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Guide to Guatemala City, Guatemala
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Guatemala City
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Guatemala City The largest and hottest city in Central America, Guatemala City is a testament to the term 'there's something for everyone'. It's a place where you will find wealthy executives browsing the tech stores for the latest gadgets, and a block away you can find a discount market where haggling is something of an art form to watch. Guatemala City can be quite overwhelming if you don't gather your wits about you and you'll probably spend more than is necessary once flustered and yearning for the escape hatch, but it's not a pricey destination by any means, and it sure doesn't hurt to ask locals for help on cutting corners and saving funds. The landscape of the city has nearly every characteristic accounted for, whether it be a mountainside or plain you've got your heart set on; you can be in one place and experience a cool rush of air from the valleys and spend your afternoon on the other side of town and feel nothing but intense heat at your back. Travelers (well, people in general) tend to hold a love/hate relationship with Guatemala City, where attractions are few but activities are too many to count. It's the mecca of Central American culture; you won't just come away with a few souvenirs, you'll leave with values instilled upon you by the communities as well. Give Guatemala City a week, even a few days. Book your flight to Guatemala's capital today!
When to go:
Between November and May the city is a great place to visit. Sure, it's hot, but you won't have extensive rainstorms to bog your vacation plans down. The sole factor keeping travelers away during this period is its hectic atmosphere. Since it is the best time to visit, most people do, and as a result prices jump and you're left dreading the bus rides and the long lines and what could've been a great experience is one that's easily forgettable. If you happen to plan around this half of the year, however, you won't see clear skies on such a consistent basis, but the streets won't be as crowded and finding a hotel for the smallest of budgets is easier than deciding on a dinner restaurant. Come anytime and you'll see the same Guatemala City that its residents adore, but if you'd like the decibel-level on the streets to be as low as possible and not have to offer up a week's salary for a night's sleep then the off-season will suit you best.
Getting there and around:
Guatemala City's airport is certainly the busiest in the country and even the continent, but while international travel abounds, much of it is done by way of stopover flights. Boarding an airliner for a direct connection to other locations in Central America is a breeze. If you're traveling to/from Europe, Africa, Asia or elsewhere on the globe, carrier changes may be necessary. When you finally do get to Guatemala City you can wait for a bus or hire a cab for a quicker ride into town. It'd be wonderful to see the city on an open-air vehicle such as a bicycle, but even the slightest attempt at traversing the hills will have you winded in minutes. Walking is a great option if you're spending your days downtown, but if your desire is to experience the whole of Guatemala City then you'll have to spend some cash and use public transit.
Attractions:
As we stated earlier, notable sites are hard to come by in this city, but the few that it does hold are not without their own sense of grandeur. The Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia is a place that attracts more researchers and those of the academic world more than the typical tourist, but if you've got an eye for historic items then the Museo will have you in its halls for hours. Many of the displays catalogue the country's history as a progression of time, but a few exhibits stand out in singular highlights that bring greater appeal to the establishment. Guatemala City's Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno is where Central American art of the past few centuries comes to shine. While most of the works displayed are of the 20th century, historic pieces from the Mayan civilization offer welcome contrasts to the galleries of canvases.
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