Guatemala

Guatemala lies in Central America between the Pacific and the Caribbean, a land of volcanoes, highland lakes and lowland rainforest. Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a colonial town of cobbled streets, baroque churches and convent ruins beneath the Agua, Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes. Guatemala City is the gateway, with museums and restaurants.

Lake Atitlán fills a volcanic basin overlooked by the Atitlán, Tolimán and San Pedro volcanoes; boats cross between lakeside villages such as Panajachel and San Pedro La Laguna. In the rainforest of Petén, in the north, the temples and plazas of Tikal, an ancient Maya city and UNESCO World Heritage site, rise above the trees, where howler monkeys and toucans live. Flores sits on its island in Lake Petén Itzá. Guided hikes climb the Pacaya and Acatenango volcanoes.

At the table: pepián (a rich chicken or beef stew with roasted chiles and pumpkin seeds), tamales (filled maize dough steamed in banana leaves), black beans, tortillas and fresh fruit. Highland coffee fincas around Antigua Guatemala and Lake Atitlán offer tastings, and local cacao becomes chocolate. The highlands are mild all year; the dry season runs roughly November to April, with afternoon rains later in the year, while lowland Petén stays hot and humid. Guatemala suits culture-and-nature journeys, couples, and coffee and food lovers.