Guatemala City, Capital city in Valle de la Ermita, Guatemala
Description
The capital sits in a mountain valley around fifteen hundred meters above sea level, surrounded by four volcanic summits and divided into twenty-two numbered zones. Broad avenues cross residential and commercial neighborhoods, while green ravines and hillsides stay visible between the zones.
History
Spanish authorities transferred the capital here in seventeen seventy-six after an earthquake damaged the older settlement at Antigua. Over the following decades a new urban grid formed, later expanded through a zone system introduced in the twentieth century.
Culture
On weekends residents meet in parks and plazas throughout the zones, where families often share street snacks like garnachas or tostadas. Markets in zone one and zone four sell woven cloth and handmade ceramics, showing the craft tradition of the highlands.
Practical
La Aurora international airport lies south of the center and links the region with Central America and beyond. Most zones can be explored on foot, but distances between them often require a vehicle or public bus.
Did you know?
The numbered zone layout was designed by engineer Raúl Aguilar Batres, with each section having its own street grid. Zone ten is locally called Zona Viva and hosts many restaurants and hotels that remain open late into the evening.
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Guatemala City is a cultural hub where you can explore layer upon layer of history. The colonial center contains the Plaza de la Constitución, the National Palace, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, where Spanish architecture still shapes how the city looks. Several museums preserve Maya artifacts and...
National Palace
148 m
La Aurora Zoo
4.9 km
IRTRA Mundo Petapa
8.4 km
Kaminaljuyu
4 km
Plaza de la Constitución
161 m
Cathedral of Guatemala City
135 m
Tikal Futura
4.9 km
Banco Industrial Guatemala
2.6 km
Mapa en Relieve de Guatemala
2.2 km
Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias
1.7 km
Torre del Reformador
3.2 km
Mercado Central
229 m
Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
5.2 km
Estadio Cementos Progreso
4.7 km
Templo de Minerva
2.9 km
La Recoleccion Church, Guatemala City
717 mMuseo Popol Vuh
2.8 km
Legislative Palace of Guatemala
353 m
Club Premier
7.9 km
Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno "Carlos Mérida"
5.2 km
Corte Suprema de Justicia in Guatemala City
1.6 km
Estadio del Ejército
2.9 km
Botanical Garden of Guatemala
3 km
Obelisco
5.3 km
Edificio Nacional de la Cultura
116 m
Iglesia del Calvario
9 km
Acueducto de Pinula
5.2 km
Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Textiles and Clothing
3.8 kmReal people, real opinions — but not verified.
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Visit the interesting city center and especially do not miss the central market to taste the numerous Guatemalan specialties and enjoy the great selection of crafts.
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