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Classic Guatemala / Extreme Sports Adventures
Guatemala Tours / Beautiful Guatemala
Guatemala
 The Republic of Guatemala is in CentralAmerica, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize to the northeast, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. It is over twice the size of Costa Rica with twice as much to see and do. There are no political disturbances in this republic.
Except for the south coastal area and the vast lowlands of the classic era of the Mayans of Peten in the north, Guatemala is mountainous and tropical, but perfect year around temperatures at that altitude. Guatemala City is their bustling capitol, while Antigua’s architecture is unchanged since colonial era. Its has brightly earth tone style houses, cobblestone streets, and a dozen gigantic ruins of cathedrals from an earthquakes in the latter 1700’s. Antigua was for all Central America what Lima was in South America, the jewel capitol of the Spanish Empire.
Influences of the Maya and the Spanish colonists are strong throughout Guatemala. In Antigua European influence is well evidenced by perhaps 15% affluent gringos choosing to live there. Natives usually wear brightly colored clothing and food is still made in the traditional Mayan way in small villages in the highlands where many Mayan ruins can be found. Along the small Caribbean coast, there are influences of African culture in the religious ceremonial songs, dances and food.
Guatemala has a rich and distinctive culture from the long mix of elements from Spain and the native Maya people. This diverse history and the natural beauty of this very green lush land have created a destination rich in interesting and scenic sites.
HISTORY
The early classic era Mayan civilization flourished throughout much of Guatemala and the surrounding region long before the Spanish arrived, but it was already in decline when Pedro de Alvarado defeated the Mayans in 1523-24. Floods and an earthquake ruined the first colonial capital, Ciudad Vieja, in 1542. Survivors founded Antigua, the second capital, in 1543.
Two earthquakes destroyed Antigua in 1773. The remnants of its Spanish colonial architecture have been preserved as a national monument. The third capital, Guatemala City, was founded in 1776.
Guatemala gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1821; it briefly became part of the Mexican Empire, and then for a period belonged to a federation called the United Provinces of Central America. From the mid-19th century until the mid-1980s, the country passed through a series of dictatorships, insurgencies (particularly beginning in the 1960s), coups, and stretches of military rule with only occasional periods of representative government. Today it is a peaceful republic.
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