Eastern Guatemala Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Eastern Guatemala is a hilly region in lowland Guatemala. It has a largely Ladino (Hispanic) population, and a ranching culture.

Map of Eastern Guatemala

Eastern Guatemala is generally hot and drier than other regions of Guatemala.

• 14.783333-89.5333331 Chiquimula - stopping off point for crossing the border to Honduras for the Maya ruins of Copán
• 14.616667-89.22 Esquipulas - a famous pilgrimage destination, due to its black Christ.
• Gualán
• Jalapa
• 14.282778-89.89253 Jutiapa - a good base to climb the Ipala volcano
• Los Amates - stopping off point for visiting the Maya ruins of Quirigua
• Zacapa

• 15.269444-89.0402781 Quirigua.   - Maya site from the classic period, known for its tall stone sculptures

Eastern Guatemala is accessible via a number of routes running east from Guatemala City. The two main routes with connections into the interior of the region are the Atlantic highway to Puerto Barrios, and the CA8 highway to the El Salvador border. Direct buses from Guatemala City run to the principal towns in the region, and Río Hondo on the Atlantic highway is a good place to change buses if heading for Chiquimula or Esquipulas.