Guatemala is a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty, beaches, archaeological sites, and culture. Some of its main attractions include the ancient Mayan city of Tikal, with ruins of temples and palaces; Lake Atitlan, a deep volcanic lake surrounded by villages and farms; Semuc Champey, beautiful limestone pools and waterfalls; Antigua Guatemala, a well-preserved colonial city and former capital; and Guatemala City, the modern capital and largest city in Central America. Tourism in Guatemala centers around experiencing the country's archaeological sites from ancient Mayan civilizations, colonial history, and natural landscapes.

1. B1F | COLEGIO SUIZO AMERICANO| April 2, 2017
Tourism in Guatemala
MARÍA FERNANDA SILVA

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Tourism in Guatemala has grown
gradually, is an attractive destination
because of the abundant and varied
natural beauty and its long beaches of
white sand and dark sand, coral reefs,
abundant flora and fauna, and
archaeological beauties, its colonial
history, plus its entire culture
expressed in their customs and
traditional foods.
There is a strong interest of the
international community for
archaeological sites like the city
of Tikal was built and occupied in a
period where the Mayan culture had
its most literal and artistic expression,
was ruled by a dynasty of 16 kings, the
Mayas of Tikal built many temples, a
ball park, altars and steles in high and
low relief.
Guatemala is very popular for its archaeological sites, pre-Hispanic cities as well as
tourist-religious centers like Basilica of Esquipulas and City of Esquipulas and also the
beautiful beaches on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Guatemala. Other tourist
destinations are the National Parks and others Protected Areas such as the Maya
Biosphere Reserve.

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GuatemalaCity
Guatemala City, locally known
as Guatemala or Guate, is
the capital and largest city of
the Republic of Guatemala, and the
most populous in CentralAmerica.The
city is located in the south-centralpart
of the country, nestled in a mountain
valley called Valle de la Ermita (English:
Hermitage Valley). In 2009, it had a
population of 1,075,000.[3][4]
Guatemala City is also the capital of the local
Municipality of Guatemala and of the Guatemala Department.
LakeAtitlan
Lake Atitlan is a lake in the Guatemalan
Highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain
range.
It is in the Sololá Department of
southwestern Guatemala. Atitlan means "at
the water" in Nahuatl. Lake Atitlán is the
deepest lake in Central America with a
maximum depth ofabout 340 meters (1,120 ft.)[1]
With an average depth of 220
meters (720 ft.).[2]
Its surface area is 130.1 km2
(50.2 sq. mi).[1]
It is approximately
12 by 5 km with around 20 km3
of water.Atitlan is technically an endorheic lake,
feeding into two nearby rivers rather than draining into escarpments and three
volcanoes on its southern flank.
The area the ocean.It is shaped by deep surrounding supports extensive coffee
and avocadoorchards anda variety offarm crops, most notably corn and onions.
Significant agricultural crops include: corn, onions, beans, squash, tomatoes,

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cucumbers, garlic, chile verde,strawberries and pitahaya fruit. The lake itself is a
significant food source for the largely indigenous population.
Tikal
Tikal (/tiˈkäl/) (Tik’al in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient
city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in
Guatemala. Ambrosio Tut, a gum-sapper, reported the ruins to La Gaceta, a
Guatemalan newspaper, which named the site Tikal. After the Berlin Academy
of Sciences' magazine republished the report in 1853,archeologists and treasure
hunters began visiting the forest.Today,tourism to the site may help protect the
rainforest. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of
the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeologicalregion of
the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala. Situated in
the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala's Tikal NationalPark
and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tikal was the capitalof a conquest state that became one of the most powerful
kingdoms ofthe ancientMaya. Thoughmonumentalarchitecture at the site dates
back as far as the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic
Period,c.200 to 900 AD.During this time,the city dominatedmuch ofthe Maya
region politically, economically, and militarily, while interacting with areas
throughout Mesoamerica such as the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the
distant Valley of Mexico. There is evidence that Tikal was conquered by
Teotihuacan in the 4thcentury AD. Following the end oftheLate Classic Period,
no new major monuments were built at Tikal and there is evidence that elite
palaces were burned.
These events were
coupled with a gradual
population decline,
culminating with the
site’s abandonment by
the end of the 10th
century.
Tikal is the best
understood ofany ofthe
large lowland Maya
cities, with a

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long dynastic ruler list, the discovery of the tombs of many of the rulers on this
list and the investigation of their monuments, temples and palaces.
Semuc Champey

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Semuc Champey is a natural monument in the department of Alta Verapaz,
Guatemala,near the Q'eqchi' Maya town
of Lanquín. It consists of a natural 300
m limestone bridge, under which passes
the Cahabón River. Atop the bridge is a
series of stepped, turquoise pools, a
popular swimming attraction. Although
it can be difficult to get to, Semuc is
becoming more and more popular with
travelers.
Antigua Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala commonly referred to as just Antigua orla Antigua) is a city
in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-
preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins
of colonial churches. It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala. It
has been
designated
a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Antigua
Guatemala serves
as the municipal
seat for the
surrounding
municipality of the
same name. It also
serves as the departmental capital of Sacatepéquez Department.

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Antigua Guatemala means "Ancient Guatemala" and was the third capital of
Guatemala. The first capital of Guatemala was founded on the site of a
Kakchikel-Maya city, now
called Iximche,on Monday,
July 25, 1524—the day of
Saint James—and therefore
named Ciudad de Santiago
de los Caballeros de
Goathemalan (City of Saint
James of the Knights of
Guatemala). Naturally, St.
James became the patron
saint of the city.