Guatemala: The Rough Guide - Softcover

Whatmore, Mark; Stewart, Iain

Softcover

ISBN 10: 185828323X ISBN 13: 9781858283234

Publisher: Rough Guides, 1998

Synopsis

INTRODUCTION

Spanning the narrow Central American isthmus, Guatemala is a physical and cultural microcosm of Latin America, incorporating an astonishing array of contradictions in a country roughly the size of Ireland. Uniquely, it still has a population which is at least half native American, and the strength of indigenous culture is greater here than perhaps anywhere else on the American continent. More than anywhere, Guatemala is the product of the merger of sophisticated pre-Columbian cultures with Spanish colonialism and the consumerist influences of modern America.

Today, its Maya society is a hybrid of pre-Conquest pagan traditions and more recent cultural and religious influences, which combine - above all in the highlands - to form perhaps the most distinctive culture in all of Latin America. Countering this is a powerful ladino society of equal strength, a blend of Latin machismo that is decidedly urban and commercial in its outlook. At the edges there is a certain blurring between the two cultures, but the contrast between the hustle of Guatemala City and the murmur of village markets could hardly be more extreme.

Both cultures have left Guatemala with an exceptional wealth of architectural and archeological remains, and it is this outstanding legacy that makes the country so compelling for the traveller. The Maya civilization, which dominated the entire region from 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish, has left its traces everywhere, and Guatemala is scattered with ruins, rising mysteriously out of the rainforest and marking out the more fertile of the highland valleys. These ancient cities, such as the magnificant Tikal, surrounded by pristine jungle, are a fascinating testament to a civilization of great complexity and with a tremendous enthusiam for architectural grandeur. In contrast, the country's ladino heritage is typified by the colonial grace and beauty of the former capital, Antigua, with almost every town or large village in the country boasting a whitewashed church, belltower and a classic Spanish-style plaza.

Physically, Guatemala offers an astonishing range of landscape, defined by extremes, and by regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (though you're unlikely to encounter either of these). In the south, the steamy ladino-dominated Pacific coastal plain rises towards a string of magnificent volcanic peaks that mark the southern limit of the central highlands. Beyond them lies a series of rolling hills and larger granite peaks, forming the country's heartland, and home to the vast majority of the indigenous population. The scenery here is astonishingly beautiful with unfeasibly picturesque lakes, forests and lush pine-clad hills, dotted with sleepy traditional villages. Further east towards the Caribbean coast, the landscape is more tropical, with mangrove swamps, banana plantations and coconut trees dominating. In the north of the country the peaks of the last great mountain range, the Cuchumatanes, drop off into the lowlands of PetŽn - a huge, sparsely populated area of virgin rainforest, among the best preserved in Latin America, which harbours a tremendous array of wildlife, including jaguar, ocelot, tapir, monkeys, storks and scarlet macaws. Further south, in the cloudforests near Cob‡n, you may glimpse the elusive quetzal, Guatemala's national symbol, or spot a lumbering manatee in the R'o Dulce.

All this natural beauty exists against the nagging background of Guatemala's turbulent and bloody history. Over the years the huge gulf between the rich and the poor, and between indigenous and ladino culture has produced bitter conflict. With the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords between the government and the former guerrillas, however, the armed confrontation ceased and things have calmed down considerably, though many of the country's deep-rooted inequalities remain. As a visitor, you are as safe in Guatemala as almost anywhere else in Latin America, and most travellers find the Guatemalans extraordinarily courteous and helpful. Though more reserved than the neighbouring Mexicans or Salvadorans and often formal in social situations, they are an incredibly friendly people, and you'll find most only too eager to help you out.

About this title

About the Author

After two years of travelling the world, Iain Stewart arrived in Guatemala and liked it so much he stayed. A few years on, he is the co-author of Rough Guides to the Maya World, Central America and author of Ibiza & Formentera DIRECTIONS. Now based in South London, he is also a journalist and restaurant critic and takes every opportunity to return to Central America.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Where to go

Whilst each region has its own particular attractions, it is to the Maya-dominated western highlands that most travellers head first, and rightly so. The colour, the markets, the fiestas, the culture, and above all the people make it a wholly unique experience. And it seems almost an unfair bonus that all this is set in countryside of such mesmerizing beauty: for photographers, it's heaven. Among the highlights are Antigua, the delightful colonial capital whose laid-back atmosphere and cafŽ society contrasts with the hectic, fume-filled bustle of the current capital Guatemala City, and Lake Atitl‡n, ringed by sentinel-like volcanoes in a setting of exceptional beauty. The shores of the lake are dotted with traditional indigenous villages, as well as a few tranquil low-key settlements, such as Santa Cruz and San Marcos, where there are just a handful of hotels and some good walking possibilities. More lively is the booming lakeside resort of Panajachel, with excellent restaurants, cafŽs and textile stores, and the bohemian San Pedro whose alternative scene and rock-bottom prices attract travellers from all over the world. High up above the lake, the traditional Maya town of Solol‡ has one of the country's best markets (and least-touristy), a complete contrast to the vast twice-weekly affair at Chichicastenango, with its incredible selection of weavings and handicrafts. Further west, the sleepy provincial city of Quetzaltenango (Xela) makes a good base for exploring the market towns of Momostenango, famed for its wool production, and San Francisco el Alto, before heading north to Huehuetanango, gateway to Guatemala's greatest mountain range, the Cuchumatanes. Here, you'll find excellent walking, superb scenery and some of the most isolated and traditional villages in the Maya world, with Nebaj, in the Ixil triangle, and Todos Santos both making good bases from which to explore.

The Pacific coast (usually taken to mean the entire coastal plain) is generally hot and dull, with scrubby, desolate beaches backed by a smattering of mangrove swamps. The sole exception is the relaxed seaside village of Monterrico, part of a wildlife reserve where you can watch sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Inland, the region includes some of the country's most productive farmland, devoted purely to commercial agriculture, and dotted with bustling urban centres such as Esquintla and Retalhuleu. Points of interest are thin on the ground, confined mainly to the pre-Columbian ruins of Abaj Takalik and the three minor sites around the town of Santa Luc'a.

None of these, however, can compete with the archeological wonders of PetŽn. This unique lowland area, which makes up about a third of the country, is covered with dense rainforest - only now threatened by development - that is alive with wildlife and dotted with superb Maya ruins. The only town of any size is Flores, superbly situated on Lake PetŽn Ixta, from where you can easily reach Tikal, the most impressive of all the Maya sites, rivalling any ruin in Latin America. The region's rainforest also hides numerous smaller sites, including Ceibal, Yaxchil‡n (just across the border in Mexico) and Uaxactœn, while adventurous travellers may seek out PetŽn's more remote ruins, such as the dramatic, pre-Classic El Mirador (possibly even larger than Tikal), which requires days of tough travel to reach.

Finally, the east of the country includes another highland area, this time with little to offer the visitor, though in the Motagua valley you'll find the superb Maya site of Quirigu‡, while just over the border in Honduras are the first-class ruins of Cop‡n. Further into Honduras are the idyllic Bay Islands, whose pristine coral reefs offer some of the finest scuba-diving and snorkelling in the Caribbean. You can also travel up into the rain-soaked highlands of the Verapaces, similar in many ways to the central highlands, though fresher and greener. Here, Lake Izabal drains, via the R'o Dulce through a dramatic gorge, to the Caribbean. At the mouth of the river is the funky town of L'vingston, an outpost of Caribbean culture and home to Guatemala's only black community.

When to go

Guatemala enjoys one of the most pleasant climates on earth, with the bulk of the country enjoying warm or hot days with mild or cool evenings year-round. The immediate climate is largely determined by altitude. In those areas between 1300 and 1600 metres, which includes Guatemala City, Antigua, Lake Atitl‡n, Chichicastenago and Cob‡n, the air is almost always fresh and the nights cool and, despite the heat of the mid-day sun, humidity is never a problem. However, parts of the provinces of Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango and the Ixil triangle are above this height, so have a cool, damp climate with distinctly cold nights. Low-lying PetŽn suffers from sticky, steamy conditions most of the year, as do the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, though here at least you can usually rely on the welcome relief of a sea breeze.

The rainy season runs roughly from May to October, with the worst of the rain falling in September and October. In PetŽn, however, the season can extend into December, whilst around Cob‡n and on the Caribbean coast it can rain at any time of the year. Even at the height of the wet season, though, the rain is usually confined to late afternoon downpours with most of the rest of the day being warm and pleasant. In many parts of the country you can travel without disruption throughout the rainy season, although in the more out-of-the-way places, like the Cuchumatanes, flooding may slow you down by converting the roads into a sea of mud. Also, if you intend visiting PetŽn's more remote ruins, you'd be well advised to wait until February, as the mud can be thigh deep at the height of the rains. The busiest time for tourists is between December and March, though plenty of people take their summer vacations here in July and August. This is also the period when the language schools and hotels are at their fullest, and many of them hike their prices correspondingly.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 185828323X
• ISBN 13: 9781858283234
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432