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GUATEMALA

A land of contrasts and colour at the heart of the Maya World, Guatemala combines the majesty of the ancient Maya with all the passion of their descendants, who account for over half the country's population of 9,000,000.

Writers and painters alike have been inspired by Guatemalan landscapes. Girdled by three volcanoes, Atitlán has been hailed as the most beautiful lake in the world. Home to the majority of the Maya groups, the upland plateau called the Altiplano possesses endless pinewoods and rolling meadows. Further north, El Petén is a refuge for wildlife such as the jaguar, howler monkey, tapir and macaw. The Caribbean coast boasts sites of interest such as Lake Izabal and Río Dulce.

The lega cy of the ancient Maya is headed by the magnificent World Heritage Site of Tikal, famous for its temple pyramids. Other sites in El Petén are Uaxactún, Ceibal, El Mirador and Dos Pilas. Mixco Viejo, Zacaleu and Quiriguá, with its immense stelae, lie further south.

The Spaniards also left their mark on the Guatemalan landscape. La Antigua Guatemala, capital of a colonial empire until 1773, boasts gracious churches, convents and mansions, many of which have been restored. In the south, the lovely white cathedral at Esquipulas is the shrine of the Black Christ; Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango also possess colonial monuments.

The Guatemalan Maya are divided into 23 groups, each speaking their own language, reenacting pre-Hispanic rituals and wearing the traditional dress of their community. Visitors should pay a visit to Chichicastenango, a town that comes alive with the vibrant colours of native traditional dress on market day (Thursday and Sunday); the Lake Atitlán villages and the craft center of Totonicapán.

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