Greetings! In January I took a trip to Guatemala in Central America. I wrote three blog posts on the first three stops in my itinerary as follows:
Today I'm sharing my tour and photos in
Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala and the largest city in Central America. Its official name is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (New Guatemala of the Assumption). The population of Guatemala City is about two million, however, with the addition of the neighbouring municipalities, the total increases to about four million.
Guatemala City is divided into twenty-two zones, which are numbered in a spiral fashion starting in downtown Guatemala City. I decided to book a half-day city tour to explore the various city zones. The tour included hotel pick-up and drop-off. There were eight people, including me, in the tour group, plus an English-speaking tour guide and a driver. Our shuttle van could accommodate twenty people so we had lots of room in the vehicle.
Our tour began with a visit to
Plaza Berlin which offers a good view of
Guatemala City and its surrounding mountains. From there, we made a few
stops to see
Iglesia Yurrita, a Catholic church known for its ornate Gothic features, and the
Central Post Office which has the arch
way similar to the Santa Catalina arch in Antigua.
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| View of Guatemala City from Plaza Berlin |
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| Plaza Berlin, Guatemala City |
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| Yurrita Church in Guatemala City |
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| Main Post Office in Guatemala City |
We continued on to
Central Plaza, also known as
Constitution Plaza, at the heart of Guatemala City. Here, we viewed the
Cathedral, built between 1782 and 1815, and the
National Palace, one of the most important Guatemalan architectural
achievements of the last century. Formerly the seat of the government,
it is now a museum and venue for government affairs.
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| Cathedral in Guatemala City |
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| National Palace in Guatemala City |
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| Constitution Plaza , Guatemala City |
The tour also took us through the residential, the educational, and the business
districts of the city to gain a full understanding of life in Guatemala
City. We visited a gated residential district where many embassies and consulates are located. Photos are not allowed in this area. We also viewed at a distance zones that are deemed unsafe to visitors due to gang-related crimes, and passed by the Zoo.
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| The Zoo, Guatemala City |
We walked through the city's Historic Centre, part of it is being converted to pedestrian-only area, and the Central Market where fresh produce and colourful handicrafts are visual treats.
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| Fruit in Central Market, Guatemala City |
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| Fruit juice selection in my hotel |
Guatemala City is a clean city as the municipal government has educated and encouraged its residents to keep the city clean. I was pleased with my decision to take the Guatemala City tour. It covered a lot of ground in three and a half hours. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, and with a small group, the pace was relaxing. This is my last stop in Guatemala, before flying home from La Aurora International Airport (airport code GUA) the next day.
My trip to Guatemala, known as the Land of Eternal Spring, was amazing! I hope you've enjoyed visiting (or revisiting) Guatemala through my lens.
I'd love to hear your comments.
What beautiful photos. i really know nothing about this part of the world! #Lifethisweek
ReplyDeleteThe weather was really nice when I was in Guatemala. The clear blue skies made the photos beautiful. Thanks, Lydia, for dropping by.
DeleteI really know very little about this part of the world so enjoyed visiting it through your lens. Have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jo, for your kind comment. My pleasure to share my travel and photos. Have a lovely week!
DeleteGosh I love your photos and tours Natalie. You see some fascinating sights and it is wonderful to share them with you via your blog. Have a great week! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue, for your kind comment. I enjoy traveling and sharing my adventures on my blog. Have a beautiful week!
DeleteHi Natalie, thanks for sharing at #MLSTL. I loved reading your travels again. x
DeleteThank you, Sue, for hosting another successful #MLSTL.
DeleteI have really enjoyed your travels Natalie! You show us so many interesting places and your photos are always so evocative. Thanks for sharing #lifethisweek
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbie, for your kind comment. I enjoy reading your travels and thoughts on life, too. Have a lovely week!
DeleteI’m in the midst of deciding which Central American country my hubs and I will visit next winter. This helps. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janet, for your visit and comment. I'm glad my Guatemala posts help. I've been to Costa Rica and Guatemala in Central America. I like both countries and would return.
DeleteNatalie, you get around! Good for you. When I read your posts, it makes me want to travel. Guatemala City looks amazing! I must put it on my list of places to visit. We leave next week for Costa Rica!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time in Costa Rica, Laurie! Glad my travel posts make you want to travel :) Thank you for dropping by.
DeleteWhat a great trip you had, Natalie. :) :) Thanks so much for sharing it on my walks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jo, for letting me share my posts. I enjoy reading about your walks and viewing your photos.
DeleteHow exciting! I have never been to Guatemala but sure you have seeded the curiosity and desire in me to go there someday!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Silvia, for your visit and comment. I'm glad to have started your curiosity about Guatemala.
DeleteI always love those kinds of tours. Sure you don't get to spend hours in one place, but you get a great summary of what the city is like. And you learn so much!!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
This city tour was informative and covered many zones in Guatemala city so it was a good choice. Thanks, Jodie, for stopping by.
DeleteHi Natalie! Wow! That wasn't my vision of Guatemala at all! I don't know what I imagined but it wasn't that! Amazing! So nice that you were able to visit. I just might put it on my list now that I've seen how beautiful it is. Have a great day! Visiting from Esme's Salon, pinned. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl - Thank you for your visit and comment. Guatemala is a gem. You might like to read my previous three posts on Antigua, Chichicastenango market, and Lake Atitlan, which are all beautiful places in the country.
DeleteHi Natalie, I'll check out your other posts, thank you! :-)
DeleteThank you, Cheryl, for reading my blog and commenting :) Have a great day!
DeleteWhat an awesome trip, Natalie. These are great pictures. I especially like the photo of the fruit in the Central Market. The bright green wall makes a beautiful contrast against them.
ReplyDeleteBTW - That's an incredible amount of juice selection at your hotel! :)
It was an awesome trip, Donna. Fresh fruits were abundant and inexpensive in Guatemala. They showed up in every market and at the hotel buffet :)
DeleteShared on my Social Media. #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna. You rock!
Deletewow what a beautiful city I love the Yurrita church It is like from a fairy tale and the fruit market looks very appealing to me. Great post
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marja, for your visit and comment. The Yurrita church is visually attractive, isn't it? Guatemala produces lots of fresh fruit and vegetables thanks to their volcanic soil.
DeleteYou go on the best trips. Thanks for sharing it. Beautiful pics. #MLSTL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patrick, for your kind comment.
DeleteThanks for the virtual tour of Guatemala City, Natalie! The architecture is quite elaborate isn't it? It looks like a really lovely city (love that the people keep it clean and tidy). Not too busy or overwhelming & plenty of space and green space etc! That fruit looks delicious too! :-)
ReplyDeleteA clean city always makes a good impression on its visitors. I noticed the cleanliness as soon as I arrived in Guatemala city. Thank you, Min, for stopping by. Have a beautiful week!
DeleteIt's quite different to how I thought Guatemala would look like Natalie - I imagined that the city would be a lot older and grungier looking. It seems to be quite beautifully maintained.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I've shared on my SM :)
I was impressed with the cleanliness in Guatemala City, Leanne. The tour guide mentioned some unsafe zones in the city and we walked through the Historic Centre which looks older than the civic area. Thanks for hosting and sharing on your SM.
DeleteGorgeous photos. What a trip! I know nothing about this part of the world, but more and more you're inspiring me to visit. Thank you for the inspo :) #MLSTL and shared on SM
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jo, for your kind comment. It was my first time visiting Guatemala and the entire trip was a delight.
DeleteWhat a great post on a place I don't anticipate ever visiting, that makes the virtual tour even more delightful. Pinning this
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan, for your visit and comment. I'm glad you found my post delightful.
DeleteAgain, you are nailing the trip information and sharing with your words and pics!
ReplyDeleteThank you for linking up for Life This Week. Next week's optional prompt is the first Taking Stock in 2019. Denyse
Thank you, Denyse, for your kind comment. I look forward to linking up next week.
DeleteYou gave us a wonderful insight into the city. Thanks for sharing all the awesome photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Betty, for your kind comment. I greatly appreciate it. I'll visit your blog shortly.
DeleteThank you Natalie for sharing your travels with us. Your photos are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christie, for your kind comment. I greatly appreciate it.
DeleteI've not yet been to Guatemala...looks like you enjoyed your trip!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathryn, for your visit and comment. I just visited your blog. Your photos of the Oregon Coast are stunning.
DeleteOh I love the architecture! My niece is currently working on a cruise ship that was sailing around South America and my brother and sister-in-law just went on a 15 night cruise so got to see a few countries. The cruise ship my niece is on is about to re-locate for shorter trips (heading towards summer I guess) around Cuba and the like and it's a place I'd like to go.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deb, for dropping by. Cruises are very common in and around the Americas with many ports and cities to explore. Your niece must have been to many of them.
DeleteWhat an unbelievable selection of fruit juices. When I lived in Panama, I was introduced to fruits I had never heard of and haven't seen since. One was called a rose apple. And the kids down there loved a particular fruit that stained and ruined their clothes.
ReplyDeleteThe cathedral was impressive but looks like it has a false front, with a very ordinary building tacked on behind. The facade must have been a tremendous architectural endeavor for that time period.
Was that lovely crossover part of the post office? Much fancier and more ornate than our post offices!!
Thank you for sharing your travels with us here at home. Cannot wait for your trip to Croatia!
I had to take a photo of the selection of fruit juices to remind myself how well stocked they're with fruit choices. I didn't go into the cathedral but wouldn't be surprised if part of it was under reconstruction. The crossover was part of the post office.
DeleteBecause of Guatemala’s past history as a right-wing dictatorship propped up by the CIA, and its current involvement in drug smuggling, it has not been on my radar as a travel destination. However, your stories and photos show the everyday life in the communities and that one can travel safely there.
ReplyDeleteJude
Things seem to change frequently around the world these days. I had a very good trip to Guatemala. The active volcano raised some concerns in my mind but if it had erupted when I was there, it would have been a natural disaster, and not anything crime-related. If there were direct flights from Canada to Guatemala, I'm quite sure, the country would be overflowed with tourists.
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