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Yaxha -the name of this ancient site means “green water” and in this city there are more than 500 monumental buildings between squares, walkways, astronomical complexes, a commemorative square with two twin pyramids and the Acropolis, and an area inhabited by the Mayan aristocracy. Currently from the highest monument, Temple 216, you can see the […]

Topoxte – this is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the Petén Basin in northern Guatemala with a long occupational history dating as far back as the Middle Preclassic. As the capital of the Kowoj Maya, it was the largest of the few post-classic Mesoamerican sites in the area. Topoxté was most relevant during the […]

Tikal (ancient city) – the name of this one-time city means “place of voices” and is one of the largest Mayan cities known so far. It has been a World Cultural and Natural Heritage of humanity site since 1979. This site has more than 3,000 archaeological elements, a city that existed between the pre-classic and […]

Takalik Abaj — this Mayan site is located 9 miles (15 km) west of Retalhuleu along Guatemala’s Pacific coast. Takalik Abaj, which means “standing stones,” was once an important commercial and political center for Pacific coast trade routes. Cacao, obsidian, salt, pyrite, jade, and quetzal feathers were commonly traded here. First settled around 1800 BC, […]

Piedras Negras Archaeolgical Site — the original name of this archeological site located in La Libertad, Petén is Yo´ki ´ b which means “grand entrance”. Nowadays it is known to the archaeological site like “Piedras Negras”, and it is due to the color of rock that was used for the construction of the different structures. […]

Petexbatún Lake – located 7 ½ hours north (391 km) of the capital, this is a small lake formed by a river of the same name, which is a tributary of the La Pasion river. It is near Sayaxché, located in the southern area of the Guatemalan department of Petén. This is one of the […]

Petén (region) – located 474 km (or 9 hours drive) north of the capital, Petén is considered one of the most important places of the country’s pre-Columbian history. The department includes two reserves of the Mayan biosphere, seven national parks, five wildlife refuges and four protected biotopes, among other diversity of points to explore, so […]

Parque Centro América (4a Calle e/ 11 Avenida y 12 Avenida, Quetzaltenango) – this is the city’s cultural epicenter – located in Guatemala’s second-largest city. The park’s manicured trees, shrubs and walkways help make for a relaxed setting. The area is surrounded by colonial and neoclassical structures (including the Municipal Palace – which dates back […]

Palacio Nacional de la Cultura (6a Calle, Ciudad de Guatemala) – the Presidential Palace sits on the north side of Parque Central, it is certainly worth a couple of hours to explore the ins and outs of this fascinating building. Built between 1936 and 1943 by prisoners on the orders of dictator General Jorge Ubico, […]

Nakum—located near the border with Belize, this is a Mesoamerican archaeological site, and a former ceremonial center and city of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the northeastern portion of the Petén Basin region, in the modern-day Guatemalan department of Petén. Nakum boasts the second highest number of restored buildings in the country […]