Guatemala City
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Overview
Depending on who you talk to, Guatemala City (or Guate as it's also known) is either big, dirty, dangerous and utterly forgettable, or big, dirty, dangerous and utterly fascinating. Either way, there's no doubt there's an energy here unlike anywhere else in Guatemala. It's a place where dilapidated buses belch fumes next to BMWs and Hummers, and where skyscrapers drop shadows on shantytowns.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
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Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
Guatemala City
On the north side of Parque Central is this imposing presidential palace, which was built between 1936 and 1943 during the dictatorial rule of General…
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Guatemala City
North of Zona 1, Zona 2 is mostly a middle-class residential district, but it's worth venturing along to Parque Minerva to see this huge open-air map of…
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Parque Arqueológico Kaminaljuyú
Guatemala City
Containing remnants of one of the first important cities in the Maya region, this park is just west of 23a Av and is some 4km west of the city center. At…
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Guatemala City
This museum is named for the Maya goddess of the moon, women, reproduction and textiles. Photographs and exhibits of indigenous costumes and other crafts…
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Guatemala City
This excellent modern museum is inauspiciously jammed between two shopping malls a few kilometers out of town. Downstairs focuses on objects found at…
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Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
Guatemala City
This museum has the country's biggest collection of ancient Maya artifacts, but explanatory information is very sparse. There's a great wealth of…
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Guatemala City
This is one of the city's more intriguing museums, with lots of photos and interesting memorabilia from the train days of old. Documented here are the…
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