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Description
Located in a southwestern valley if Guatemala, Guatemala City is Central America’s largest city (Mexico City is in North America). It’s full name is actually La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción. Guatemala sits nearly a mile high in elevation which gives it a wonderful spring climate year round. This temperature makes Guatemala a popular destination for travelers from the world over.
Guatemala City is the main port of entry to the country through La Aurora International Airport. It is a well developed city within the downtown region and many of the suburbs. However there is a large portion of the city that is overcrowded and lacking of many essentials which often brings unrest from the public.
Cultural life
There are 10 universities, Universidad Mariano Gálvez, Universidad Panamericana, Universidad Mesoamericana, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Universidad del Valle, Universidad del Istmo, Universidad Galileo, Universidad Rural and Universidad de San Carlos, the third oldest university in the New World. This is of course in addition to the few other institutions in the country.
Palacio Nacional de la Cultura may be visited in Guatemala City, as well as (located in Hipódromo del Norte), Mercado de Artesanías (market)(close to Aeropuerto Internacional “La Aurora”), and Zona Viva.
Zoológico La Aurora (zoo), Mapa en Relieve (Relief Map), and Museo De Los Ninos are a few other sites that are very popular among visitors. These sites are all great for families visiting Guatemala City. The zoo is filled with animals not only from Guatemala but from the world over. The Mapa is a tremendous site constructed at the turn of the 20th century and is a must see for all. The Museo De Los Ninos is a top of the line Childrens Museum that has many fun activities and many ways for kids to learn about Guatemala!
The Zones The Zones
Guatemala City is broken up into Zones, much like postal codes elsewhere though somewhat different. Much can be told about Guatemala by which zone you are in.
Most visitors will remain in Zones 9 and 10 which is known affectionately as Zona Viva (or the “Lively Zone”). Here you will find all of the good restaurants, your major hotels, shopping centers, and other major attractions. Since this is the main destination for tourists, the Guatemalan authorities wisely have a larger police presence in the area and the crime rate is significantly lower here than elsewhere in the city.
There is little reason to visit many other areas of Guatemala City as much of it is residential or industrial. However, it should be noted that it is worth visiting the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura and other government/historical buildings in Zones 1 and 2.
History
This city was made the capital of Guatemala after earthquakes destroyed Antigua in 1775. It was only then that Guatemala City began to grow in importance and size to what it is today. Though it has been through it’s share of turmoil, Guatemala City has a rich history to share with visitors.
Modern day Guatemala is built on and around the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu. This was a city that was around at least 2000 years ago and is a very popular archeological site. Many of the ruins have been protected and can be seen by visitors today. However, many of the ruins were destroyed by development before they were protected.
Guatemala City was destroyed by earthquakes in 1917 and 1918 but was rebuilt in the same location. In the 70’s another round of earthquakes leveled quite a bit of the city and claimed 20,000 lives as well. However, Guatemala City has been well established as the capital and there are no plans to move it again.
Cities Highlighted on The Blog:
Escuintla, Escuintla
Mazatenango, Suchitepéquez
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Sources:
http://www.offbeattravel.com
http://www.visitguatemala.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
http:// www.state.gov
