Hostels in GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA

Guatemala City – Cultural Junction of Guatemala

Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala, is the largest city of Central America. Its cultural heritage and happening atmosphere makes it a famous tourist destination.

History
Guatemala City’s history goes back to the 5th century ancient Mayan city called Kaminaljuyu. It is one of the biggest archaeological sites of the world. The city was colonized by the Spanish in the 15th century and also served as the capital of their Captaincy General in the 1770s under the rule of Spain’s King Charles III. This led to widespread development of the city. After Central America secured independence from Spain in 1821, the city became the capital of Central America’s United Provinces.

Popular Places and Attractions
The National Palace near the city’s main plaza contains a lot of interesting sites, the Presidential Balcony and the Reception Hall being the most popular. A mass gathering is organized every Sunday at the main plaza. The decoration of La Sala in here has been done with Quetzals, their national bird, and its glass windows tell Guatemala’s colonial history. This provides you with a chance of experiencing the Guatemalan culture to the fullest. The Miguel Asturias Cultural Centre is host to the city’s National Theatre and hosts many large concerts.

The Popul Vuh Museum has been named after sacred Mayan texts and contains an impressive collective of their artefacts. The Aurora Park contains the museums of National History, Modern Art and Archaeology. They prove to be decent Guatemalan history archives. The Ixchel Museum, Aurora Zoo, the Cathedral, Mapa en Relieve, Museo Miraflores and the Mirador Basin Museum are some other popular attractions in the city, each of them bringing some element of Guatemalan culture to you.

Getting Around
Buses, cabs, Transmetro (BRT) and minibuses are the available modes of transport for getting around Guatemala City, a good guide is to keep some change handy to pay for your travel.

Places for Entertainment
Bars, restaurants and cinemas are the major places of having fun in Guatemala City. The city’s Zone Viva contains dozens of entertainment and food venues. One can also find nightclubs and discos in this area. The shops are well-known for their pottery products and accessories adopted from the designs of tribal embroideries. Kalhua is a major venue here containing several bars having varying styles. Metro bowl and Fun Plaza have nice facilities for bowling, video games, cafeterias and pool tables. The place is especially popular amongst children because of the periodic children’s events conducted here.

The leisure centre of Las Terrazas, Sushi Itto and Shelock’s are some other popular places for entertainment in the city. Mountain climbing at Pacaya and Agua volcanoes, swimming in Lake Atitlan and shopping in Central Market are some other entertainment opportunities.

Accommodation
Luxurious hotels and inexpensive bed and breakfast, motels, budget hotels, guesthouse, youth hostels, lodges can be found in Guatemala City suiting visitors of all budgets and tastes.

Currency
Guatemala has adopted the Quetzal (GTQ) as its official currency, for the latest exchange rates check the news and internet. Its second official currency is the U.S Dollar. Traveller’s cheques are also accepted at most places in the city. International Visa and American Express ATM cards and most of the leading credit cards can also be carried.

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