According to cachedhealth, Guatemala is a country in North America bordering Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Guatemala has been independent from the former United States of Central America since 1840. The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City. A number of large cities in Guatemala are: Antigua, Mixco, Villa Nueva, Petapa and San Juan Sacatepéquez.
Guatemala is known for the Mayan culture, which you can see throughout the country. A large part of the population is of Maya or another indigenous origin and partly still lives according to traditional customs. There are also many old temples and ruins to be found. The landscape is characterized by large tracts of jungle and 33 volcanoes. Some of these volcanoes are still active. Many exotic crops are grown in the country, such as bananas, coconut, cocoa and coffee beans. Guatemala has many beaches that you can compare to Caribbean beaches: clear blue water, white sand beaches and palm trees. Endangered species such as jaguars, turtles and crocodiles can be found in the forests and on the coast. See behealthybytomorrow for Guatemala travel package.
Where is Guatemala located?
Travel information of Guatemala
Official name: Republic of Guatemala
Continent: North America
Area: 108,889 km²
Capital: Guatemala City (Guatemala City)
Country code: GT, GTM
Population: 17,153,288 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 4,220 m (Tajumulco)
Distance (Amsterdam – Guatemala city): 9,098 km
Flight time: approximately 12 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in Guatemala that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Guatemala, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Guatemala. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Guatemala?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Guatemala at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Guatemala has a tropical climate. In the higher areas the temperatures are between 15 and 25 degrees. In the lower areas, temperatures are around 30 degrees. Earthquakes and hurricanes can occur in Guatemala.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Guatemala can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Guatemala can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March, April, November and December are the best months to travel to Guatemala. This avoids the rainy season.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Guatemala. Furthermore, several Mayan languages are spoken, such as K’iche’ and Kaqchikel.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Guatemala.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in Guatemala for less than 90 days.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Costa Rica (also for Guatemala):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Guatemala: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Guatemala in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
It is advisable to get one or more vaccinations before visiting Guatemala.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Guatemala (with the exception of Antigua, Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Guatemala people pay with the Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Guatemala can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices in Guatemala are a lot cheaper than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -36% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (60% cheaper), food (21% cheaper), imported beer in catering (27% cheaper), cigarettes (56% cheaper) and public transport (94% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Guatemala it is customary to give a tip of approximately 10%.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 8 hours earlier in Guatemala.
During our winter time it is 7 hours earlier in Guatemala.
Guatemala has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Guatemala can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Guatemala you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Guatemala.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Guatemala.
Electricity
In Guatemala you need a travel plug. In addition, in some cases you need an inverter.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Guatemala can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 110
– Fire: 120
– Ambulance: 123
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Guatemala can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Guatemala can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Guatemala end in.gt.
Guatemala’s official website: guatemala.gob.gt.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Guatemala is 00502 or +502.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Guatemala? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company information can be found in the Yellow Pages of Guatemala.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Guatemala.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Guatemala.
Public holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Guatemala can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Guatemala, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Guatemala?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Guatemala. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Guatemala can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Guatemala can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Guatemala? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with Guatemala, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Guatemala, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Guatemala.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.8.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…There are 33 volcanoes in Guatemala?
…Guatemala is known for its Mayan temples?
…Jean fabric for jeans was invented in Guatemala?
…The name Guatemala means, land of the trees?
…The chocolate bar was invented in Guatemala?
