Guatemala

Despite its past turmoil and political instability, travelers are returning to Guatemala because it offers Central America in concentrated form: its volcanoes are the highest and most active, its Mayan ruins the most impressive, its earthquakes the most devastating and its history decidedly intense.

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The Pacific coast swelters year-round, with temperatures often hovering around 38°C (100°F). The seemingly constant high humidity diminishes a little in the dry season (verano; November to April). Depending on the altitude, the highlands are pleasantly warm during the day but can be freezing at night. During the rainy season (invierno; May-Oct) the mountain areas tend to be damp and chilly, but dry and warm during the dry season. The climate in the lowland jungles of El Petén varies only from hot and humid to sweltering and dry. In the rainy season, the mud can make roads and walking tracks very sticky.

Transport

Getting there and away

Major international airlines fly into Guatemala City and Flores. Most flights to the country pass through the North American hub cities of Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Houston, Mexico City or Miami.

There's an airport-departure tax of around 30.00 and a variable land-departure or sea-departure tax, depending on your point of exit.

To enter the north of the country by land means coming from Mexico on lengthy bus or train journeys. Buses from El Salvador travel directly to Guatemala City, while buses from Honduras and Belize stop at the border. You can also enter Guatemala by sea, traveling from Punta Gorda in Belize to Puerto Barrios or Lívingston. There's also a boat from Lívingston to Omoa in Honduras.

Getting around

Currently, the only domestic flights are between Guatemala City and Flores. Buses link most places cheaply and relatively painlessly, although roads in El Petén often turn into muddy mires or disappear altogether during the rainy season. Chicken buses are the beat-up local buses that stop for anyone, and there are more luxurious long-distance buses such as the pullman class. Faster minibus shuttles operate between some of the more popular tourist sites and major towns. Some national parks, and the Caribbean town of Lívingston, are only accessible by boat. River trips, such as the Río Dulce, can be great experiences.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

No one pretends that Guatemala is a very safe country. The two most frequently reported nasty incidents involving tourists are highway robbery, when a vehicle is stopped and its occupants relieved of their belongings, and robberies on walking trails. Rapes and murders of tourists have also occurred, though they are much less common. Vehicles carrying tourists, such as shuttle minibuses and buses, along heavily touristed routes are a prime target for highway robbery. The route between the airport and Guatemala City is also notorious for carjackings. Other dodgy roads include the Interamericana (Highway CA-1) between the Antigua and Panajachel turnoffs and near the Salvadoran border; Highway CA-2 near the Salvadoran and Mexican borders; and Highway CA-13 between the Belizean border and the Puente Ixlú (El Cruce) junction. Robberies against tourists on walking trails tend to occur in isolated spots on well-known walks. Some trails around Lago de Atitlán and on Volcán Agua outside Antigua are particularly notorious. Hiking in large groups and/or with a police escort reduces the risk.

Other potential dangers, especially in cities, are pickpocketing, bag-snatching and bag-slitting in crowded bus stations, buses, streets and markets, but also in empty, dark city streets. Avoid walking anywhere alone, especially after dark.

There have been a few bizarre incidents where foreign visitors have been unjustly suspected of malicious designs against Guatemalan children. Be wary of photographing or talking with young children in villages. Any crowd can turn volatile, especially when drunk or during times of political tension.

Visas overview

Citizens of most countries no longer need either a visa or a tourist card to enter Guatemala. Depending on the country you come from, stays are limited to 30 or 90 days. Since 2006 Guatemala has been part of the CA-4, a trading agreement with Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Upon entry to the CA-4 region, most travelers are given a 90-day stay for the entire region, which can be extended once at the Departamento de Extranjería (Foreigners' Office; 6a Av 3-11, Zona 4) in Guatemala City.