Central America: Guatemala Gap Year Programs
View gap year trips in Guatemala which located in Central America, it shares borders to the north and west with Mexico, to the southeast with El Salvador and Honduras, to the northeast with Belize and the Caribbean sea, and to the south with the Pacific ocean. Words cannot describe this land of breathtaking natural beauty, Mayan heritage and colonial history. Imagine a place where you can find 33 volcanoes, 19 different ecosystems, picturesque Spanish colonial villages, mystical Mayan archaeology, magical lakes, rivers, mountains and tropical rainforests, the turquoise Caribbean sea to one side and the deep blue Pacific ocean to the other. This is Guatemala, the heart of the Mayan world!
“THE MAYA BIOSPHERE RESERVE CONTAINS THE LARGEST, INTACT, TROPICAL FOREST IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND MORE THAN 200 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES”
Guatemala is a small country with much contrast and tradition - the magic, colour and adventure are not only seen with your eyes but are also felt deep inside in your heart. This is the land of the Mayan people - an ancient civilization whose legacy lives on still within the noble warm hearts of their descendants.
Here people still worship the Sun God, father of all harvests, who is remembered in some 28 traditional rituals. This country spells adventure because in its jungles, plains, mountains, caves, rivers and lakes, live some people who know fascinating stories, and whose traditions naturally restore a little piece of that mystery to the universe.
WHO WERE THE MAYANS?
Guatemala is, unquestionably, the heart of the Mayan world. Within its territory, the Mayans' greatest cities flourished, centres of commerce and culture for the Meso-American region. The greatest of these is Tikal, but there are hundreds of other archaeological sites that scientists have not even begun to study. Guatemala City itself is built on the ruins of an impressive Mayan city known as Kaminaljuyu.
Exactly what led to the collapse of Old Mayan civilization remains a mystery, but today's Mayan people retain many of the cultural traits associated with their ancestors. Maya culture permeates contemporary Guatemala, where two dozen Mayan languages are spoken by more than 4 million people. Native traditions, such as agriculture, weaving and the unique count of days in the Mayan calendar, have survived the influence of Spanish culture, missionaries, radio, television, and, most recently, globalization and the Internet.
“ABOUT 40% OF THE POPULATION, MORE THAN 4 MILLION GUATEMALANS, SPEAK A MAYAN LANGUAGE.”
Visitors to Guatemala's museums, archaeological sites, markets and towns will find themselves immersed in a living Maya culture, witnesses to the history of a complex and fascinating civilization that began more than 2,000 years ago and continues to this day.
WHAT IS IT LIKE THERE ON THE LAKE?
The ancient volcanic Lake of Atitlán in the Guatemalan highlands, is renowned to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the world! It is surrounded by many indigenous villages, in which Maya culture is still prevalent and colourful traditional dress is still worn. The lake is shaped by deep escarpments and on its southern side lay the three impressive volcanoes of San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán.
