Guatemala Travel Guide

General Information

• Weather Guide - Offers daily high and lows for popular destinations in the country....just click scroll down on the left hand side and click on "Guatemala."

• CIA Fact Book - The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's Fact Book on Guatemala.

• Passport Info. - A helpful "how to" site for American citizens interested in applying for a passport.

• Country Map - A large (348K) map of Guatemala.

• Guatemala City Map - A large (348K) map of Guatemala City.

• Travel Advisory - Guatemala - This site provides updated consular information from Guatemala, including travel warnings about dangerous regions, reports about recent unsafe activity or political instability and general travel advisories related to ongoing health hazards or tourist safety. Please check this site before you travel to help ensure secure travel.

Getting There & Around

• Sanborn's Insurance - The authorities on getting you from the USA/Canada to México and Central America via car. Auto insurance, excellent road maps, tips and other must-have resources for those who prefer to leave the flying to the birds.

Hotels & Restaurants

• Hotels & Travel in Guatemala - List of hotels broken down by region and price.

• Guatemala Web - Hotel Guide - Offers a wide range of hotels listed for locations throughout the country.

Language Related

• AmeriSpan Unlimited - AmeriSpan specializes in Spanish Immersion, Volunteer & Internship programs in Latin America and Spain for travelers and businesspeople. Currently, there are 40 programs available in 15 different countries.

• Languages of Guatemala - The awesome Ethnologue Database. Includes entries on Guatemala's many indigenous languages and Spanish.

• Ahora Hablo! Medical Edition - This medical Spanish book is pocket-sized and includes vocabulary for dental and vision care as well as many specialized areas such as obstetrics and cardiology.

News & Culture

• Arte Maya T'zutuhil Gallery - An on-line museum featuring painters and paintings from the Highlands of Guatemala.

• Art Classes in Antigua, Guatemala - A series of seminars running from October through April and featuring classes in watercolor, folk art, needlepoint, and backstrap weaving.

• Prensa Libre - Spanish language newspaper on-line.

Staff Picks

• Gordita! - By: Artis H. - Guestblogger from Antigua

• First Week in Antigua, Guatemala - By: Artis H. - Guestblogger from Antigua

• Surfing Lesson - By: Artis H. - Guestblogger from Antigua

• A Weekend Adventure in Guatemala - By: Artis H. - Guestblogger from Antigua

• El Lago de Atitlan - By: Artis H. - Guestblogger from Antigua

• Learn Spanish in Antigua - Videos - Watch two videos touring Antigua and nearby points of interest.

• Participant Insight: Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala - Guest blogger Sarina R. describes her experiences in Antigua.

Travel & Tourism

• Sierramar Adventures - One of Amerispan's favorites. Unique cultural-historical tours to Copán Ruins, Río Dulce, the Garífuna town of Livingston, and meetings with real-life Mayan shamans.

• Destination Guatemala - From the famous Lonely Planet guidebook folks

• Study Abroad Break: Shopaholics Delight in Chichi (Articles/Travelogues) - Practice your Spanish and shop till you drop at this famous market in the Guatemalan highlands!

• Learn Spanish in Antigua - Videos (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch two videos touring Antigua and nearby points of interest.

• Merging of Beliefs: Maximon (Cultural) - In Guatemala, Maximon dressed in a fancy trousers and coat, leather shoes, Stetson hat and silk scarves, is thought to be part Mayan God (Mam) and part Catholic Saint.

• Maximon, Guatemala's Evil Saint (Cultural) - No trip to Guatemala could possibly be complete without a visit to see Maximon!

• Favorite Foods in Guatemala (Cultural) - In a country where the word for “fat” is not considered an insult, people spend a lot of time eating!

• Volunteering Abroad - The Next Step in Helping (Articles/Travelogues) - In light of recent events, a new focus has been placed on helping others in need. While it is a wonderful opportunity to help out in your home country, the rewards of volunteering in countries overseas are limitless.

• The Feast of the Goat (Book Reviews) - Karli Goldman reviews "The Feast of the Goat"

• The Adventures of Don Quixote (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller gives us her two cents on Cervante's Don Quixote

• El Ciberspanglish (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish about how Spanish is adopting English words, especially related to technology.

• SAP on the news- How do they do it? (Learning A language) -

• The Food and Wines of Spain (A cookbook) (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Beth Klemick reviews this great cookbook.

• One Hundred Years of Solitude (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Beth Klemick reviews this classic.

• The Art of Flamenco Dance (Cultural) - Former AmeriSpanista Anne-Marie recalls learning about Flamenco while visiting Granada.

• Before Night Falls (Movie Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller reviews Before Night Falls.

• Gazpacho (Recipes) - Cold tomato-cucumber soup popular in Mexico & Spain.

• Plato Pescado Carribiano (Recipes) - A traditional Caribbean dish.

• Spanish Tortilla (Recipes) - For a little taste of Spain in your own kitchen, try this delicious dish.

• The Obnoxious Tourist - Are You One? (Articles/Travelogues) - Helpful hints to avoid this being labeled as obnoxious.

• Isabelle Allende (An interview) (Cultural) - AmeriSpan's Jim Kane interviews Isabel Allende

• Flan de Queso (Recipes) - A yummy, creamy dessert.

• Empanadas Cordobesas (Recipes) - Empanadas Cordobesas (from the Marianacci Kitchen in Córdoba, Argentina)

• Churros (Recipes) - Churros (traditional snack)

• Hunger of Memory (Book Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Liz Cleveland reviews Richard Rodriguez’s autobiography.

• ¡Yo! (Book Reviews) - Liz Cleveland of AmeriSpan reviews this book.

• Maria, Full of Grace (Movie Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Sue Lavene reviews this movie.

• Tres Leches (Recipes) - Tres Leches means 3 milks and gets its name from the 3 different kinds of milk added to make the cake. It is a popular dessert in many Latin American countries.

• Arroz con Leche (Recipes) - A typical dessert of Spain

• Ceviche (Recipes) - A traditional fish dish.

• Aterciopelados (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Carol LaMastra reviews Pipa de la Paz, an album by Aterciopelados

• Ozomatli (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Suzanne Keller reviews Ozomatli

• Cesaria Evora (Music Reviews) - AmeriSpan's Carol LaMastra reviews Cesaria Evora: Café Atlantico and lists a couple of runner-ups.

• Are Language Skills Enough? (Learning A language) - Article on the importance of cross-cultural communication

• Get an Edge in the Job Market (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - AmeriSpan's Business and Professional language programs can give you an edge in the job market and make your resume stand out.

• Learning a Language? Add Some Fun! (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Discover AmeriSpan's 'Language and Fun' programs

• Tips for Traveling Inexpensively (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - These days, from the weak dollar to the outrageous airfares, traveling abroad may seem out of the question. We beg to differ! There are many ways you can travel that are budget-friendly. We’ve gathered together some of our favorite cheap travel tips to help you make your trip a reality!

• AmeriSpan Study Abroad Named LTM's 2011 Best Agency in North America (Press Releases) - AmeriSpan awarded LTM's Best Agency in North America for the third year in a row.