Seven things you need to know before you go to Guatemala

News24xx.com -  Probably, most of us are not familiar with Guatemala.

But as information, Guatemala is the highlight of Central America trip. There are many adventurous activities such as caving, volcano hiking, as well as the intrigue of spectacular Mayan ruins and culture, there.

And Guatemala is have gorgeous natural scenery in its jungle and mountains, as well as cute colonial towns and a famously pristine lake. 

And for a backpacker it's easy for them to search a lot of great hostels to stay in. And it’s unsurprising that the tourist numbers drawn in each year are increasing.

But here are seven things you need to know before you go to Guatemala.

1. The country's currency comes from the name of a bird
The Guatemalan quetzal is the national currency and it’s named for one of the most beautiful birds on the continent, you’ll be lucky if you see one as they’re quite rare.

2. A huge proportion of Guatemala’s population are of Mayan heritage
More than 20 different Mayan languages exist in Guatemala, alongside the Spanish spoken by most of the population. English is also widely spoken by people in the tourist areas, such as Antigua and Lake Atitlan.

3.Their staple food is rice and beans
Their food probably won’t tickle your taste buds.  Alongside the typical rice and beans ubiquitous to the continent, Guatemalans will often accompany their meal with tortillas. Tortillas is the corn-based bread staple are dry, plain.

4. The largest ruins in Central America 
Tikal is one of the largest Mayan ruins in Central America. The spectacular Tikal is well worth a visit on your Guatemalan trip. An ancient Mayan site dating back over 2,000 years, noted that Tikal across 220 square miles. It is thought that only 20% of the site has been uncovered to this day. 

5. The deepest lake  in Central America
Lake Atitlan is Central America’s deepest lake.  Lake Atitlan, in the country’s southwest, is an idyllic spot to hang out for a few days. 

Swimming and watersports are a few of the obvious attractions there. Many people plan to stay a few days and end up staying a few weeks. 

6. Has more than 30 volcanoes
Guatamala has many volcanoes. Volcan Acatenango can be climbed from Antigua. From base camp, you can see and hear the rumble of Volcan Fuego erupting in the distance. Just don’t expect to get any sleep at night: some of those eruptions sound like a cannon going off.

7. Has many buses
Travelling around Guatemala is very easy but takes absolutely ages. As the popular enough backpacking spot, Guatemala has plenty of shuttle buses running between the major spots. But, the roads are terrible.

Guatemala is one of Central America’s biggest countries, so the distances very far. And don’t be surprised if you’re faced with multiple journeys over ten hours long on your trip. 

 

 

 

 

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