Unfairly unknown, but immensely beautiful, exuberant in nature, rooted in a culturally overwhelming past and at the same time curiously open to the future, Guatemala and El Salvador receive the traveler with an almost unusual kindness.
The starting point of the long journey that runs through colonial towns, Mayan vestiges, bustling cities, volcanoes, lakes, beaches and endless mangroves is Guatemala City.
The capital of the Country of Eternal Spring – its temperate climate has led to the coining of this name – is a dynamic city with an interesting historical centre. Although it is known as Guatemala City –or Guate by the locals–, in reality its name is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, and it was built at the end of the 18th century, after the virtual destruction of Santiago de los Caballeros by the Santa Marta earthquake , in 1773.
The until then capital, the current Antigua, allows us to evoke from its beautiful buildings and colonial avenues the majesty that characterized it since it was founded in 1524. Surrounded by volcanoes and rehabilitated during the last decades of the last century, it preserves innumerable palaces, churches , monasteries and houses, authentic jewels of the Spanish Baroque. Walking the streets of the old Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, declared a World Heritage Site in 1979, means immersing yourself in the splendor of the city in colonial times.
The most beautiful colonial cities in the world
The next destination is Tikal, in the Petén region, some 500 kilometers north of the country, near the border with Belize. Reaching the Mayan city, which remains hidden in the heart of the tropical jungle, in a national park –Tikal–, which together with the Mexican reserves of Calakmul and Montes Azules make up the second largest lung of the continent after the Amazon, is a dream for lovers of adventure and nature. 
The Great Jaguar is one of the main temples of Tikal.
It went unnoticed by the conquistadors, who were unaware of its existence, and was not discovered until 1848 by Modesto Méndez, governor of Petén. What is now considered one of the great Mayan archaeological sites appeared before their eyes, and for fifteen hundred years –from the 4th century BC to 900 AD–, it would be one of the great characteristic city-states of this enigmatic civilization.
They impose the remains of the acropolis; temples in the form of stepped pyramids, among which stand out the Great Jaguar (temple I), that of the Masks (temple II), that of the Two-headed Serpent (temple IV) -the views from the top are unbeatable-, that of the Inscriptions (Temple VI) or the twin pyramids; palaces; ceremonial buildings, or ball courts spread over an area of ​​60 km2 show the greatness of a city that, according to scholars, came to house more than 200,000 inhabitants.
The tour of Tikal is surrounded by a thick absorbent vegetation of ceibas, mahoganies, zapotes and shrubs.
The route, surrounded by a thick absorbent vegetation of ceibas, mahogany, zapotes and shrubs, slides between spider monkeys, pheasants and weasels. The traveler leaves Tikal overwhelmed by such beauty and goes to the island of Flores, a delicious town on the shores of Lake Peten Itzá, with colorful houses and leisurely life, which offers an intimate sunset, as spectacular as the one that will revive in front of Lake Atitlán, in the south of the country.
Dock of San Juan La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlán.
The depth of the latter from one of the docks in the bay of San Juan La Laguna, a picturesque Mayan town surrounded by cliffs, is devoid of words. The postcard is simply amazing. On board one of the traditional red tuk-tuks that circulate throughout the country, it is imperative to wander through the steep streets of San Juan, admiring handcrafted murals, the meticulous work of its people, dedicated to dyeing and making fabrics, cocoa or coffee .
Before leaving Guatemala, the trip holds one last surprise: the Pacaya volcano, the closest to the capital, nestled in the homonymous national park. It is active; Its last eruption was in 2020, but beyond the beauty of its views from the top and during the ascent, it is frequented by numerous foreigners, eager to savor the pizzas cooked on the lava by David GarcÃa. For nine years, this chef from San Vicente Pacaya has been using natural volcanic vapors to make his creations, unique in the world.
El Salvador, a vital destination
With a good taste in his mouth, the traveler heads to El Salvador, a country underestimated by foreign tourists, which drags the burden of an armed conflict with 110,000 deaths behind it, which lasted for more than twelve years, since 1979. until 1992. As a result, today it has 6.5 million inhabitants, to which must be added the almost three million who live in the United States and a million more scattered throughout various friendly countries.
Tourists have returned to El Salvador, where they find an impressive historical and natural heritage
Far from finding an insecure city closed in on itself, it finds a vital capital, which savors the placidity it has enjoyed in recent times. In the old town, it is essential to go to the Plaza de la Libertad, the presidential palace, the Rosario church -a brutalist temple whose stained glass windows leave you breathless- or the metropolitan cathedral, in whose crypt rest the remains of Monsignor Romero, converted by Salvadorans in a symbol of the defense of human rights. The Plaza del Salvador del Mundo opens the door to the new capital, aspiring to become the most modern city in Central America.
Surfing paradise
El Tunco, one of the best surfing beaches in El Salvador.
A little less than 40 kilometers separate the capital from La Libertad, the surfing mecca of the country and one of the enclaves on the rise of the international scene.
