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Museo de Escultura
Copán is unique in the Maya world for its sculpture and some of the finest examples are on display at this impressive museum, which is fully signed in English. Entering the museum is an experience in itself: you go through the mouth of a serpent and through its entrails before sudd
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Catedral de Santiago
Antiguas cathedral was begun in 1545, wrecked by the quake of 1773, and only partially rebuilt over the next century. The present sliver of a church – the parish of San José – occupies only the entrance hall of the original edifice. Behind this structure are the roofless ruins of t
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Copán Archaeological Site Ruins
One of the most important of all Maya civilizations lived, prospered, then mysteriously crumbled around the Copán archaeological site, a Unesco World Heritage Site. During the Classic period (AD 250–900), the city at Copán Ruinas culturally dominated the region. The architecture is
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Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús
Established in 1626, the Jesuit monastery and college was a vital component of Antigua life until the order was expelled by the Spanish crown in 1767; just six years later, the great earthquake left it in ruins. Rescued from the rubble by the Spanish government, the enormous comple
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Reserva Natural Atitlán
A former coffee plantation being retaken by natural vegetation, this reserve is 200m past the Hotel Atitlán on the northern outskirts of town. It makes a good outing on foot or bicycle. You can leisurely walk the main trail in an hour: it leads up over swing bridges to a waterfall,
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Cuevas de Bombil Pek
A mere 3km north of Chisec, these painted caves remained undiscovered until 2001. They havent been fully mapped yet, but some claim that they connect to the caves of Parque Nacional Cuevas de Candelaria . The community-run guide office is by the roadside. Pay the entrance fee and t
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Lagunas de Sepalau
Surrounded by pristine forest, these turquoise lagoons are 8km west of Chisec. Recently developed as a community ecotourism project by local villagers, tours of the area include a fair bit of walking and some rowboat paddling. The obligatory zip line is also present. The area is ri
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Centro Cultural La Azotea
A sprawling coffee plantation outside Jocotenango, La Azotea features a complex of three museums. The Museo del Café covers the history and process of coffee cultivation; the Casa Kojom holds a superb collection of traditional Maya musical instruments, masks, paintings and other ar
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Iglesia de Santo Tomás
This church on the plazas east side dates from 1540 and is often the scene of rituals that are more distinctly Maya than Catholic. Inside, the floor of the church may be dotted with offerings of maize, flowers and bottles of liquor wrapped in corn husks; candles are arranged in spe
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Market
Some villagers still walk for hours carrying their wares to reach Chichis market, one of Guatemalas largest. At dawn on Thursday and Sunday they spread out their vegetables, chunks of chalk (ground to a powder, mixed with water and used to soften dried maize), handmade harnesses an
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Macaw Mountain Bird Park
Around 2.5km outside Copán Ruinas is an extensive private reserve aimed at saving Central American macaws. There are plenty of them here, along with toucans, motmots, parrots, kingfishers and orioles, all flying around in spacious, humanely constructed cages. In the Encounter Cente
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Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apóstol
The formidable parish church was built by the Franciscans in the mid-16th century. A memorial plaque just inside the entrance on your right commemorates Father Stanley Francis Rother, a missionary priest from Oklahoma. Beloved by the local people, Rother was murdered by ultra-right
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Naj Tunich
When they were discovered in 1979, these caves created a stir in the archaeological world. Measuring 3km long, theyre packed with hieroglyphic texts and Maya murals depicting religious ceremonies, art education, ball games and even sex scenes – though whether theyre of a gay nature
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Parque Hawaii
This nature reserve operated by Arcas comprises a sea-turtle hatchery with some caimans, 8km east along the beach from Monterrico. It is separate from, and rivals, Cecons work in the same field. Volunteers are welcome year round, but the sea-turtle nesting season is from June to No
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Parque Ecoturístico Cascadas de Tatasirire
Set on 15 hectares of heavily forested valley overlooking Jalapa, this private reserve features 6km of well-signposted walking trails, taking in the small Cascada Altar and the more impressive, 15m Catarata Tatasirire waterfalls. Some adventure activities – the obligatory six-line
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Zaculeu
A remnant of the Mam capital, the Zaculeu archaeological zone was restored by the United Fruit Company in the 1940s, leaving its pyramids, ball courts and ceremonial platforms covered by a thick coat of graying plaster. Though hardly authentic, the work goes further than others in
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Volcán de Ipala
Volcán de Ipala is a 1650m volcano, notable for its especially beautiful clear crater lake measuring nearly 1km around and nestled below the summit at 1493m. The dramatic hike to the top takes you from 800m to 1650m in about two hours, though you can drive halfway up in a car. Ther
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Cancuén
This large Maya site hit the papers when it was discovered in 2000, even though it had already been discovered back in 1907. Excavations are still under way, but estimates say that Cancuén may rival Tikal for size.Its thought that Cancuén was a trading center rather than a religiou
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Museo Cultura Cotzumalguapa
At the headquarters of the Finca Las Ilusiones sugarcane plantation, you’ll find this museum, which holds a collection of sculptures found around Las Ilusiones lands. There is some explanatory material and youll probably be shown around by the caretaker. The museum includes a recon
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Pascual Abaj
On a hilltop south of town, Pascual Abaj (Sacrifice Stone) is a shrine to the Maya earth god Huyup Takah (Mountain Plain). A stone-faced idol stands amid a circle of squat stone crosses in a clearing. Said to be hundreds – perhaps thousands – of years old, it has suffered numerous
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