tours combine a visit to El Zotz with one to Uaxactún.

Valhalla offers daily macadamia tours from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Guests can sample and purchase macadamia nuts, chocolates and macadamia skin care products. Proceeds from tour fees and purchases fund a sustainability program that encompasses reforestation and provides employment to area farmers. An on-site café features macadamia-themed food including that farm’s yummy pancakes.

Run by the friendly Millie Mittelstaedt de Hernández, this magnificent orchid farm is a good place for an afternoon jaunt. The farm grows 400 different species native to Guatemala, and Mittelstaedt clearly enjoys sharing her passion with visitors, pointing out breathtaking blossoms and describing the painstaking process of coaxing the temperamental ornamentals to bloom. The orchids flower in late November through February; Cobán's International Orchid Festival is held annually the last week of November.

We'll call the adjoining Xetulul a bit more "Epcot Center-y." It expands on Xocomil's Mayan theme, but incorporates pavilions devoted to colonial Guatemala, as well as Spain, Italy, and France into its complex, with several fun amusement rides to boot.

Wet and wild, Xocomil is a water park of which there are many in this part of the country. The Mayan-themed structures tend a bit toward the cheesy side, but it's a well-integrated design that encompasses waterslides, wave pools, and more tranquil children's pools in the park.