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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Guatemala

26 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Guatemala

Updated March 7, 2023

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Mayan 6
Geology 5
Volcanoes 5
Ancient 5
Ruins 4
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Food 3
Cultures And Civilizations 3

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Pure 100-percent cacao is bitter and only slightly sweet.

The Surprisingly Sacred Roots of Chocolate

Among the Maya, cacao has served as a powerful symbol from womb to tomb.
by Sam O'Brien
Chicken buses are old American school buses fixed up and turned into public transportation in Central America. Here, they wait for passengers in Antigua, Guatemala.

Guatemala's Tricked-Out 'Chicken Buses' Have Lots of Stories to Tell

These old American school buses are a fixture of daily life across Central America.
by Megan Janetsky
David García checks a pizza he is cooking on a Pacaya lava river in May, 2021.

At Pizza Pacaya, the Oven Is an Active Volcano

Chef David García’s secret ingredient is lava.
by María Paula Rubiano A.
Sofia Ixcot Xivir’s mountainous town of Zunil, near Quetzaltenango.

Identity, Community, and Defiance, All Woven Into a Blouse

In Guatemala, to wear a huipil is to represent millennia of Maya history.
by Jenny Gustafsson
The vessel is now in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología in Guatemala.

Archaeologists, Mayanists, and Hershey’s Collaborated to Reveal This Ancient Vessel’s Secrets

Both the inside and outside spelled out chocolate.
by Anne Ewbank
The pyramid atop 5D-33 is long gone.

Archaeologists Dismantled a Maya Pyramid in Guatemala and Never Put It Back Together

They tore it down in the 1960s to solve the puzzle below.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
Local women holding rubber bags.

How a Guatemalan Town Tackled Its Plastic Problem

In San Pedro La Laguna, single-use items made from plastic and styrofoam are banned.
by Lola Méndez
Home damage caused by Hurricane Stan.

How a Hurricane Prompted Guatemala to Prioritize Land Preservation

Hurricane Stan hit 13 years ago today.
by Evan Nicole Brown

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