More about Guatemala's National Parks, Volcanos and Monuments, Please click on the area of interest in the table below..
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More about Guatemala's National Parks, Volcanos and Monuments, Please click on the area of interest in the table below.. |
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All of Guatemala's volcanoes are protected by law. The country's volcanic peaks vary in altitude from 1027 m.a.s.l. of the Culma to 4,220 m.a.s.l. of the Tajumulco, the highest peak in Central America. The geographical location, the climate and the topography make Guatemala's volcanoes very importanct as regards nature, as they are centers of endemic species. Scenically, they offer incredible panoramas of the Pacific Coast, of the highlands and along the volcanic chain. Many of these volcanoes, such as the Pacaya, the Fuego and the Santiaguito, are active and provide spectacular sights.
LOCATION: In the Municipal District of Sayaxche, in the southwestern part of the Department of Peten. DESCRIPTION: Ceibal and Aguateca-Dos Pilas form a unit of small protected areas in the basin of the La Pasion River, with primary forests and first-class archaeological sites. They have provided very important historical data on the decline of the great Maya cities in the region. Ceibal is the best conserved and most restored site and includes a complex of palaces and stelae. This particular region is one of the most interesting combinations of river settings, natural beauty and archaeological treasures. IMPORTANCE: The existence of important archaeological ruins which prove the importance of the La Pasion River region. HOW TO GET THERE: By National Road 5 from Flores, the capital of the Department of Peten, to Sayaxche and then on to Ceibal. Ceibal, and the archaeological sites of the Aguateca-Dos Pilas Park (Aguateca, Dos Pilas, Punta de Chimino and Tamarindito), can also be reached by river. SERVICES AND FACILITIES: Sayaxche has eating places and lodging. There is a very high-class hotel at Punta de Chimino. LOCATION: Two kilometers from Tecpan in the Department of Chimaltenango. DESCRIPTION: The Iximche archaeological site, which was the capital of the Kakchiquel Indians at the time of the Conquest, is located in a small pine forest. It is one of the few sites with a documented history. The first capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala was founded next to Iximche, but soon moved to what is now known as Ciudad Vieja. IMPORTANCE: Iximche is of great archaeological and historical value. The Memorial de Solola, an ancient document of Indian history, refers to this site repeatedly. HOW TO GET THERE: Tecpan lies on Highway CA-1 at Km. 90 and can be reached easily by car or bus. The Iximche site lies 2 Kms. from Tecpan. SERVICES AND FACILITIES: A small museum. In Tecpan and on the Pan American Highway there are various eating places and restaurants. LOCATION: This archaeological site is located in the Municipal District of Los Amates in the Department of Izabal. DESCRIPTION: Quirigua is one of the smallest, but nevertheless most outstanding Maya cities due to its splendid monuments. It includes Stela E, which is the largest block of stone sculpted by the Maya (a little more than 10 meters tall). The site contains eleven additional stelae, four zoomorphs (stones sculpted to represent mythological animals), and temples. IMPORTANCE: Being one of the most important Maya sites, UNESCO declared it to be a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. HOW TO GET THERE: Highway CA-9 goes directly to the town of Quirigua and the site is 2 Kms. from there. SERVICES AND FACILITIES: The archaeological area has an information center, toilets, and facilities for camping and outdoor cooking. It is recommended to spend the night at Rio Dulce, Mariscos or Puerto Barrios. The village of Panajachel on
the shore of the beautiful Atitlán
Lake has art galleries, textile, handicraft shops and restaurants of
different kinds. Like in Antigua
there are several confortable hotels.
Santiago Atitlán at the foot of Volcán de Tolimán y Atitlán.In the left side of the lake you can find San Lucas, at the foot of the Volcán de Tolimán, and very near by boat is San Antonio Palopó and Santa Catarina Palopó. Over the mountains and by road you may visit Agua Escondida, Godinez, and San Andres Semetabaj. The mail boat, sailing everyday in the morning may take you across the lake for a visit to the charming village of Santiago Atitlán on the opposite shore and come back at noon.The town of Santiago Atitlán is located on an embankment of broken lava. The Bay of Santiago is amazingly
beautiful, it is surrounded by the three volcanoes mentioned above and
to the south, by a volcanic range crorwned with fantastically formed crests,
mute witnesses to formidable geological cataclysms which occurred in the
remote past.
A few miles to the south of the
town of Santiago Atitlán is the lookout of king Tepepul, which is
the gateway to the Quetzal Reserve, the habitat of this bird which is the
symbol of Guatemala, and an ideal place from which to see the slope of
the highlands and the plains of the coastline of the Pacific Ocean.The
town of Santiago Atitlán continues to preserve its traditional cultural
personality, despite changes in the community brought about by contact
with the outer world. The houses are generally distributed around patios{yards}which
are used to raise domestic animals and carry out other activities, such
as the manufacture of handicraft. Except for the center, the town is made
up of narrow alleyways which zigzag in apparent disorder along the length
and the breath or the urban hub.
LOCATION:This reserve is located in the municipal districts of Flores, La Libertad, Melchor de Mencos, San Andres and San Jose of the Department of Peten. It covers approximately the northern half of this Department above parallel 17, and has international boundaries with Mexico to the west and north, and with Belize to the east. DESCRIPTION: This is the largest protected area in the country (1,844,900 hectares, including the buffer zone). It is divided into five types of zones. The site of the Reserve was the settlement of the classical Maya culture and it contains an enormous number of very important archaeological sites, such as El Mirador, El Zotz, Piedras Negras, Tikal and Uaxactun. IMPORTANCE: Its large area allows for the genetic exchange of species requiring much living space. The Maya archaeological sites and zones give it historical-cultural relevance. HOW TO GET THERE: From Flores, the capital of the Department of Peten, a paved highway runs to the Tikal National Park (see details in the National Parks Section), served by minibuses and buses with regular schedules. A dirt road continues to the archaeological site and village of Uaxactun. The road connecting Flores and San Miguel continues to the north to multiple use areas, and to the San Miguel-La Palotada Protected Biotope The Nature Reserve occupies half the valley of San Buenaventura in Panajachel, on the shores of Lake Atitlán It has more than 100 hectares of native forest. Its goal is the conservation of tine natural surroundings in the Lake Atitlán Basin. The Nature Reserve is committed to biodiversity with the certainty that humans are as rich and diverse as their environment. This privately funded project intends to be an economically viable alternative to the traditional uses of land and natural resources in the area. Its achievements already include the planting of more than 180,000 trees in the valley of San Buenaventura, the installation of efficient wood burning stoves in the neighboring communities, garbage recycling, and the use of solar energy and biodigestors. At present the Reserve has the following facilities: 1. Nature Trails with signs offer self-guided walks through the characteristic ecosystems of the North Shore, using a highly informative 12 page guide, printed both In Spanish and English. 2. Enclosed Butterfly Preserve with approximately 5,625 cubic meters (170,000 cu. ft.) of flight space, a 2,500 cu. ft. breeding laboratory for pupae and chrysalis with information on the butterflies life cycle more than 2,000 plants and approximately 500 live specimens of nearly 25 species of native Guatemalan butterflies. The Butterfly Preserve illustrates the importance of these insects in nature and allows us to explore the relationship that humans have with their environment. The management of large populations of these insects will also allow their reintroduction in the area. 3. A Bird Refuge that at present has temporary trails for visitor to enter the area which will be developed into a formal, protected bird refuge over the next 2 years. Planting for bird sustenance will include an estimated 600 native fruit tress and thousands of native flowering and seed plants. This refuge will contain elevated walk-ways, tree platforms and suspensions bridges in order to allow the visitor traffic views of the area and its animal life without unduly intruding upon it. These measures should attract native and migrating birds while creating conditions for visitors and scholars to observe the birds without disturbing them. Completion dates for both the planting and the trail/platform/bridge systems is October 1995. 4. Orchid Garden Within the Butterfly Preserve with, at present, some 50 species of the more than 500 species native to Guatemala 5. Visitors Center with a 110 m2 (1,200 sq. ft. visitor reception area which includes offices, men's and women's rest rooms a refreshment/souvenir area, a 140 mt2 (1500 sq. ft.) landscaped waiting/resting area, and a parking area for both buses and private vehicles (completion date scheduled for July. 1995). Prices for entry into the Nature Reserve are as follows: Adults US$20.00; Students US$10.00; Children US$10.00: Families US$35.00; Groups with more than 6 people US$12.00 each. These prices include visit to the Butterfly Preserve, the Nature Trails and the Bird Refuge. The Nature Trails and the Bird Refuge is open from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. , and is selfguided. Earlier visitation is possible with permission from the Administration. The Butterfly Sanctuary is open from 10:00 A.M. to 3;00 P.M. daily, and is guided in either Spanish or English. A complete tour of the Reserve takes from 2 to 3 hours, while the guided visit to the Butterfly Preserve alone takes 30 to 45 minutes.
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