Guest post by esteemed LatAm scholar:Ā @GringoGuerrilla
If you have any opinion at all about Guatemala City, it probably isnāt a positive one.Ā
This is not a place about to appear on CondĆ© Nast Travelerās top destinations list anytime soon.
In fact, the only ālistā Guatemala City is likely to be on at all is that of the Worldās Most Dangerous Cities. This year Guatemala City ranked as the 30th most dangerous city in the world. Not as bad as Detroit mind you, but still worse than Johannesburg, South Africa and Culiacan, Mexico.
Whoās foolish enough to step foot in such a seemingly irredeemable, insignificant, threatening city, you ask?
Well, allow me to introduce myselfā¦
Iāve visited the Guatemalan capital not onceā¦but twice! And Iām here to tell you exactly what to expect down here in Central Americaās largest metropolis.
Guatemala City, GuatemalaĀ
Population:
3,036,000 in the metro area
Weather:Ā
One good thing we can say about Guatemala City ā or Guate as itās known colloquially ā is that itās blessed with an agreeable climate.Ā
The Guatemalan capital never gets too hot or too cold. In fact, itās one of many Latin American cities known as La Tierra de la Eterna Primavera or āThe Land of Eternal Spring.ā
The only thing to be vigilant about is the rainy season, which runs from May to November.
The best time to visit Guatemala City is from December to April.Ā
Youāll get cozy daily temperatures around 69 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) without much precipitation.
Like Mexico City, Guatemala City is prone to earthquakes. This is what the earthquake alarm system in Guatemala City sounds like. If you hear this alarm, donāt ignore it! Earthquakes are serious business in this part of the world, and I wouldnāt exactly trust Guatemalan structural integrity.
And if the Guatemalan capital didnāt have it hard enough already simply by being, well, the capital of Guatemala, itās also got a volcano to worry about! The aptly named āFuegoā volcano is indeed active. In 2018, it erupted and killed 25 people.