123 Best Sights in Guatemala

Yaxhá is part of the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo Natural Monument. Though less expansive than Tikal, many report preferring its intimacy. It is relatively easy to reach by car from the Belize border, with a guide tour from San Ignacio, Belize, or by a guided tour from Flores or El Remate. From the Belize border it's about 25 miles (43 km), or an hour, by car, on roads that are passable even in the rainy season. There is a visitor center and small museum here, along with restrooms. It can be seen in about half a day, and wildlife, including spider and howler monkeys, animates its trees. The ruins, built of an unusual light-toned limestone, give it a different feel than most other ruins in the region. Only rarely are there more than a handful of visitors at Yaxhá.

Overlooking a beautiful lake of the same name, the ruins of Yaxhá are divided into two sections of rectangular structures that form plazas and streets.

A guide is a good idea here, because it is not obvious what all the structures are.

Here's what is known: The city was probably inhabited between the pre-Classic and Classic periods, and at its peak contained 20,000 people. It was also an important ally of nearby Tikal. Only a portion of the estimated 500 structures are visible at present, the most famous of which is designated Templo 216, Yaxhá's highest edifice with splendid views of the adjoining lake and rain forest.

Lake Yaxhá—the name, pronounced yah--shah, translates as "green waters"—surrounded by virgin rain forest, is a good bird-watching spot. In the middle of the lake sit the ruins of Isla Topoxté, a fortress dating from the post-Classic period about AD 1000, and the site of one of the last strongholds against Spanish invaders. Ask the park staff here about transportation. Someone can take you if you pay for the boat's gas. Crocodiles inhabit the lake.

You can camp at Yaxhá, or stay at the solar-powered jungle lodge, Camapmento Ecológico El Sombrero (502/7861–1687) about 1 mile (2 km) south of the Yaxhá ruins.

The ancient city of Zaculeu, 4 km (2 miles) from Huehuetenango, was built around AD 600 by the Mam people. The site was chosen for its strategic location, as it has natural barriers on three sides. The defenses worked all too well against the Spanish. Realizing they could not take the Zaculeu people by force, the Spaniards chose instead to starve them out. Within two months they surrendered. Today the ruins consist of a few pyramids, a ball court, and a two-room museum that gives a few insights into the world of the Mam. The site's restoration is said to be the worst in all of Guatemala, as the original archaeologists simply covered the pyramids with concrete, which was not a common building material in pre-Colombian Central America. Admission is Q25.

The so-called "lively zone" is undoubtedly the most cosmopolitan area of town. The daytime crowd is mostly business executives, but at night a more vivacious bunch takes over. The precise definition of the neighborhood differs depending on whom you talk to, but it roughly centers on the area from avenidas La Reforma and 4, and calles 12 and 14, fanning out from there. Streets accommodate pedestrians overflowing from the narrow sidewalks on which restaurants have introduced outdoor seating, and lines extend from bars. You won't find the boutiques that characterize most upscale neighborhoods; those that do exist are mostly inside the large, international chain hotels. An exception to this is Plaza Fontabella (4 Av. 12–59), an attractive outdoor mall with a variety of upscale shops selling everything from books to home decor to custom-made suits.