ABOUT GUATEMALA CITY

Climate

Despite its location in the tropics, Guatemala City has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) bordering humid subtropical climate (Cwa), due to its relatively high altitude which moderate the average temperatures. Guatemala City is generally very warm, almost springlike, throughout the course of the year.

It occasionally gets hot during the dry season, but not as hot and humid as in Central American cities at sea level. The hottest month is April. The rainy season extends from May to October, coinciding with the tropical storm and hurricane season in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, while the dry season extends from November to April. The city can at times be windy, which also leads to lower ambient temperatures.

The city’s average annual temperature ranges are 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F) during the day and 12–17 °C (53.6–62.6 °F) at night; its average relative humidity is 82% in the morning and 58% in the evening; and its average dew point is 16 °C (60.8 °F).

Visiting Guatemala City

The base where most of the architectonic treasures are concentrated is located in Zona 1. Here you will find the Historical Center with many buildings conserving a neo-classic style. A bit overcrowded by locals, merchants and noise, Guatemala City center is the place where the real essence of the country’s reality is. Its walls and streets are the reflection of past generations.

If you are interested in handicrafts the “Mercado Central” in the city center is a place you must visit. Here you will not only find unique Guatemalan souvenirs, but also see the colorful variety of local flowers, fruits and vegetables, try some local food and feel like you are part of the culture just by walking in the streets. While in Guatemala City, you can also visit the relief map, which was a piece of art and engineering built in 1904. The map shows Guatemala’s topography in miniature with a 95% of accuracy.

Zone 4, also known as “4° Norte” (Four Degrees North) is a trendy part of Guatemala City. The area consists of 4 blocks, all of them in direction to the four cardinal points, making it the only place with diagonal streets in Guatemala City. Resurging from an old zone of factories and warehouses, this place is nowadays the Hipster side of the city offering you a high concentration of restaurants, cafés, galleries and bars.

Zone 10, on the other hand, is known as “Zona Viva”, a commercial district where you will find most of the hotels in Guatemala City, restaurants, bars, hospitals and financial institutions. La Reforma is a tree-lined boulevard that separates zone 9 from zone 10. Here you can have a bike ride or walk around and discover the monuments along the road.

Guatemala City tours to other destinations near by

Antigua
Antigua is surrounded by three volcanoes, flowers and mountains. Is among the best conserved colonial cities in the world and its remaining buildings, chapels and cobblestone streets preserving the Spanish-Baroque architecture made this stunning place an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pacific Coast
This black volcanic sand coast stretches 250km (155m) from the Mexican border to El Salvador. Monterrico is the most popular beach in the Pacific with a line of powerful surf and an enormous curving horizon; a great place to relax, eat fresh seafood and enjoy the beach atmosphere.

Tecpan
Tecpan is a small town located an hour and a half outside the city which includes many restaurants and is an excellent place to try the real Guatemalan cuisine. A very short distance away you will find Iximché. Surrounded by ravines and pine-forested hills it is an ancient fortress capital of the Mayan people. Partially excavated and restored, Iximché is a place where Mayan ceremonies still take place and you can experience the original conditions of how they used to live.