Guatemala

Region

Central America.

Area

108,889 km² (42,042 sq miles).

Population

13 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population density

119.4 per km².

Capital

Guatemala City.

Population: 951,000 (UN estimate 2003).

Government

Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1821.

Geography

Guatemala is located in Central America and shares borders to the north and west with Mexico, to the southeast with El Salvador and Honduras, to the northeast with Belize and the Caribbean sea and to the south with the Pacific ocean. The landscape is predominantly mountainous and heavily forested. A string of volcanoes rises above the southern highlands along the Pacific, three of which are still active. Within this volcanic area are basins of varying sizes which hold the majority of the countrys population. The region is drained by rivers flowing into both the Pacific and the Caribbean.

One basin west of the capital has no river outlet and thus has formed Lake Atitlán, which is ringed by volcanoes. To the northwest, bordering on Belize and Mexico, lies the low undulating tableland of El Petén, 36,300 km² (14,000 sq miles) of almost inaccessible wilderness covered with dense hardwood forest. This area covers approximately one-third of the national territory, yet contains only 40,000 people.

Language

The official language is Spanish. There are also 22 indigenous languages.

Religion

About 60% of the population are Catholic. Most of the remaining population are Protestant. Some indigenous communities hold services combining Catholicism with pre-Columbian rites.

Time

GMT - 6.

Social Conventions

Guatemala is the most populated of the Central American republics and is the only one which is predominantly Indian, although the Spanish have had a strong influence on the way of life. Full names should be used when addressing acquaintances, particularly in business. Dress is conservative and casual wear is suitable except in the smartest dining rooms and clubs.

Photography: Locals are often suspicious of foreigners taking photographs, particularly of young children. Before approaching children for photos, or even just to talk to them, you should check with an an adult that this is acceptable. However, if you are in any doubt, refrain from doing so. You may be asked to pay a small amount of money to take photographs of both children and adults.

Electricity

115-125 volts AC, 60Hz. There are some regional variations. Plugs are the flat two-pin American type.

Head of State

President Alvaro Colom since 2007.

Recent History

President Alvaro Colom of the center-left National Union of Hope party defeated retired General Otto Perez Molina of the conservative Patriot Party in November 2007. Major campaign issues included policies for reducing Guatemalas high crime rate and violence and the illegal migration of Guatemalans to the United States.

The massive human rights abuses of previous governments, especially the Rios Montt regime, is still a central and highly sensitive issue in Guatemalan domestic politics. Abroad, the main issue facing the country remains a territorial dispute with neighbouring Belize.

Climate

Guatemala's climate varies according to altitude. The coastal regions and the northeast are hot throughout the year with an average temperature of 20°C (68°F) sometimes rising to 37°C (99°F).

Generally, nights are clear all year round. In higher climes, near the centre of the country, the rainy season, running from May to September, is characterised by clear skies after abundant rainfall in the afternoons and evenings. Temperatures fall sharply at night.

Required Clothing

Lightweight clothing. Jacket or light woollens for the evening.

Hotels

There are many first-class hotels in Guatemala City and throughout the country. Many offer excellent restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Antigua Guatemala also has a good choice of hotels. Chichicastenango, Cobán, Panajachel (near Lake Atitlán), Puerto Barrios and Quetzaltenango have a reasonable selection of hotels, although elsewhere accommodation is more limited. Registered hotels are required to display room rates.

Guest Houses

Inexpensive guest houses are found in all the main towns and tourist areas.

Camping / Caravanning

There are a few campsites dotted around the country but facilities are usually basic. A popular excursion is to stay overnight in camping grounds on the still active Pacaya volcano to see the glow of the ashes and lava from the volcano's eruptions. Around Lake Atitlán, camping is permitted only in designated areas.

Homestay

Spanish language schools and voluntary work schemes often offer their students or participants the opportunity to stay with local families. This is a relatively cheap option and is a great way to get under the skin of the local culture.

GDP

US$27 billion (2005).

Main imports

Fuel, machinery and transport equipment, mineral products, chemical products and plastic materials.

Main exports

Coffee, sugar, crude oil, clothing, fruit and vegetables.

Main trade partners

USA, El Salvador, Honduras and the EU.

Economy

Guatemala boasts the largest economy in Central America. Agriculture, prinicipally coffee, sugar cane and bananas, accounts for over 20% of GDP and 75% of exports. This includes non-traditional products such as cut flowers, fruit and winter vegetables.

Light manufacturing and food processing, principally aimed at the domestic, US and Central American markets, also play an important role in the economy. Additionally, the government has identified tourism as a major growth sector.

Guatemala's main trading partner is the USA. The two countries ratified the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in 2005. The agreement came into force in July 2006. Economic growth has been steady in the past few years, with annual growth reaching 3.1% in 2005, although inflation that year rose to 9.1%. The unemployment rate was estimated as 3.2% in 2005.

Business Etiquette

Guatemalan businesspeople tend to be rather formal and conservative. Normal courtesies should be observed and appointments should be made. Punctuality is appreciated and business cards can be useful.

Office Hours

Mon-Fri 0800-1800, Sat 0800-1200.

Currency

Quetzal (GTQ; symbol Q) = 100 centavos.

Notes are in denominations of Q100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1, and 50 centavos.

Coins are in denominations of Q1, and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 centavos.

The US Dollar also became an official currency in 2001.

Currency Exchange

The Quetzal is extremely difficult to obtain outside Guatemala or exchange after leaving Guatemala, and visitors are strongly advised to exchange local currency before departure. It may be difficult to negotiate notes which are torn. Unused local currency can be exchanged at the bank at the airport.

Credit / Debit Cars

American Express and Visa are accepted, whilst Diners Club and MasterCard have a more limited acceptance. ATMs are common throughout the country.

Travelers Cheques

Accepted by most banks and good hotels, although visitors may experience occasional problems. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars.

Currency restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Opening times vary, but generally Mon-Fri 0900-1900; Sat 0900-1300.

Exchange Rates

Date - Jan 2009

£1.00 = Q11.51

$1.00 = Q7.84

€1.00 = Q10.49

Duty Free

The following goods may be imported into Guatemala by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

80 cigarettes or 100g of tobacco.

1.5l of alcoholic beverages.

Two bottles of perfume.

Shopping

Special purchases include textiles, handicrafts, jewellery, jade carvings, leather goods, ceramics and basketry. Markets are best for local products and bargaining is necessary. Ceramics can be purchased cheaply in many places including Villa de Chinautla, San Luis Jilotepeque and Rabinal. Cobán is the cheapest place to buy silverware. The Central Market in Guatemala City and the Craft Market provide a range of crafts combining traditional and modern styles.

Guatemala City contains many modern shopping centres. Gran Centro Comercial Los Proceres, Galerias La Pradera, Plaza Cemaco and Geminis International Mall are all located in Zone 10. Other malls include Tikal Futura, Peri-Roosevelt Shopping Mall and the Century Shopping Centre.

Shopping hours

Mon-Sat 0930-1930. Malls are also open on Sunday.

Food and Drink

There are restaurants and cafes serving a wide selection of cooking styles including American, Argentinian, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Mexican and Spanish. There are many fast-food chains and continental-style cafes. Food usually varies in price rather than quality and some of the cheap eateries are amongst the best.

National specialties

National specialities

Kaq Ic (soup made from turkey and seasoned with samat (a herb from Alta Verapaz).

Guacamole.

Flan de naranja (orange-flavoured flan).

National drinks

Coffee.

Gallo beer.

Quetzalteca (an extremely potent raw cane spirit).

TippingTipping

10% is normal in restaurants where service has not been included.

Nightlife

In Guatemala City in particular, there are nightclubs with modern music and dance, featuring national and international artists. Guatemala is the home of marimba music, which can be heard at several venues. In the cities, the marimba is a huge elaborate xylophone with large drum sticks played by four to nine players.

In rural areas the sounding boxes are made of different shaped gourds (marimbas de tecomates). There are regular concerts throughout Guatemala. There are also theatres with numerous plays in English and other cultural performances. Films with English and Spanish subtitles are often shown in major towns.

Health Care

There are both public and private medical facilities in Guatemala City, but state-run hospitals tend to be under-funded and can be unhygienic. Private clinics should be used where possible. Comprehensive travel and medical insurance is strongly advised. Travellers should carry evidence of their insurance at all times, as doctors may be reluctant to treat them otherwise.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009

1 Jan New Year's Day;

9-13 Apr Easter;

1 May Labour Day;

30 Jun Army Day;

15 Aug Assumption (Guatemala City only);

15 Sep Independence Day;

20 Oct Revolution Day;

1 Nov All Saints' Day;

24 Dec Christmas Eve (afternoon only);

25 Dec Christmas Day;

31 Dec New Year's Eve (afternoon only).

2010

1 Jan New Year's Day;

1-5 Apr Easter;

1 May Labour Day;

30 Jun Army Day;

15 Aug Assumption (Guatemala City only);

15 Sep Independence Day;

20 Oct Revolution Day;

1 Nov All Saints' Day;

24 Dec Christmas Eve (afternoon only);

25 Dec Christmas Day;

31 Dec New Year's Eve (afternoon only)

Things to Do

Climb a volcano. At 4,200m (13,776ft), Tajumulco is Central America's highest volcano but a technically easy climb. More challenging is Tolimán, with a twin peak summit. Alternatively, ascend Agua (or Hunapu) and you can sleep in a refuge inside the crater.

Get wet. Río Dulce and Lakes Izabal and Atitlán are good for windsurfing, with Lake Atitlán also popular for diving. Guatemala's fast-moving rivers, including El Cahabón,El Chiquibul, El Motagua, La PasiónandEl Usamacinta are ideal for boating and shooting rapids.

Catch a whopper. Lakes and rivers good for fishing include El Lago de Izabal, El Petén, Río Dulceand the rivers ofAlta Verepaz. The Pacific Coast is a world-class location for sports fishing. Sea fishing is rated highly off San José.

Take a boat trip from Livingston along the Río Dulce, which winds its way through steep cliffs, dense vegetation and lakes to Amatique Bay. Its waterways pass through mangroves and lagoons of the Chocón Machacas Biosphere, home to manatees (sea cows).

In towns like Antigua Guatemala, Easter is when locals and visitors flock to see spectacular processions; huge litters bearing religious icons are carried over carpets of flowers and coloured sawdust.

Drink coffee in either Cobán, capital of the Alta Verapaz Department, or Antigua - both vying for title of the most delicious coffee in Guatemala.

Embark on the adventurous Spanish Rural Tourism Plan; visitors can travel on horseback, by bicycle, on foot or by 4-wheel drive from Quetzaltepeque through San Luis Jiltepeque to the attractive departmental capital of Jalapa, staying in family homes en route.

Take a beautiful drive into the mountains around Huehuetenango. Visit the isolated village of Todos Santos Cuchumatán to see traditionally dressed men wearing high-necked red shirts, red and white-striped trousers, black capes and red fabric tied under straw hats.

Enjoy ghoulish festivities for the Day of the Dead(All Souls' Day) on 1 November, in which Guatemalans celebrate the lives of dead loved ones. Graveyards overflow with flowers and colour, sugar skulls, skeletal fancy dress and gifts.

Visit Totonicapan during the week celebrating the feast days of San Miguel Arcangel (24-30 September) when traditional dances (morerías) are held, with descriptive titles such as Mexicans and The Deer and the Monkey.

Things to See

See the sights of Guatemala City, which include Parque Central, bordered by the National Palace and the Cathedral. Not to be missed is the world's largest Relief Map (of the Republic)in Minerva Park, and the city's wonderful art and archaeology museums.

See one of the world's most ancient lakes, Lake Amatitlan, which is surrounded by archaeological remains dating back to 2000BC. Another lake worth seeing is Lake Atitlán, framed by three volcanoes: Tolimán, Atitlán and San Pedro. Waterskiing, swimming and boating are all available.

Take a trip to former capital, Antigua Guatemala. Despite countless earthquakes, floods and fires, Antigua is a beautiful place of multicoloured, single-storey buildings, tropical gardens, plazas, fountains and cobbled streets.

Marvel at the remains of great stone heads and other carved reliefs dotted around the sugarcane fields of Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, northwest of Escuintla. Further south is La Democracia archaeological site, with dramatic basalt sculptures of heads with closed eyes and furrowed brows.

Survey superb craftsmanship throughout Guatemala at towns like Jocotenango (for ceramics) andSan Antonio Aguascalientes (for beautiful handwoven textiles). Salamá is a good place to buy silver, clay and leather handicrafts. Momostenango (City of Altars) is recommended for traditional handwoven ponchos.

Visit Guatemala's major Mayan sites. The spectacular ruins of Tikalencompass vast pyramidal temples, ball courts, causeways, plazas and public buildings. Other impressive sites include: El Mirador, Uaxactún, Ixlú, Yaxhá, Aguateca and Quiriguá, home to the largest Maya-carved stelae yet discovered.

Head for the Tikal National Park for diverse wildlife, including howler monkeys, tropical birds, ocelots, jaguars and brocket deer. There are over 50,587 hectares (125,000 acres) of rare forest and tropical vegetation.

See two of the finest examples of 16th-century baroque architecture in El Progreso: the parish churches of San Agustín Acasaguastlán and San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán.

Visit the town of Esquipulas, home to the sacred Basílica of Esquipulas with its Icon of the Black Christ that dates back to 1594. Pilgrims from across Central America gather here on 15 January. Esquipulas is also the seat of the Central American Parliament.

Explore the unique highlands region of Western Guatemala (known in Spanish as El Altiplano), inhabited by the greatest number of modern day, indigenous Mayan groups - many of whom still speak the languages and uphold the sacred rituals of their ancestors.

Travel Advice

Tensions remain high in Rio Dulce and Livingstone in Izabal Department. following the kidnapping, and subsequent later release, of four foreign tourists on 14 March 2007. Travellers should be on their guard and exercise great caution as violent crime is common throughout Guatemala, and has affected tourists. Visitors should avoid travelling on some roads in Guatemala, because of criminal attacks on cars and buses (contact the organisations below for further information).

Travel on public buses (ie repainted US school buses) is advised against for security reasons. There have been reports of violent muggings, including rape and assault against foreigners on these buses. Private inter-city coach services are not included in this restriction and are generally a safer alternative.

The number of tourists being targeted by criminals is increasing, especially those arriving at the airport and travelling towards hotels in the business areas of Guatemala City (Zones 9 and 10). Travellers should take great care when leaving the airport vicinity.

Armed robbery is becoming more usual in Antigua, Guatemala, and even the main areas of town during daylight hours have seen attacks. Visitors should be on their guard at all times.

Visitors should avoid travelling at night or visiting remote places unaccompanied. Travellers should carry a photocopy of the personal details page of their passport at all times for identification purposes. The threat from terrorism is low, but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which, could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

The hurricane/rainy season in Guatemala normally runs from April to November. In 2007 there has been a marked increase in the number of reported cases of dengue across the region.

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.

Note

For stays longer than 90 days nationals will have to apply to the directorate of migration in Guatemala for an extension.

Telephone

Country code: 502. Most public phone booths accept phone cards.

Mobil Mobile Phones

Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies. Coverage is increasing.

Internet

Internet cafes are available in the main tourist areas.

Media

Guatemala has a free press and journalists openly criticise government policies. However, they may face intimidation because of their reporting, such as anonymous threats. Media is dominated by privately-run outlets. Four of the countrys national TV channels share the same owner and have been accused of being pro-government.

Post

Regular airmail to Europe takes 12 days.

Press

Publications include Diario Centroamérica, La Hora, El Periódico, Prensa Libre and Siglo Veintiuno.

Central America Report is an English-language publication.

Radio

La Voz de Guatemala is a government-owned radio station.

Emisoras Unidas de Guatemala, Radio Continental, Radio Nuevo Mundo and Radio Panamericana are commercial stations.

Getting around by Air

TACA (website: www.taca.com) runs flights between Guatemala City and Flores. A travel tax of Q5 per person is applied to internal flights and payable at the check-in desks.

Water

Regular boats operate between Puerto Barrios and Livingston. There are also frequent services along the Rio Dulce, as well as on the bigger lakes, in particular between villages on Lake Atitlán.

Road

Traffic drives on the right. There is an extensive road network but less than a third of the roads are all-weather. Travellers should avoid driving to Panajachel via Patzun as the road is badly maintained and criminals take advantage of these conditions to hold up travellers. The road from the El Salvador border to Cuilapa and from the Belize border to El Cruce are major danger spots for bus-jacking and there are also similar incidents on the main Pan-American Highway near Solola.

Bus

Buses are cheap but crowded and road accidents are common. Slightly more expensive air-conditioned services are available. Transportes Litegua (tel: 2220 8840; website: www.litegua.com) operates regular buses from Guatemala City, Rio Dulce and Morales to Puerto Barrios. The Guatemala City Council no longer permits inter-urban buses to enter the city centre; passengers are dropped at various points on the outskirts.

Car hire

International and local firms have offices in Guatemala City.

Regulations

Seat belts must be worn at all times. Speed limits vary depending on the condition of the road but they are rarely enforced.

Documentation

A national licence is valid for one to three months, but an International Driving Permit is recommended.

Getting there by Air

The main airline is TACA (website: www.taca.com). Iberia (website: www.iberia.com) flies direct from Madrid to Guatemala City.

Departure tax

US$30, usually included in the fare. 24-hour transit passengers are exempt. A security tax of US$3 is payable at the airport.

Main airports

Guatemala City (GUA) (La Aurora) is 6km (4 miles) south of the city.
To/from the airport: A bus runs to the city. Taxi services to Guatemala City are available (journey time - 20 minutes).
Facilities: Car hire, duty-free, shops, bars, restaurants, post office, bank/bureaux de change and tourist information.

Flores (FRS) is 3km (2 miles) from Flores and is located one hour from the UNESCO Tikal Archaelogical Park. Regular flights operate to Belize and Mexico.
To/from the airport: Taxis and shuttles are available.
Facilities: Snack bar and car hire.

Getting there by Road

The Pan-American Highway runs through Guatemala from Mexico in the north and El Salvador in the south. Access is also possible from Belize. You should exercise particular care when travelling in the Belize/Guatemala border area. Travellers are strongly advised to use only the officially recognised border crossings.

Bus: There are bus services from all the neighbouring countries. Border crossings can be subject to considerable delays. The buses used by some companies are comfortable and air conditioned. Ticabus (tel: 2366 4038; website: www.ticabus.com) runs international services throughout Central America.