Guatemala

Guatemala's third colonial capital (1543–1773), set on a highland plateau between three volcanoes, preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its intact Baroque colonial plan and extraordinary ruined churches.

A highland market town at 2,065 metres where K'iche' Maya culture and Catholic tradition have coexisted for five centuries, most visibly in the Church of Santo Tomás built atop a pre-Columbian platform and in the twice-weekly markets that draw vendors from across the western highlands.

A deep volcanic crater lake in the Sierra Madre highlands, ringed by three dormant volcanoes and a dozen Maya villages where Tz'utujil and K'iche' cultural traditions remain woven into daily life.

A natural limestone karst bridge over the Cahabón River in Alta Verapaz, where a 300-metre terrace of turquoise pools sits above the river's underground passage, forming one of Guatemala's most memorable natural landscapes.

A Classic Maya city in the Petén jungle, Tikal rose between 400 BCE and 900 CE, its limestone temples piercing the forest canopy and anchoring a trade network stretching from the Gulf coast to the highlands of Guatemala.

One of Central America's most active volcanoes at 3,763 metres, where near-continuous Strombolian eruptions send ash plumes above the summit and draw hikers up neighbouring Acatenango to watch the show from above.