Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ingston. There is excellent scuba diving in the outlying Belize cayes and around Punta de
Manabique.
Guatemala has a tropical climate, though temperatures vary greatly between regions be-
cause of differences in altitude. The coastal plains and lowlands have an average yearly
temperature of about 27°C (80°F), with little seasonal change. Mountain valleys
1,200-1,800 meters (4,000-6,000 feet) high are usually comfortably mild. Major cities
such as Guatemala City, Antigua, and Quetzaltenango all lie at these altitudes, meaning
they have mostly pleasant year-round springlike temperatures of 16°C -21°C (60°F-70°F).
Higher mountain peaks and valleys sometimes have frost and average 4°C (40°F). Keep in
mind that these are averages and certain times of year are markedly warmer than others.
The North American winter solstice often brings the arrival of cold fronts, which make
temperaturesinthehighlandsdipbelowfreezingonmountainsummitsbutalsoinhighland
cities such as Quetzaltenango. If you're traveling to Guatemala November-February, bring
awarmsweaterortwoforthechillyhighlandsandaheavyjacketifyouplantoclimbsome
volcanoes. At the other extreme, March and April, coinciding with the spring equinox, is
the warmest time of year. Temperatures in the Petén lowlands, Izabal, and Pacific Coast
plain routinely hover around 38°C (100°F) during these months. Guatemala City and An-
tigua hover at around 29°C (85°F).
TherearedistinctdryandrainyseasonsinGuatemala.ThedryseasonrunsfromNovem-
ber to the beginning of May. If you are a photographer interested in capturing images of
Guatemala's fantastic mountain scenery, you may want to avoid visiting during March and
April, when haze from dust and agricultural burning tends to obliterate any views of sur-
rounding scenery. The volcanoes around Antigua and Lake Atitlán become extremely dif-
ficult to spot during this time of year.
The rainy season generally lasts May- November with daily showers during most of
this period, usually in the afternoon. Mornings are usually sunny and clear, with a gradual
buildup of giant rain clouds throughout the day, culminating in a torrential downpour. The
latter months tend to be the rainiest with deluges sometimes lasting entire days. The rainy
season is sometimes referred to as
invierno,
meaning winter, though it is officially summer
in the Northern Hemisphere, where Guatemala lies.
Verano,
or summer, refers to the tail
end of the dry season.
The Pacific Coastal plain and Western Highlands receive 76-150 centimeters (30- 60
inches)ofrainayear,andtheEasternHighlandsaverage51-76centimeters(20-30inches).
Again,thesefigureswillvarygreatlyfromplacetoplacedependingonfactorssuchasalti-
tude and what side of the mountain chain you're on. An example of this is the presence of
ample rainfall and lush cloud forests on the forested slopes of the Sierra de las Minas in
