Author's tour "Best of Guatemala"

Walking tour of Antigua. Antigua Guatemala lies in the wide mountain valley of Panchoy, sandwiched between the cones of the Agua, Acatenango and Fuego volcanoes. The city was founded in 1543 as the third capital of Guatemala, and was called Santiago de Guatemala. All of Guatemala's first three capitals were named after St. James the Apostle or Santiago. And only after the severe Santa Marta earthquake occurred in 1773, the capital had to be moved to a new location in Guatemala City, and after 2 years people began to call the third capital Antigua Guatemala or ancient, old Guatemala. We start in the historical center of Antigua from the main square, visiting the main monuments of the city. Overnight at the Villa Colonial Hotel.

Just 67 km from Antigua, Guatemala is the most active and beautiful volcanic complex in Central America, Parque Pacaya. Its main crater reaches an altitude of 2,552 meters above sea level. From 1961 to March 2002, a total of 14 major eruptions and many other less intense ones were recorded. The park covers a total of 2,065 hectares. It is also home to the 35-hectare Laguna de Calderas, which was formed in an old crater and currently supplies drinking water to 11 villages and towns and 10,000 inhabitants. In fact, the Pacaya volcano is a “volcanic complex” that, according to Carlos Saper, is “the most interesting volcanic complex in Central America in terms of the number of eruptive cones, craters and changes that can be constantly observed.” We will begin our ascent from an altitude of 1,900 meters above sea level and rise to 2,300 m. After descent, transfer to Lake Atitlan. Overnight at the Villa Santa Catarina hotel.

Today we will look at the most interesting cities where the Tzutuhili Mayans still live on Lake Atitlan. And we'll start with San Juan. San Juan is the cleanest and tidiest town on the lake. There are many art galleries here, whose artists paint in the Naive or Primitivist style. There are many women's cooperatives in San Juan. You can visit a women's textile factory, see the hand weaving and natural dyeing processes, and meet a group of comadrons, or midwives, who grow different types of medicinal herbs for natural medicine. Traditional agriculture, fishing, weaving reed mats and the production of high-quality textiles are an integral part of the life of the local population. You definitely won’t find souvenirs from China here. And of course we will try very tasty coffee in one of the coffee shops. Afterwards, we will take a boat to the other side of the lake to the city of Santiago Atitlan. Santiago, founded in 1547 at the foot of the Toliman volcano, is the largest city with a population of 32 thousand people, 95% of whom are Maya Tzutujil. The local population lives by fishing, farming and making cayucos (local canoes). We will also look into the local Catholic church, where two religions merged - Catholicism and Mayan beliefs, and walk past the local city hall, where the city elders sit dressed in white striped shorts and birds embroidered on the bottom. The most real color. Let's return to Atitlan. Overnight at the Villa Santa Catarina hotel.

Today we will go to the largest Mayan highland market, Chichicastenango (Thursday or Sunday only). Chichicastenango was formerly called Chaviar and was an important trading city of the Kaqchikels long before the Spanish conquest. Surrounded by valleys and mountains that obscure the horizon, Chichicastenango can seem isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow, cobbled streets and red-tiled roofs are covered in fog, as they often are, it can feel like you're in some kind of fairy tale. Throngs of vendors and tourist groups flock to the country's largest highland market on Thursday and Sunday. If you can choose when to come, it is best to visit the market on a Sunday, as the market is much larger and the cofradias (religious brotherhoods) hold processions in and around St. Thomas Church. The Catholic patron of the city is St. Thomas, in his honor the Church of Santo Tomas was built in the city in 1540. Towards the local cemetery you will see another Catholic Church called Golgotha or Calvario. And what is a market without shopping, so take enough money with you to buy souvenirs. At the market you can pay with American dollars, and more recently with credit cards. The Chichicastenango market is famous mainly for its textiles and masks. Let's return to Guatemala. Overnight at the Barceló Guatemala City hotel.

Transfer to the greenest and rainiest department of Guatemala, Alta Verapaz. Not far from Coban is the Quetzal Nature Reserve, which was created to protect the quetzal bird, which was considered a sacred bird for the Mayan civilization. Now the quetzal is one of the national symbols of Guatemala. We will be able to walk along trails through a damp cloud forest and admire orchids, ferns and bromeliads, as well as watch owls, hummingbirds and toucans. And if you are very lucky, you will see a quetzal that you will never be able to forget in your life. Guatemala is a paradise for ornithologists and bird lovers. Over an area of 108,889 km2, you can see more than 738 different species of birds. Transfer to Koban. Overnight at the Guayahá Glamping Hotel.

Today we will visit one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala, Semuc Champey - a series of small, beautiful, natural ponds and pools. In the Mayan Qeqchi language, Semuk Champey means Sacred Water. The Cahabon River enters at the very beginning of Semuc Champey and exits about 400 meters later, after passing a natural limestone bridge with beautiful, crystal-clear ponds. The water in these natural pools is emerald green and sometimes resembles deep sapphire blue. Overnight at the Guayahá Glamping Hotel.

Today we will go to the northernmost department of Guatemala, Petén. (distance 350 km; travel time 5 hours). On the way we will see one unique cave. The Cave of Candelaria (30km.) is one of the most important caves in this region. It is one of the two largest caves in America and one of the six largest in the world. For the ancient Mayans, this cave served as the entrance to the underworld of Xibalba. Currently, Mayan rituals still take place here. The main gallery is about 22 km. Overnight at the Villa Maya Hotel.

Tikal is 64 km from Flores, the beautiful capital of Petén, located on an island in Lake Petén Itza. Tikal, meaning “place where the voices of spirits are heard,” appears huge compared to other cities of the classical period—it is the largest settlement of pre-Columbian America. Scientists came to this conclusion after a series of excavations carried out in the late 50s. It has been inhabited since 800 BC. until 900 AD, only to be reconquered by the tropical jungle from the early eleventh century until the early twentieth century, when Tikal was discovered and restoration work began. The urban complex of Tikal (not counting the outskirts) occupied an area of about 16 square meters. kilometers. There were 3 thousand buildings on it, and the pyramids were distinguished by a specific style not found anywhere else in Mesoamerica. Particularly impressive are the six pyramidal temples, which, compared to other buildings of this type, look like real skyscrapers. It is not for nothing that archaeologists called Tikal-New York the Mayan civilization. Today, Tikal National Park covers 575 square kilometers and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 as a cultural and natural heritage of humanity. Overnight at the Villa Maya Hotel.

Transfer to the Izabal department to the most picturesque river in Guatemala - the Sweet River. The department of Izabal is home to the beautiful and largest lake in Guatemala, Izabal, which gives rise to the famous Rio Dulce River; and the Caribbean coast of Guatemala, where pirates and galleons battled for supremacy during colonial times. Today, the region is home to more than 350 species of birds and countless other fauna such as howler monkeys, dolphins and manatees. Also living here are people from West Africa - the Garifuna, who inhabited this region 200 years ago. This area on the Caribbean coast appears to have remained unchanged. Transfer to a boat and travel along the Sweet River (2 hours on the way): the steep walls of the river canyon, thermal springs, the beauty of the tropical jungle will leave an unforgettable impression and, of course, the city of Livingston, home to the Garifuna people, descendants of slaves taken from Africa. Excursion to Livingston (the city cannot be reached by land, only by water) - a settlement of the Garifuna people with a unique culture that combines African, Caribbean and European elements. Overnight at the Villa Caribe hotel.

Playa Blanca, a white sandy beach, can be reached by boat from Livingston in just 30 minutes to relax and enjoy the sun and sea. Free time. Overnight at the Villa Caribe hotel.

Transfer to Honduras. Visit to the famous ruins of Copan, located almost on the border with Guatemala. The main value of Copan is the unreal beauty and precision of the art on the steles. This site of the Mayan civilization was called the Athens of Mesoamerica. There you will even find a stele made in three dimensions. The Staircase with Hieroglyphs, built by the Mayans during the classical period, is rightfully considered a real work of art. Each of its 63 steps is decorated with complex inscriptions, and balustrades with images of snakes and birds are erected on the sides. Overnight at the Clarion Copan Ruinas Hotel.

Let's return to Guatemala. Overnight at the Barceló Guatemala City hotel.

Transfer to the international airport.