Marina K. Villatoro - Guatemala Travel Guide

By: Marina Kuperman

Time is so precious. Especially when it comesto planning your family vacation. So why waste it on lookingthrough hundreds of websites (most of them outdated) and readingthrough 300 page guidebooks that barely touch upon REAL familytravel and kid friendly places? With our family's hours ofresearching and personally experiencing each location, hotel andtour I hope this book will help you with your trip and give youmore time to do what you really love - being with your kids andgetting them excited for the new adventure!

Each hotel and tour has been tested andapproved by my family. We love the local and most authenticexperiences from boutique, locally owned hotels to the mosttypical, and educational tours!

The guide specifically stays away fromrestaurant recommendations because traveling with kids takes on awhole different feel and many kids are either picky eaters or don'tlike to sit through a fancy dinner.

What the guide (and I) do recommend andhighly promote is eating (or at least trying) local cuisines. Theguide helps you navigate through the most common cuisines of eachcountry and region. And most importantly to get the kids excitedabout experiencing new foods!

Now it's time to have some SERIOUS fun!

This information was accurate when it waspublished, but can change without notice. Please confirm all ratesand details directly with the companies in question before planningyour trip.

Guatemalas official name comes from theMaya-Toltec language meaning Land of The Trees.

Guatemala is called "The Land of Eternal Spring"because of its great weather year round.

Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, butthere are over 20 different Mayan dialects spoken throughout thecountry.

Resplendent Quetzal is Guatemalas nationalbird.

Guatemala is home to 3 UNESCO site: Antigua, Tikaland Quirigua.

The first ever chocolate bar is believed to beinvented in Guatemala during Mayan times.

The ancient Maya civilization was the first to usethe concept of zero.

The first calendar, which is the Mayanastrological calendar computation, was first excavated in Guatemalawhich is also believed to be a perfect calendar.

Guatemalan Money is Called Quetzal. 1 USD isequivalent to 7.80 GTQ.

$2 departure tax

Map of Guatemala

MustSees

Tikal Maya Ruins and National Park

A UNESCO World Heritage Site - these amazingMayan ruins and the National Park will leave you in awe andpractically speechless of what the Mayan Civilization was capableof doing more than 1000 years ago - at its peak.

Fun Fact - The discovery of Tikal Ruins wascompletely unexpected. A gum collector accidentally sighted one ofthe temple's roofs comb from a distance. He immediately told theGovernor and the rest of the discovery is history.

Antigua

This is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The whole city is full of historic buildings, museums and churchessome are restored while others are still in ruins due to twoearthquakes!

Antigua is considered to be the last truecolonial city in all of Latin America, preserved from when theSpaniards arrived with cobblestone streets and hacienda stylehomes.

Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan has been called one of the topten most beautiful places in the world! The lake is surrounded bylush mountains and three volcanoes that highlight the lakessplendor. Lake Atitlan is surrounded by villages where the Mayaculture still dominates.

The best way to get around the largest craterlake in the world is by taking a boat tour (private) of thevillages.

My Take On It:

Guatemala has everything you need for a greattrip Ruins, Volcanoes, Lakes, Cities and Luxury. Your kids willlove this place.

For a complete tour visit:

Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Tikal. Youll get ataste of it all.

Day 1 - Arrive in Guatemala City and head directly to the colorfuland the last 'True' Colonial city of Latin America - Antigua (45minute drive)

Day 2 - Walking and/or do a horse carriage tour ofAntigua then go market hopping.

Day 3 - Visit ruins and enjoy a relaxing afternoonin the famous Central Park.

Day 4 - Bye Bye Antigua - Off to Lake Atitlan andPanajachel (2 hour drive)

Relax and enjoy the views of the lake.

Day 5 - Boat tour of the Mayan Village around thelake and more market shopping fun.

Day 6 - Bye Bye Atitlan - head to Guatemala Cityfor a flight to Tikal Mayan Ruins arrive in the evening and enjoyFlores.