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Guatemala

Wednesday, 27 October 2010 16:00
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Guatemala is a country in the Central America region of North America. It has borders to Mexico in the north/northwest, to Belize in the northeast, to Honduras in the southeast, to El Salvador in the south. It has a Pacific coastline to the southwest, and a tiny piece of Caribbean coastline to the east.

{jacomment off}

Capital Guatemala City
Government Constitutional democratic republic
Currency quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed
Area total: 108,890 km2
water: 460 km2
land: 108,430 km2
Population 12,293,545 (July 2006 est.)
Language Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Religion Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs and Atheist.
Electricity 115-230V/60Hz (USA plug)
Calling Code +502
Internet TLD .gt
Time Zone UTC-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(image courtesy of Burmesedays (Talk | contribs) under the CCby-sa 3.0 agreement)

 

Entry Procedure

Documentation:

Passport.

Title and Registration.

Driver's License

Photocopies of everything.

 

Process:

If coming from Mexico, you may be required to show that you have canceled your Mexican temporary importation permit.

Approximative costs

  • Q18 fumigation
  • Q10 tourist permit
  • Q40 for vehicle import permit

 

Exit Procedure:

Get your car permit (SAT) cancelled (Aduana)

Get your passport exit stamp.

Border Crossing Information:

NAME
GPS NOTE MAP IMAGE
Tapachula-Ciudad Hidalgo/Tecun Uman (Mexico/Guatemala)
 14.681194 -92.132299 Just south of Tapachula the highway divides between the mountain and coastal routes
before entering Guatemala. It is faster to take the coastal route and bypass
Guatemala City if you are in a hurry.

Tapachula-Cacahoatan/(Mexico/Guatemala)
Ciudad Cuauhtemoc/La Mesilla (Mexico/Guatemala) Reports suggest that this is the more laid back crossing when coming from Mexico.  You have to turn at Huixtla on Mexico 211 (before you get to Tapachula)
Melchor de Mancos (Guatemala/Belize)

Note: We are only listing a few of the very many options.  We are presenting the most common used places by Overlanders.

This list does not include all the various hotels where camping is often time available upon special arrangements.

 

NAME CITY GPS

NOTES GOOGLE MAP
Tikal National Park
Tikal, Peten 17.231142 -89.625206 You can camp at the park for about $4/night.  It is a large grass patch and there is toilet/shower.
 Click here for Google Map
Tourist Office Antigua
 Antigua Located at the far south end of Calle 6, near the bus terminal.
Finca Ixobel 5 km south of Poptun
 N16°18'12.0"
 W089°25'13.6"
Bruno's Rio Dulce/Livingstore
 N15:39.573 W89:00.122

When going to Livingstone, you can park your vehicle there.  You can also camp there.

 Click here for Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
AutoMariscos Trailer Park
 A few kilometers from Amatitlan and Palin Click here for Map
Hotel "Tzanjuyú"
 Panajachel/Lake Atitlan
 N14°44'33.3"
 W091°09'48.0"





Other useful tips and addresses (banks, embassies, etc)

 

Road Conditions


Related Links

 

For more discussions about overlanding in Guatemala, please visit the Central America section of the forum.

 


 

 


 

Thanks to LostWorldExpedition and 2aroundtheworld for all the information and images.

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