History of Guatemala

The Republic of Guatemala is a country located in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. It is a representative democracy, its capital is Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City. The former Mayan civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization, which continued throughout the Post-Classic period until the arrival of the Spanish but gained independence from Spain in 1821. "Guatemala" is derived from "Goathemala," which means "the land of the trees" in the Maya-Toltec language.

Lost City Adventures will take you to the following destinations:

Antigua- a city in the central highlands of Guatemala known for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar (Moor)-influenced Baroque architecture and ruins of colonial churches. One can see spectacular religious processions during Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Christmas. This is a main tourist attraction and It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Panajachel/Lake Atitlan- is the mainland town in the southwestern Guatemalan Highlands, in the department of Sololá. The town of Panajachel is located on the shore of Lake Atitlán, and has become a hub for the tourist trade of the area as it provides a base for visitors crossing the lake to visit the surrounding indigenous villages. The Spanish set up a church and monastery in Panajachel and used the town as a centre to convert the indigenous people of the region to the Roman Catholic faith. The original façade of the church still stands. Lake Atitlan is a huge lake surrounded by volcanoes. It is the deepest lake in Central America at 340 meters.

Chichicastenango- is a town in the El Quiché department, known for its traditional K'iche' Maya culture. It is well known for its famous market days on Thursdays and Sundays where vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, grindstones, pigs and chickens, machetes, and other tools. In the central part of the market plaza are small eateries (comedores). Among the items sold are textiles. The manufacture of masks, used by dancers in traditional dances, such as the Dance of the Conquest, have also made this city well-known for woodcarving. Next to the market is the 400-year old church of Santo Tomás. It is built atop a Pre-Columbian temple platform, and the steps originally leading to a temple of the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization remain venerated. K'iche' Maya priests still use the church for their rituals, burning incense and candles. In special cases, they burn a chicken for the gods. Each of the 18 stairs that lead up to the church stands for one month of the Maya calendar year.

Semuc Champey- is located 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 Cahabòn River. Atop the bridge is a series of beautiful stepped, turquoise pools, which is a popular swimming attraction.

Tikal- Located in in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in northern Guatemala. the site is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya.

Rio Dulce- is a river completely contained within the department of Izabal. It is part of a lake and river system. The river begins at the point where it flows out of Lake Izabal. At the entrance to the river there is a small Spanish colonial fort, the Castillo de San Felipe, built to stop pirates entering the lake from the Caribbean when this part of Central America was an important shipping staging point. Just after the river flows from Lake Izabal it is spanned by one of the biggest bridges in Central America. This river flows into the Caribbean Sea.

Livingston- is a town in Izabal Department, eastern Guatemala, at the mouth of the Río Dulce at the Gulf of Honduras. Livingston is noted for its unusual mix of Garífuna, Afro-Caribbean, Maya and Ladino people and culture. Livingston is named after American jurist and politician Edward Livingston who wrote the Livingston Codes which were used as the basis for the laws of the liberal government of the United Provinces of Central America in the early 19th century.