Guatemala City Historic Center

The capital was moved to its present site in 1776 after earthquakes destroyed Antigua, and the historic centre in Zone 1 is laid out around the Plaza de la Constitucion with the metropolitan cathedral on one side and the National Palace of Culture, a heavy green-tinted building of the 1940s, on another. The cathedral's columns at the entrance carry the names of people who disappeared during the internal armed conflict, added in 1999. Around the plaza run arcaded commercial streets, the central market below ground behind the cathedral, and a pedestrianised sixth avenue with cinemas and shops. The palace is visited on guided tours through its halls and courtyards.

What you actually see

• The Plaza de la Constitucion - the square the city was laid out around.
• The National Palace of Culture - guided tours of its halls and courtyards.
• The metropolitan cathedral - and the memorial columns at its entrance.
• The central market - the underground market behind the cathedral.

When to go

November to April in the dry season. Half a day. The palace runs guided tours at set times. Sundays bring people onto the plaza and the pedestrian avenue.

Honest expectations

Zone 1 requires normal city caution and is best visited in daylight with little carried; take taxis or ride-hailing rather than walking between zones. Traffic and noise are heavy. Some streets a few blocks from the plaza are not advisable.

Nearby

The archaeology museum is in Zone 13; the Mapa en Relieve lies in Zone 2.