Mapa en Relieve

The Mapa en Relieve was built in 1905 by the engineer Francisco Vela in a park in Zone 2: an open-air concrete relief map of the whole of Guatemala, around eighteen hundred square metres in extent, with the mountains, volcanoes, rivers, lakes and coasts modelled and water running in the river channels, viewed from two iron towers with walkways so that the country can be looked down on as a whole. The vertical scale is exaggerated several times over so that the relief reads clearly, which makes the volcanic chain and the highland massifs unmistakable. It was made before aerial survey existed, which is part of what makes it remarkable.

What you actually see

• The whole country modelled in concrete - around 1,800 square metres of relief.
• Water running in the river channels - the drainage shown working.
• Iron viewing towers - the walkways for looking down on the map.
• Exaggerated vertical scale - the relief made legible.

When to go

November to April in the dry season, since it is entirely open air. One to two hours. It is quiet on weekdays and busier with school groups and families at weekends.

Honest expectations

It is outdoors and unpleasant in rain. The concrete has weathered and repairs are visible. Interpretation is minimal. Zone 2 needs the usual city caution and a taxi to the door.

Nearby

Zone 1 and the historic centre lie south.