Not to miss

Quetzaltenango

Quetzaltenango, mercifully known to just about everyone as Xela ('shay-lah'), is a base for excursions to hot springs, handicraft villages and treks to volcano summits. It's popular with travelers wanting to study Spanish or to join volunteer projects working with indigenous communities.

Heartland of the K'iche' Mayan people, this commercial hub prospered during the 19th century. The town's major sights are the central square and surrounding buildings, a couple of markets and the ubiquitous Parque Minerva - built to inspire Guatemalan youth to new heights of learning.

Though it's Guatemala's second-largest city, Xela is still a highland mountain town at heart. In the vicinity are natural steam baths at Los Vahos and Fuentes Georginas, the picture-postcard village of Zunil, Guatemala's garment district San Francisco El Alto and the woolly village of Momostenango.

Flores & Tikal

Many Tikal-bound shoestringers opt for the small lakeside hotels and restaurants at Flores. It's hugely picturesque and you don't have to shell out big bucks to get awesome views. At Tikal the ceremonial center set deep in lush jungle is, for many, the most impressive Mayan site.

Vast, sparsely populated and jungle-covered, Tikal in Guatemala's largest department, El Petén, is ripe for further exploration. Two things stand out about this region - the well-preserved (and often unrestored) archaeological sites and the abundance of wildlife that inhabits the jungle.

Lívingston

Accessible only by boat - either by river or from the Caribbean port of Puerto Barrios - the coastal town of Lívingston is unique in Guatemala. It's home to the Garífuna (descendants of indigenous Carib and shipwrecked African slaves) and exudes a laid-back way of life, with Jamaican influences.

The distinctive culture, language and music incorporating African, Mayan and European elements gives Lívingston a more Belizean than Guatemalan feel, with coconut groves, gaily painted wooden buildings and a fishing economy. Apart from a couple of beaches, Lívingston is at the end of the wonderful river journey on the Río Dulce.

El Remate

Close to Tikal, El Remate is an enchanting village on the shores of Lago de Petén Itzá. It's a mellow little place - much more relaxed than Flores - where most hotels overhang the lake. The village is also well known for its wood carving. Several shops on the lakeshore sell local handicrafts and rent out canoes, rafts and kayaks.

Quiriguá

The small archaeological site of Quiriguá is famed for its intricately carved stelae - the gigantic sandstone monoliths that rise up to 10.5m (35ft), like ancient sentinels, in a quiet tropical park. Quiriguá is a wonderful place and, wandering among the stelae of the Gran Plaza and Acropolis (most built under great leader Cauac Sky), is quite spiritual.