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Guatemala: a beginner’s guide

Lake Atitlan

Guatemala was once a major block of New Spain, the viceroyalty that spread from Central America up into Texas and California, across to Florida and the Caribbean, down to Nicaragua and eastwards to the Philippines.

Top five attractions 

  • The Mayan ruins of Tikal and the surrounding Petén jungle.
  • Lago Atitlán, a beautiful highland lake ringed by volcanoes.
  • The twice-weekly market at Chichicastenango in the Maya-dominated western highlands.
  • The natural limestone pools of Semuc Champey.
  • The Cuchumatanes mountain range for hiking.


Best city 
Antigua, the old capital, a global centre of Spanish language-learning, which is also a delightful, low-slung colonial city with some great coffee shops and restaurants.

Souvenir to buy 
Hand-woven textiles from the highland markets.

Quirky Guatemala 
All Saints Day is celebrated with an alcohol-fuelled horse race in the village of Todos Santos Cuchumatán. The festival runs from October 31 to November 2, with the race on November 1.

Read 
‘Mr President’, by the Nobel literature prize-winner Miguel Angel Asturias, about a Latin American dictator.

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  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

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    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

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    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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    Rosie Kay - Travel Expert

    During a career break, Rosie embarked on an unforgettable year-long backpacking trip across Latin America. Now back in the UK, she is excited to share her knowledge and experiences with others, helping them discover her favourite place in the world.

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