One of the most colorful countries of Central America, one of the centers of the Mayan civilization, exotic and tropical rainforests - all this is an amazing Guatemala .In Guatemala, you should go if you are intolerant to get acquainted with these Indians, to participate in mystical shamanic rituals, to see with your own eyes the villages in which the descendants of the legendary Maya live, immerse themselves in the local customs and visit the amazingly bright colors and unusual traditions of the pagan festival .Tourists from all over the world rush to Guatemala to enjoy the beauty of the local nature and monuments of antiquity .

The capital is the city of Guatemala.

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How to get

La Aurora International Airport is 6 km south of the historic center of Guatemala City. Most flights here come from the cities of North America. From Moscow, it is convenient to get one transfer with Iberia (docking in Madrid) and Lufthansa (docking in Frankfurt), as well as with KLM and Aeroflot airplanes with transfers in Amsterdam and Panama (travel time 16-17 hours without taking into account transplantation). In other air carriers, the second transit point is often Miami. The second most important airport in the country is in Flores.

Real adventurers can buy an air ticket to Cancun and from there go to Guatemala by bus or, flying to Mexico City, continue their journey by budget airlines (a ticket to Tapachula on the border of Mexico and Guatemala costs about 100 USD, to Guatemala City - 130 USD). From Miami, flight to Spirit Airlines to Guatemala City will cost 170 USD.

Bus communication is established with Mexico, El Salvador, Belize and Honduras, the railway - only with Mexico. And the last option for the most restless - to get to Guatemala by sea from Belize.

Guatemala visa

Citizens of Russia are allowed visa-free entry to Guatemala for a period of not more than 90 days.

Customs

Foreign currency can be imported and exported without restrictions (declaration is mandatory), and national - is not recommended. Persons over 18 years of age can bring up to 80 cigarettes or about 100 g of tobacco and up to 1.5 liter of alcohol (but not more than 2 bottles). In the declaration at the entrance it is necessary to indicate all imported valuables. It is not allowed to export antiques, archaeological valuables, rare animals and birds from the country, as well as their stuffed animals and skins.

Useful phones

Embassy of Guatemala in Moscow: st. Cow's shaft, 7, entrance 4, off. 98; tel .: (499) 238-22-14, 238-59-14, fax: (499) 238-14-46

Embassy of Russia in the city of Guatemala: 2A, Avenida 12-85, zona 14, Ciudad de Guatemala; tel .: 236-809-79, 236-727-65; website

Tourist office of Guatemala (INGUAT) 331-13-33 or (801) 464-82-81 (round the clock and free of charge).

Ambulance 128, fire brigade 122, police 110 or 120.

Codes of some cities: Guatemala - 2, Antigua Guatemala - 9, Amatitlan - 9, Quetzaltenango - 9, Puerto Barrios - 9, Sacapa - 9, San Jose - 9.

Communication

In the capital and popular tourist areas, you can easily find an Internet cafe or use Wi-Fi at the airport or hotel. Call to another country can be from the meeting point (at the post office), and inside the country - from a street phone-machine.

Types of Guatemala

Xel volcanoes

Pyramids of Jaguar

Transport Guatemala

Public transport in Guatemala is called camioneta and is a park of old state school buses. The main person in such a bus is a conductor who, leaning out of the open door, screams the route of the movement (many locals are illiterate) and functions as turn signals and stop lamps. Landing can be carried out even at the crossroads, the trip is inexpensive.

Pleasant, safer and more expensive to travel on tourist shuttles, they run between the main cities, they will pick you up at the hotel and bring back. All seats are sessile, buses are divided into classes according to the degree of comfort. There is a taxi, we advise you to discuss the price before landing. Some national parks can be reached only by boat.

The railway connects the cities of Puerto Barrios and Santo Tomas de Castilla on the Caribbean coast with the capital and the Pacific coast. To the north and south of the country there are secondary railway lines. Domestic flights connect major cities with each other. For example, four flights depart from Guatemala to Flores every day.

Rent a car

With car rental in Guatemala no problem, you will need to leave a deposit, but the availability of a bank card is not necessarily .Driver must be over 25 years old .The insurance does not cover damage from theft, so the car should be left only on paid parking, and in the capital to drive with closed windows and locked doors .To take a light car is meaningless, country roads are too tough for them .Getting lost in the maze of the streets of a small city, you should not ask the way for women - they are rarely up to date, and men can give false "testimonies" with the most serious form..In the department of Petain roads are worst developed, there is one good highway to Flores, but it passes through a dangerous area - it is not recommended to go by a small group .The most expensive option for renting is a car with a driver, but also the most convenient option is $$ .

Tourist safety in Guatemala

The most insecure region of the country is its capital. In separate areas of Guatemala City, a single traveler is better off not to meddle. In busy places (markets, congestion of tourists) hold on tightly to the wallet. Expensive jewelry, it is better to leave the clock at home, and not to carry large amounts of cash. Single excursions (to the volcano, for example) - is also not the best idea. The police in most cases can not be counted, the country has a very high level of corruption.

You should also observe the necessary precautions regarding your health: do not drink tap water and do not brush it with teeth, do not buy cut fruits in a street bazaar, do not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables, do not have dinner in a dubious eatery. Special vaccinations before the trip do not need, it will not be superfluous to only inoculate against malaria, and do not forget to stock up with a quality repellent and sunscreen.

The climate of Guatemala is

The weather differs in different parts of the country, because the height above sea level varies greatly. In general, the climate is mild, in the south it is more humid, tropical, with an average air temperature of +28 ° C. On the plateau it is cooler - an average of +20 ° C. The hottest months are February-May. From May to October, tropical rains provoke floods and hurricanes. In December - January at night, the temperature can drop to -10 ° C in the mountains and to 0 ° C on the plateau. See also the current weather forecast in Guatemala.

Guatemala hotels

Hotels in Guatemala are usually located in an old house with a small courtyard. It is better to book a room in advance by checking the availability of a bathroom and hot water. The final cost of accommodation in a non-international hotel is better to ask several times to avoid unpleasant surprises when leaving.

Usually hotels work on the bed and breakfast system with a buffet for breakfast. Outside the major cities, the hotel reception can not work at night. The staff speaks Spanish and English.

To immerse yourself in the local culture is best to stay in the guesthouse. There is more home environment, full board is offered, and owners will be happy to show the surroundings.

Money and currency exchange

Along with the national currency, free circulation in the country has a US dollar. You can change the currency in banks (open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 to 16.30, break from 12.30 to 14.30, on Saturday - from 9.00 to 12.30), currency exchange offices (casas de cambio, Spanish), at the airport, as well as in stores and hotels. In most cases, you can pay by credit card (with preference given to Visa, and MasterCard is not respected).

Exchange ketzal outside the country is unreal, get rid of it before you leave. Usually reverse exchange is possible only up to 100 USD.

Shopping and shopping Guatemala

Guatemalan craftsmen are skilled in the art of making amazing carpets .The country is famous for its jewelry, antiques and wool products, which are sold at reasonable prices..Approximately a third of the price can be knocked down during bargaining .Clothing in the national style of the most insane colors can be purchased at the market .Souvenir shops are filled with products with the image of a national bird - ketzal .Main food souvenirs from Guatemala - coffee and chocolate .In Antigua make excellent cakes and masterfully copy the stone products of Maya . The most famous Indian market in the whole of Central America is in Chichicastenango. He works on Thursdays and Sundays. Merchants and buyers come here from all the provinces of Guatemala, and it looks the same as a few centuries ago. Here you can buy variegated fabrics, masks, llama wool ponchos, Indian bags, figurines-mascots and much more.

Guatemala's cuisine and restaurants

The cuisine of Guatemala is similar to Mexican, based on maize, fried meat, rice and beans. All dishes are abundantly seasoned with herbs and spices. Meat is often cooked on the grill or stewed in pots. The bird is fried on a spit and served with vegetables. Meat sausages are also popular. A traditional dessert is a burrito with a sweet filling, ice cream or fruit for the season. A traditional meal is not without a cup of strong aromatic coffee. Here and there, since the time of Maya, the traditions of Indian cuisine have survived.

Guatemala Entertainment, Guided Tours and Attractions

There are 11 national parks and reserves in the country with diverse flora and fauna. Here is the deepest lake in Central America - Atitlan, its depth is 340 meters. At the foot of the volcanoes in the vicinity of the lake are the descendants of the Maya tribe. All the lakes of the country are clean and picturesque.

Guatemala City is very unusual in terms of architecture: modern skyscrapers of glass and concrete are mixed on city streets with old mansions built during colonization, and new wide avenues are accompanied by ancient temple buildings. Treasures of the Maya in large numbers are represented in the National Museum of Archeology and Anthropology.

The small town of Antigua has become a famous tourist center, thanks to its location on three volcanoes, a stormy past, and the ruins of ancient monasteries. Another favorite tourist town - Tikal with its palaces, temples and pyramids.

Quetzaltenango in the southwest of Guatemala is often simply called Shaila. The most interesting thing in the city is the central square surrounding its architectural ensemble and the Minerva park. From Quetzaltenango it is convenient to travel to the nearest villages known for hot springs and handicrafts.

Acquainted with the culture of pre-Columbian America is best in the city of Santa Lucia-Kotsumalguapa on the Pacific coast. Around the city there are many curious ruins and archaeological sites. And in the city of Livingston in the north-east of the country the features of the Guatemalan and Caribbean cultures were weirdly intertwined. Boat excursions around Rio-Kechuche and Rio-Cockoli start from here.

Seibal is an impressive archaeological site southwest of Flores, surrounded by a dense forest of powerful trees of the seiba. Two main areas are joined by carved stone steles. In the very same Flores, tourists first rush to the zoo 3 km to the east of the city and then to the caves of Aktun-Kan, to the ruins of the classical Mayan period in Motul (4 km south of Flores) and, curiously, to admire the views of Lake Lago de ' Peten-Itzza.

For lovers of an active lifestyle, this is a real expanse. Hiking along picturesque trails, mountaineering on volcanoes and high mountains, diving and surfing, rafting and other joys await tireless travelers in Guatemala. Photo of Guatemala (14)