Guatemala

Guatemala--One of the Most Beautiful Countries in Central America

Guatemala is a fascinating place with a traditional way of life and a rich cultural heritage. The Mayan ruins are some of the best preserved in the world, and the landscape is breathtaking.

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Guatemala

Fast Facts

Population: 14,099,032

Capital City: Guatemala City

Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Time Zone: GMT-6

Guatemala Articles

The Pleasures of a Life Lived Slowly in Antigua, Guatemala
Posted on April 22, 2013 by Tara Tiedemann

I’m making my way down the cobblestones of Arch Street, on my way to meet friends for a glass of wine at Tabacos y Vinos. As I arrive, the bells of the 17thcentury cathedral ring in the hour. Antigua, in the Department of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, is one of Latin America’s best-preserved colonial towns.
Romantic Hideaways
Posted on January 24, 2013 by International Living

At 129 square feet, this apartment is what real-estate agents call “cozy.” But it’s Paris, city of love and romance. From your fifth-floor balcony you have a view of Place de la République. The square gives its name to the historic neighborhood that surrounds it, where the 3rd, 10th and 11th arrondissements (districts) come together. Le Marais, where some of the oldest buildings in the city line winding, narrow streets, is just a five-minute walk away.
The World’s Most Beautiful Lake
Posted on December 27, 2012 by Lucy Brown

Formed 5,000 feet above sea level in the western highlands of Guatemala, the 11-mile long Lago de Atitlán is the deepest lake in Central America. It plunges to depths of over 1,000 feet. Three volcanoes dominate its southern fringe—Atitlán, Tolimán, and San Pedro; the latter two emerging from the lakeside. The lake itself changes as wistful breezes or surly gales whip up its sleek, glassy surface. The ever-shifting light reflecting off its belly…
Expats Giving Back in Their New Homes
Posted on November 26, 2012 by International Living

Just shy of 10 years ago, my wife Laurie and I fell in love with the Vilcabamba Valley, a lush gem tucked away in the Andes of Southern Ecuador. The near-perfect weather, the healthy lifestyle, the low cost of living, and the natural beauty of the valley all contributed to our decision to settle there. And those things have lived up to our expectations.
Find Your Niche When Opportunity Knocks in an Overseas Paradise
Posted on October 22, 2012 by International Living

In the U.S., you cannot do what I have done here in Ecuador… you’d have too much debt to worry about,” says Kevin Sheehy, who bank-rolled his first venture—a Vietnamese restaurant—in the cool-weather capital of Quito with just $14,000. One business opportunity led to another, and today his success overseas means that Kevin enjoys the flexibility to live in a place he loves (the weather is spring-like year-round) and spend four months every year traveling.
A Journey on Guatemala’s “Sweet River”
Posted on October 22, 2012 by Terri Marshall

Real adventures don’t start at the airport…they start at the mouth of a river. And nestled on the eastern edge of Guatemala awaits one of Central America’s best river voyages. Fishermen cast nets from dugout canoes, birds tiptoe across lily pads, while manatees swim nearby. This is life along the Río Dulce (“Sweet River”).
Adventures in Guatemala
Posted on September 25, 2012 by Kathryn Witts

Exactly where is home? Well, “my hat” currently hangs in the village of San Marcos La Laguna on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, where I’ve lived for three years now. Before this stint, my list of homes reads like a travel brochure: Zanzibar, Indonesia, Mozambique, New Zealand, Thailand and Costa Rica are just some of the highlights. I left home years ago, fueled by a desire to find the perfect location and to see the world.
Create Your Own Adventure Overseas
Posted on August 24, 2012 by International Living

There I stood, close to a 100-foot cliff. Could I do it? Would I dash forward and trade the security of solid ground for the adventure of soaring on the warm thermals of Ecuador’s north coast? How did I even get here? It’s a familiar story. My wife Jan and I had been preparing our retirement parachute for many years. We were readying for the jump when the economic ground we were standing upon began to crumble.
Latin American Lake Homes
Posted on July 26, 2012 by International Living

Chile’s Lake District is all about spectacular scenery…forests, snowcapped volcanoes, the towering Andes, and hundreds of deep blue mountain lakes…German emigrants brought their distinctive traditions to the region and it’s been compared to Switzerland for its beauty and cosmopolitan resort towns…
Mermaids and Convents in Guatemala
Posted on May 28, 2012 by Lucy Brown

Antigua is Guatemala’s most beautiful city, and the center of its cultural life and Spanish- colonial heritage. If you want to taste a little of everything Guatemala has to offer, this is the place to come. To start with, Antigua is nestled amid some of the country’s most dramatic landscape. This local geology hasn’t always been kind, however. Earthquakes in the 18th century led the Spanish to move their capital to the site of modern-day Guatemala City. But while Antigua’s population declined—today it’s around 47,000— more than enough of the city’s impressive architecture remained.
I Wear Flip-flops to the “Office”
Posted on May 11, 2012 by Terri Marshall

I had to work last Sunday. I was up by 7.30 a.m. But don’t feel bad for me just yet. Once out of bed, I slipped into my swimsuit, cover-up and flip-flops and checked out of my room at a hotel I was staying in at the mouth of the Rio Dulce in Livingston, Guatemala.
One Crazy Adventure in Guatemala
Posted on March 18, 2012 by Lucy Brown

My childhood dream was to explore the world, treading in the footsteps of past explorers while discovering the wonders of its landscapes and people for myself. I was still just dreaming when I grew up—and I was stuck working long hours behind an office desk.
Rent in Antigua, Guatemala From $300 a Month
Posted on February 9, 2012 by Lucy Brown

The colonial city of Antigua in the Central highlands of Guatemala has a thriving expat community. It’s no surprise that foreigners choose to live here full- or part-time. They enjoy the history-steeped cobbled streets and a vibrant culture. Visitors often extend their stay, swapping family home stays or hotel accommodation for short or long-term rentals in Antigua.
Could This Be The World’s Best Job?
Posted on November 2, 2011 by Lucy Brown

I first came to Antigua, Guatemala in 2006 to study Spanish and extended my one-month language course month-by-month for seven months. By then, I’d fallen in love with the city and lifestyle, befriended both locals and expats and felt I wanted to make this a more permanent lifestyle…so I stayed.
Salto de Chilascó – Central America’s Highest Waterfall
Posted on October 27, 2011 by Lucy Brown

In an ankle-length skirt and dance pumps, our 12-year-old guide, Verónica, leads us daintily along a muddy path between steep fields of broccoli and maize. Climbing uphill away from the hand-tilled patches of land, we are engulfed by the luxuriant trees of the forest. Vivid orchids, giant bromeliads, and ferns thrive here in the heavy moisture.
Guatemala’s Giant Kite Festival
Posted on August 22, 2011 by Lucy Brown

In Guatemala—as in Mexico—people celebrate All Saints’ Day on November 1 by traveling to cemeteries to honor the dead. They repaint family tombs, adorn them with yellow flowers and picnic by the graves.
Living in Antigua, Guatemala: An Expat’s View
Posted on July 20, 2011 by Lucy Brown

A flourishing expat community has evolved over the years as adventurous spirits from all over the globe set their wandering feet to rest, seduced by the charm and easy living in Antigua, Guatemala.
On the House Travel…Here’s How
Posted on July 29, 2010 by Sandra Kennedy

I stayed at lavish haciendas, ate the freshest foods in Ecuador, got to know the smiling, helpful locals. I went to a Shaman healing ceremony, rode horses in the Andes and learned to weave. And then I sat sipping fresh mango juice, relaxing by the pool. It’s hard to believe it costs me nothing to travel like this.
Retirement Communities in Costa Rica and Ecuador’s Magic Food
Posted on April 30, 2010 by International Living

The Costa Rican government wants to position Costa Rica as a true retirement haven and has declared retirement communities aimed at U.S. pensioners to be “of national interest.”
Tropical coasts, Caribbean bliss, and colonial grandeur
Posted on August 22, 2007 by International Living

Look to countries in the Americas for this month’s three emerging markets
Return to Guatemala-now safe and affordable for tourists
Posted on May 23, 2007 by International Living

In today’s Guatemala, you can have a great time and maybe find a great buy on a piece of beachfront property or an old Spanish-colonial house-if you exercise due caution. The future looks bright for the country thatis home to the Mayas-a people whose civilization has endured far worse than its recent misfortunes. But we won’t mislead you. The country’s reputation as unsafe is not entirely undeserved.
The Streets of Guatemala
Posted on April 27, 2007 by International Living

I studied Spanish for two years in high school and one year in college, yet when I crossed the border into Guatemala the only phrases I could share with the locals was “Yo quiero Taco Bell” and “Donde esta la bibliotecha?”
Day of the Dead in a Guatemalan Graveyard
Posted on April 27, 2007 by International Living

If you’re in Guatemala, Nov. 1 is the best time to visit Santiago Sacatepequez. Locals in traditional bright clothing as well as foreigners clad in shorts and tank tops flock to this small village near the ancient capital of Antigua to observe All Saints Day, known here as Day of the Dead. And it’s not the streets, halls, or restaurants that they’re heading to–it’s the graveyard.
Modern Wonders of the Ancient World
Posted on February 9, 2007 by International Living

I just phoned home (Santa Fe, New Mexico) from Antigua, Guatemala for 10 cents!

Okay, admittedly all I did was leave a message of less than a minute on an answering machine, but still…10 cents? All I had to do was find an Internet café.
Bargain Town, Latin America
Posted on April 25, 2006 by International Living

Strolling down the cobblestone streets of tropically warm Antigua feels like stepping into another era. Lush greenery surrounds this Guatemalan town, which seems untouched by time, largely because history all but stopped here when earthquakes destroyed much of the city in 1773. Palaces, monasteries, convents, and churches remind visitors of its past, and elegant restaurants, art galleries, and theaters give Antigua a new cosmopolitan air that’s rarely found in a city this small.