25 Years of El Attico
An art gallery that doubles as a research center It’s not just technology that has changed since El Attico first opened its doors in April 1988. Back then it was an antique shop that doubled as an art gallery; now it’s an art gallery that doubles as a research center. “The antique shop was dwindling, [...]
The Doll Project
Santa’s Helpers Doing it Right “Last year, I helped with a Christmas gift delivery to the school in El Hato and it was an amazing experience. But I noticed as we drove down the mountain that there were many children for whom Santa didn’t come. That was the seed—to make sure those kids weren’t forgotten [...]
Golden Fork Award
Christian Rossell voted Chef of the Year, 2012 The name Christian Rossell has long been synonymous with fine Italian dining: in 2005, the chef opened the doors of his first restaurant, Pecorino, before unveiling a chain of deli’s, and then launching the exquisite pizzeria Romano’s, which introduced Guatemala to thin-crust pizzas. But this year, the [...]
Expat Food Cravings
Ask any expat what he or she misses most from home and food is almost certain to top the list — at times beating friends and family into first place. I know England is not exactly the gastronomic capital of the world, but there are occasions when I yearn for the most mundane culinary items [...]
Picture Window
The creative craft of stained glass is alive and well For over 50 years, Lyn Hovey has been working with stained glass, using 13th and 14th century painting techniques to create complex and authentic works of art. From a 30-foot-tall window in a school chapel in the U.S., to a spherical steel and stained glass [...]
Guatemala launches Central America’s first Braille newspaper
“You don’t need to see to be able to read” was the message Publinews Guatemala sent to the world last month when it launched Central America’s first Braille newspaper. Together with the Committee for Blind and Deaf People in Guatemala (Prociegos), Publinews produced 2,500 copies, which were distributed to visually impaired people throughout the country. [...]
Busito Del Sabor
Mobile restaurant cruises the capital When in July of 2010 Guatemala City called for all red buses to be removed from certain parts of the capital, Hugo Cristal and his business partner Alexander Escobar came up with a novel way to keep their bus in service. A fast-food restaurant on wheels was born. “The idea [...]
Helping Hooves
Local organization helps Antigua’s carriage horses When an accident forced her to stop riding five years ago, California-raised Suzanne Divoff was determined to keep working with horses, and on the streets of La Antigua Guatemala she saw an opportunity; Helping Hooves (HH) was born. Made up of three women, Helping Hooves started working with Antigua’s [...]
El Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
Used for the majority of presidential activities, El Palacio Nacional de la Cultura remains one of the most important buildings in Guatemala.
Museo Popol Vuh
May is the “Month of the Museums” and a great time to visit Guatemala’s historical treasures.
One-Man Band: Soapbox aka Rodrigo Rosales
Anyone who listens to music radio in Guatemala will no doubt be familiar with the name Soapbox. The talented musician had a No. 1 hit with his first solo single Time, and his second release, Now I’m Gone, looks to be heading in a similar direction. But not everyone may be aware that the man [...]
Volcano Boarding in Nicaragua
Volcano boarding (or surfing) is one of Central America’s newest extreme sports and promises an exhilarating ride to all who are brave enough to try it.
Granito de arena
“Ever since I filmed these generals in 1982, I’ve wanted to see them pay for their crimes,” says filmmaker Pamela Yates. Determined to “find out what was really going on,” Yates originally came to Guatemala in the 1980s to make a documentary about a hidden war. Thirty years later, material from her film, which captures [...]
Granito de arena
“Ever since I filmed these generals in 1982, I’ve wanted to see them pay for their crimes,” says filmmaker Pamela Yates. Determined to “find out what was really going on,” Yates originally came to Guatemala in the 1980s to make a documentary about a hidden war. Thirty years later, material from her film, which captures [...]
Jorge Herrera
Accordionist at large Ever since he was a child and had to use a booster seat to reach the marimba, Jorge Herrera has had a passion for music. Growing up on a coffee plantation in Huehuetenango, he was inspired by the Mexican-influenced folk music that was popular in his village and soon started practicing both [...]
Interview: Franklin Contreras
From building houses out of cardboard boxes in his parents’ electrical store when he was a child, to designing candy stores at the university, Franklin Contreras was always destined to be an architect. The talented Guatemalan now owns his own firm, which employs over 200 people, and their designs stand out as pieces of art, [...]
Franklin Contreras
From building houses out of cardboard boxes in his parents’ electrical store when he was a child, to designing candy stores at the university, Franklin Contreras was always destined to be an architect. The talented Guatemalan now owns his own firm, which employs over 200 people, and their designs stand out as pieces of art, [...]
IGA: Committed to Culture
IGA provides an array of educational development programs “We have a commitment to culture in Guatemala and want to make it accessible to all,” said Adriana Recinos Matheu, cultural director of IGA (Instituto Guatemalteco Americano). “We need to educate our audience and for that we have to start with the kids.” Since 1945, IGA has [...]
Creamos
“I worked in the garbage dump for 12 years but I much prefer it here,” says Rosa Cristina Aguierre Marroquín. “I feel more confident, I can support my children better, and I trust all the people I work with.”
Private Nature Preserve: Cascadas de Tatasirire
If Sacatepequez boasts La Antigua Guatemala, Alta Verapaz offers Semuc Champey and within Peten’s jungles lie the impressive ruins of Tikal, El Mirador and other ancient cities, what exactly is there to see and do in the department of Jalapa? Answer: extreme adventure combined with biodiversity! Just over two hours outside of Guatemala City, hidden [...]
Migratory House
For most people, home is where the heart is, but for Gerri and George Chester, home is where Guatemala is—whether they’re in Florida or in La Antigua Guatemala. Tired of moving around every few years for work, the retired Foreign Service officers decided to set up house in Florida just over 10 years ago and [...]
Tecún Umán Monument
Heralded as Guatemala’s national hero, Tecún Umán is a symbol of indigenous resistance, a legendary figure of Kaqchikel history who led his people into battle against the Spanish conquest of the Guatemalan Highlands in 1524 and refused to surrender. Remembered for his bravery and dignity—fighting to protect his land and encouraging his people to do [...]
Flaminia
“When I was 16 years old I entered my school choir as a piano accompanier and ended up singing,” says Guatemalan-born musician Flaminia. A few years later the talented artist, who wrote her first song when she was 5 years old, won an international singing competition in Mexico, which landed her a record deal in [...]
A Museum for Kids
El Museo de los Niños, Zone 13, Guatemala City If the motto of most museums seems to be: “Look but don’t touch,” el Museo de los Niños in Guatemala City is the other extreme. Located in Zone 13, the center opened in February 2000 and has since welcomed more than 1.5 million schoolchildren from all [...]
Fotokids Anniversary
Twenty years of tackling poverty through photography Surrounded by 40 acres of toxic garbage, in the middle of Central America’s largest and most dangerous landfill, isn’t exactly where most people gain inspiration. However, for ex-Reuters photojournalist Nancy McGirr, the smell of burning plastic, combined with the sight of cardboard houses and gardens of sewage, is [...]
The Heart of the Mayan World
A candid chat with INGUAT’s Walter Fischer Imagine a place with volcanoes and mountains, jungles and deserts, white sands and black beaches … but while you and I have already discovered the beauty of Guatemala, the majority of the world remains oblivious. INGUAT, the country’s tourism board, has embarked on a 10-year campaign to increase [...]
Food Festival in July
2nd Annual Sacatepéquez Festival Gastronómico Culinary fiends beware! Prepare your taste buds and tummy for a feasting, as July 17 is La Antigua Guatemala’s annual Festival Gastronómico in celebration of its patron saint, Santiago Apóstol (St. James the Apostle). The event, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m., takes place at The Cultural [...]
Paseo de La Sexta, Zone 1
Restoration brings new life to an old district Last year, the municipality of Guatemala City undertook a project to conserve and revitalize the city’s heritage, and it started with La Sexta Avenida, Zone 1: the backbone of el centro histórico. Historically, La Sexta was the fashion capital of Guatemala—the place to see and be seen—with [...]
