Guatemala is the northernmost country of Central America. It shares a border with Mexico to the north, Belize to east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the south. Guatemala is the most important country in the Mundo Maya-- the world of the Maya. Guatemala, northern Belize, the Yucatan Peninsula and the state of Chiapas in Mexico comprise the Mundo Maya. This area defines the boundaries of the fascinating ancient realm of the Maya, whose huge cities and wonderful monuments were mysteriously abandoned around 800 BCE.

You can fly to Guatemala City from many major airports in the United States. Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami are four of the most important ones. You can also fly from Toronto to Mexico City and then connect to Guatemala City. Also, from Toronto, you can fly via El Salvador. The cost should range from $800-$1100 Cdn return depending on your airline and the the time you plan to fly.

This is an initial concern of almost everyone we talk to about Guatemala. Almost everyone has read the travel advisories posted by both the Canadian and US governments. We believe they are overly alarmist. We have spent the last five years in Guatemala, and we have no direct or indirect knowledge of anyone being involved in any kind of violence. That being said, it is unlikely that the incidents reported on the web site are fabricated. As Paul Eddy notes in his comments (Private tours), we believe that Guatemala is no more dangerous than say, Toronto, Chicago, London or Vancouver, if travelers are prudent and avoid situations which might put them in harm’s way.

The Quetzal is the name of Guatemala’s currency. You can get approximately six quetzals for every Canadian dollar.

Guatemala is blessed with an almost perfect climate during its dry season from November to March, travelers can expect blue skies pretty well every day. This a very mountainous country and, at the higher elevations, there is no humidity. Daytime temperatures will rise to about 22 degrees Celsius and, at night, they will drop to fifteen degrees--a wonderful change from the Canadian winter!