Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe - presents everything other Central American countries have to offer, but in a condensed and exaggerated form. Its volcanoes are the highest and most active, its Mayan ruins the most impressive, its population the largest and its earthquakes the most devastating. The Maya of Guatemala are Central America's largest indigenous population, and their traditional way of life has been tenaciously retained. The country is as beautiful as its past is bloody, and as entrancing as its present-day reputation is alarming.

Environment - Guatemala is Central America's westernmost country, bordering Mexico to the north and north-west, Belize to the north-east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the east. Guatemala's volatile topography is a mountainous and forested jumble of volcanoes and jungle. The western highlands are home to over 30 volcanoes, which reach heights of up to 3800 metres and cast a red glow at night. The area experiences frequent earthquake activity. The intensively cultivated Pacific coastline is a vast expanse of mostly black-sand beaches, and the tiny Caribbean coastline also lacks beaches but is culturally rich. The vast jungle lowland of El Petén fills the interior, characterised by a quirky mix of banana plantations and soils rich in dinosaur bones.

Guatemala's national bird is the quetzal - a gorgeous creature which is almost extinct, due to deforestation and poachers. Jaguar, ocelot, puma, jaguarundi and margay - and their assorted diet of deer, peccary and tapir - survive, though are seldom seen.

The Pacific coast is tropically sweltering, with temperatures often hovering around 38 degrees Celsius. The seemingly constant high humidity abates a little in the dry season. The highlands are freezing at night, dank and chill during the rainy season, and warm and delightful in the dry season (October to May). El Petén's climate varies only from hot and humid to hot and dry.

Culture - Guatemala's many Mayan ruins and colonial buildings are its most impressive architectural attributes. One of the most intriguing cultural aspects is the infinite and exotic variety of the handmade, traditional clothing of Guatemala's Maya population. The design of the women's colourfully embroidered tunics, capes and skirts dates back to precolonial days. Certain details of garment and design identify the wearer's group and village, and can also have multiple religious or magical meanings. Music and traditional dance also feature in many Mayan religious festivals.

Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in Guatemala, and Roman Catholicism is the principal religion. Evangelical and Pentecostal Christian denominations have gained wide followings, while the Maya have preserved aspects of their traditional religions, often blended with Catholicism. 

Events - Semana Santa (Holy Week - late March/early April) is Guatemala's biggest festival, featuring processions and celebrations throughout the country. Guatemala City celebrates the Festival of Guatemala in August, and Independence Day is celebrated nationwide in September. November features All Saints' Day, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated in early December. 

Warning - A relatively high level of violent crimes are committed against foreigners in Guatemala, so travellers should be alert to potentially dangerous situations. A bill was passed in May 1995 promising the death sentence for anyone caught kidnapping a foreigner. Although violence has been decreasing over the past 18 months, occasional encounters between Guatemalan army and guerrilla forces can still make travelling away from populated and tourist areas worrisome. Intercity travel after sunset is also considered dangerous. In very remote areas unfounded rumours that foreigners are involved in the theft of local children to be used as involuntary organ-transplant donors can also cause difficulties. 

Attractions: 

Chichicastenango - At 2030 metres, the magical and misty highlands town of Chichi is surrounded by valleys and overshadowed by looming mountains. Though isolated, it's always been an important market town. The Sunday market is the one to catch, as the cofradías (religious brotherhoods) often hold processions on that day.

Quetzaltenango - The commercial centre of south-western Guatemala, Quetzaltenango is an excellent base for excursions to the many nearby villages, noted for their handicrafts and hot springs. The city prospered during the 19th century as a coffee-brokering and storage centre, until an earthquake and volcanic eruption ended the boom. 

Flores - The capital of the jungle-covered north-eastern department of El Petén, Flores is built on an island on Lago de Petén Itzá, and is connected by a 500-metre causeway to the service town of Santa Elena on the lakeshore. Flores is a dignified capital, with its church and government building arranged around the main plaza which crests the hill in the centre of the island. The city was founded by the Itzaes, and at the time of conquest was perhaps the last still-functioning Mayan ceremonial centre in the country. 

Panajachel - Don't be deterred by this town's nickname of Gringotenango ('place of the foreigners'), nor by the town's lack of colonial architecture or colourful market. The attraction here is the absolutely gorgeous caldera lake (a water-filled collapsed volcanic cone). Since the hippy days of the 1960s, laid-back travellers have flocked here to swim in Lago de Atitlán and generally chill out. Volcanoes surround the lake, and the town is the starting point for excursions to the smaller, more traditional indigenous villages on the western and southern shores of the lake. 

Activities - Apart from the many activities with a Mayan connection, Guatemala offers great hiking and climbing in the highlands and the volcanoes surrounding Lago de Atitlán and Antigua. Contact your embassy or consulate in Guatemala City for information on the current safety of particular areas before setting out. Spanish-language courses are a popular feature of Antigua and Quetzaltenango.

Getting There & Away - Access by air is the most popular method of entering Guatemala, with major international airports at Guatemala City and Cancún. Most flights to the country pass through the North American hub cities of Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles or Mexico City.

To enter the north of the country by land means entering from Mexico by lengthy bus or train journeys. Buses from El Salvador travel direct to Guatemala City, while buses from Honduras stop at the border. Travel from Belize is along a very rough dirt road through mountainous jungle. You can also enter the country by sea, travelling from Punta Gorda in Belize to Puerto Barrios.

Getting Around - Unfortunately, internal flights only operate to Flores, but they're available on five airlines - Aerocaribe, Aeroquetzal, Aerovías, Aviateca and TAPSA. Buses link most places cheaply and relatively painlessly, although roads in El Petén often turn into muddy mires or disappear altogether during the rainy season. Don't even think about taking the train: the available lines from the Mexican border to the capital and from there to Puerto Barrios are time-consuming and unpleasant.