|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country:
|
|
|
Check-in date:
|
|
|
|
Destination: *
|
|
|
Check-out date:
|
|
|
|
Hotel:
|
|
|
Nights:
|
|
|
|
|
Barceló Guatemala City |
|
7 Avenida 15-45 Zona 9 Guatemala, 01009 Guatemala
|
|
Guatemala City
|
|
|
|
|
Guatemala
|
|
|
|
www.barceloguatemalacity.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Information about the Country |
|
|
The country covers an area of 108,889 km2 and approximately two-thirds of Guatemala are covered with mountains, many of volcanic origin. The high-lands include two parallel ranges, the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes. Guatemala City is the capital.
Its ecological and cultural diversity makes it one of the greatest tourist attractions of the region. The features of the country provide a variety of landscapes and different climates, and an abundant and rich array of flora and fauna.
The narrow Pacific side – damp and fertile in the middle – is home to most of the population. An important chain of volcanoes runs parallel to the Pacific coastline. |
|
View Larger Map |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Description of the Area
|
|
|
View Larger Map |
|
Guatemala City was founded in 1776, after a devastating earthquake destroyed the former Spanish capital city of Central America, “La cuidad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatamala”, now known as Antigua, Guatemala.
The rich array of cultural activities, entertainment, nightlife are partly what make the city so attractive, as well as its religious festivals and celebrations. The city is the best place to start out towards any other part of the country.
The Historical Town Centre holds innumerable buildings of great cultural value. The railway cafe-bridge divides the Cultural District of “Cuatro Grados Norte”, a meeting point for people of all ages, tastes and tendencies, from the “Centro Cívico” which houses all the Government offices; |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Places to See
|
|
|
 Antigua Guatemala (a 45-minute drive from the capital): In 1979 the UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. The valley holds top-quality coffee-growing estates. There are also tree-fellers, cake and candy manufacturers, stone-workers and masons, wax-modellers, firework-makers, manufacturers of glass ceramics known as mayólica by some historians, and its owls. The valley is also home to the famous jade filigree workshops. The most splendid celebration, which is also the greatest commemoration of spiritual life and artistic creation held each year, is the Lent Celebration and Easter. |
| Chichicastenango (approximately 4 hours’ drive away): Its name means “place of nettles”. Its open-air Market is very famous, offering the typical, varied merchandise which catches the visitors’ eye. The stall-holders come down from the hills on Thursdays and Sundays to sell their wares in the Central Square. This is the country’s most important and impressive Indigenous People’s Market. It has not changed much over the centuries. |
| Panajachel (approximately three and a half hours’ drive away): Some of its natural attractions are Atitlán Lake, the Panajachel River, El Tzala Waterfall and the Sape Stone Viewpoint. Folk dances include La Conquista, El Venado, Los Mexicanos and Los Negritos. Apart from Spanish, the language here is Kaqchikel. Kayaking is popular near the banks of the lake in Panajachel, as are canopy-bird watching in the San Buenaventura Reserve, eco-tourism and buying local handicrafts in Calle Santander. |
| Pacaya Volcano: This volcano is located between the Districts of Guatemala and Escuintla. The top is 2,552 metres above sea-level. It is a complicated volcanic massif. There are three, rounded hills in the central Eastern part of the massif. The Western side is known as Cerro Grande, and the other two hills are known as Cerro Chiquito. The North-western section of the massif must have seen tremendous volcanic explosions which caused several huge craters, such as the huge one holding the village of San Vicente Pacaya on its flat bottom; La Laguna de Calderas crater and another between this one and the middle part of the Amatitlán Lake. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gastronomy
|
|
|
Guatemaltecan cuisine uses a medley of spices which each give the dishes a particular and delicious flavour. A large number of spices used all over the world are grown in Guatemala.
Each typical dish has its own history, a history with some of the cultural and traditional elements of the country which the cook will be delighted to discuss with visitors. If you visit a market, the things you buy will contain all kinds of ingredients which will enrich your culinary vocabulary, from “rapadura” (raw cane sugar) to make sweet “torrejas” (a kind of French toast) to achiote fruit for kakik, a typical dish from Cobán. A typical meal changes from region to region, but satisfaction is guaranteed everywhere. Excellently-priced lobsters from the Caribbean coast and Pacific shrimp are two of the delicacies from our coastal areas. And of course, a hot bowl of “tapado”, which is the national version of bouillabaisse, with unusual ingredients like plaintains.
Thanks to the country’s biodiversity and microclimates, Guatamala produced exotic fruits like pitaya, pacaya and jocote, together with the more traditional melons and avocados which are supposed to have originated here.
Typical and traditional dishes are complemented by haute-cuisine restaurants, offering international chefs’ own creations using the variety of fresh, national ingredients.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shopping
|
|
|
Guatemala is the largest and most cosmopolitan City in Central America, with more than 2.5 million inhabitants. Many visitors are surprised by the shopping malls which range from exclusive boutiques to department stores. Because customs duty is very low in Guatemala, the prices are a lot lower than in the United States.
The new shopping malls have developed to become leisure centres with restaurants, cinemas and other attractions.
Local Markets are also a good alternative for tourists seeking typical souvenirs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fast Facts
|
|
|
| Official Time-Zone: GMT - 06:00 |
| Currency: Quetzal (GTQ) |
| Official Language: Spanish |
| Unofficial languages: 22 Mayan, Xinca and garífuna languages |
| Population: 13,002,206 (Estimated in July 2008) |
| Political Division: 22 “Departamentos” (Districts) and 334 Municipalities |
| GDP (PPP): (2007) US$ 65.282 billion |
| GDP: per capita US$ 4,333 |
| Electricity: The voltage supplied is 110V |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|