Guatemala is best known for its volcanic landscape, Mayan culture, and the colorful colonial city of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This Central American country has a wealth of homegrown produce and talent.
Talent that Guatemala has given to the world
Tikal
Hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle, Tikal was the capital of the Maya Classic Period, and its massive causeways and towering pyramids attract visitors from around the world. These jungle-covered limestone temples look like something out of an Indiana Jones movie, and even today this ancient kingdom is shrouded in intrigue.
Ricardo Arjona
Ricardo Arjona is one of the most famous and successful musicians in the country. Arjona is one of the most successful Latin American artists of all time: he has won countless awards and recognitions.
Tostadas de fideos
Covered in guacamole, salsa, radishes, onions, and often a large ball of noodles, tostadas are a popular street food snack in Guatemala. They have so many different textures and flavors that they are a joy to eat.
Cacao
Guatemala is the birthplace of chocolate: the word cacao derives from the Mayan “Ka’kau” and chocolate comes from the Mayan “Chocol’haa”. The Mayans prized cacao and ground it to a pulp, mixed it with corn flour and chili, and enjoyed it as a drink. Today Guatemala has about 9,200 cocoa farms and produces about 10,500 tons of chocolate each year.
Coffee from Guatemala
If being the birthplace of chocolate wasn’t enough, Guatemala is also the producer of the best coffee in the world. The volcanic highlands provide the perfect climate for growing coffee, and the beans grown here have a distinctly rich, earthy flavor.
Pollo Campero
It is undoubtedly one of the most famous restaurants in the country with a presence in different parts of the world. Led by one of the best businessmen in the country and a proud member of Grupo Campero, Lisa Juan José Gutiérrez Mayorga. Its flavor has transcended borders, present in 12 countries around the world, through a network of more than 350 restaurants, raising the name of Guatemala.
Marimba music
The traditional music of Guatemala comes from the marimba, a large percussion instrument that consists of a set of wooden bars that are struck with mallets. The first documented evidence of the marimba comes from Antigua Guatemala in 1680, although experts believe the instrument is considerably older.
Jade
Guatemala is famous for its beautiful jade jewelry, which played an integral role in the Mayan culture for thousands of years.
Today it is the main source of grade A jade in the world, and unlike jade from other countries, Guatemalan jade comes in a variety of colors. Among the rarest (and most precious) are lavender and blue jade.
