Most journeys begin in the highlands, where a chain of volcanoes, several of them still active, rises above pine forests and terraced fields. Here you will find Antigua, the elegant former colonial capital, and Lake Atitlán, ringed by volcanoes and often called the most beautiful lake in the world. This is a land of eternal spring, its towns and villages set among some of the finest scenery in Central America.
It is also home to a living Maya culture found nowhere else in quite the same way. A large proportion of Guatemalans are of Maya descent, more than twenty Mayan languages are still spoken, and in the highland villages traditional dress and weaving remain part of everyday life. The great markets, at Chichicastenango and elsewhere, are among the most colourful gatherings anywhere in the Americas.
To the north, the highlands give way to the vast rainforests of the Petén, where the ancient Maya built some of their greatest cities. Foremost among them is Tikal, its temples rising above the forest canopy amid the calls of howler monkeys and toucans - one of the most magnificent archaeological sites in the world.
Beyond lie quieter corners still: the jungle gorge of the Río Dulce and the Garífuna towns of the Caribbean shore, the black-sand beaches of the Pacific coast, and the cloud forests where the resplendent quetzal, Guatemala's national bird, makes its home. For so small a country, Guatemala offers a remarkable wealth of experiences, and rewards those who take the time to explore it.