• See the sights of Guatemala City, which include Parque Central, bordered by the National Palace and the Cathedral. Not to be missed is the world's largest Relief Map (of the Republic) in Minerva Park, and the city's wonderful art and archaeology museums.

• See one of the world's most ancient lakes, Lake Amatitlan, which is surrounded by archaeological remains dating back to 2000BC. Another lake worth seeing is Lake Atitlán, framed by three volcanoes: Tolimán, Atitlán and San Pedro. Waterskiing, swimming and boating are all available.

• Take a trip to former capital, Antigua Guatemala. Despite countless earthquakes, floods and fires, Antigua is a beautiful place of multicoloured, single-storey buildings, tropical gardens, plazas, fountains and cobbled streets.

• Marvel at the remains of great stone heads and other carved reliefs dotted around the sugarcane fields of Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, northwest of Escuintla. Further south is La Democracia archaeological site, with dramatic basalt sculptures of heads with closed eyes and furrowed brows.

• Survey superb craftsmanship throughout Guatemala at towns like Jocotenango (for ceramics) and San Antonio Aguascalientes (for beautiful handwoven textiles). Salamá is a good place to buy silver, clay and leather handicrafts. Momostenango (City of Altars) is recommended for traditional handwoven ponchos.

• Visit Guatemala's major Mayan sites. The spectacular ruins of Tikal encompass vast pyramidal temples, ball courts, causeways, plazas and public buildings. Other impressive sites include: El Mirador, Uaxactún, Ixlú, Yaxhá, Aguateca and Quiriguá, home to the largest Maya-carved stelae yet discovered.

• Head for the Tikal National Park for diverse wildlife, including howler monkeys, tropical birds, ocelots, jaguars and brocket deer. There are over 50,587 hectares (125,000 acres) of rare forest and tropical vegetation.

• See two of the finest examples of 16th-century baroque architecture in El Progreso: the parish churches of San Agustín Acasaguastlán and San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán.

• Visit the town of Esquipulas, home to the sacred Basílica of Esquipulas with its Icon of the Black Christ that dates back to 1594. Pilgrims from across Central America gather here on 15 January. Esquipulas is also the seat of the Central American Parliament.

• Explore the unique highlands region of Western Guatemala (known in Spanish as El Altiplano), inhabited by the greatest number of modern day, indigenous Mayan groups - many of whom still speak the languages and uphold the sacred rituals of their ancestors.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.