Guatemala City

Most travelers avoid Guatemala City in favor of the calm colonial alleyways of Antigua, but dig beneath the surface, and Guate – as the locals call it – offers a few surprises of its own. The city's Centro Historico is home to some beautiful old churches, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, and the National Library, as well as theaters, art galleries, a botanic garden, and some of Central America's most interesting museums, having been established as the capital in 1775.

Kaminaljuyu, an old Mayan site in the heart of the city, is also worth visiting, albeit it isn't as interesting as some of the ruins further north. The majority of Kaminalijuyu remains buried beneath the city's fast expansion. Apart from being a significant archeological site, it is still a sacred location for Guatemala's Mayan and Christian populations, with traditional ceremonies held here on most days of the week. You can hire a local guide ahead of time, and getting there in a cab or Uber from the city's tourist attractions should just take 15 minutes.

Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala