BELIZEGUATEMALAMEXICO.Copán.Quirigua.Livingston..Guatemala CityAntiguaSantiago. de AtitlánChichicastenango..CobánFlores.Tikal National ParkHONDURASThe best of Guatemala 13 days, 11 nightsAntigua 2 nights, Lake Atitlán 2n, Antigua 1n, Copán 1n, Livingstone 1n, Tikal area 2n, Cobán 1n, Guatemala City 1n.Day 1 Fly to Guatemala City, arriving the same evening, and transfer to Antigua for 2 nights. Day 2 At leisure to explore. The baroque churches, chic shops, art galleries and pavement cafés are all within walking distance of the centre. Days 3&4 Drive to Lake Atitlán (2½hrs) which fills a collapsed volcanic cone. The lake is surrounded by forest-cloaked volcanoes and 12 villages where the inhabitants wear distinctive local costumes and practise age-old crafts. Take a short boat ride to your hotel in Santiago de Atitlán, renowned for its smoking God, Maximón. Day 5 Visit the market of Chichicastenango, famed for its wooden masks. Drive back to Antigua. Day 6 Drive over the border into Honduras to visit Copán, a Mayan city celebrated for its sculptures and intricate stelae. Guided tour of the ruins. Day 7 By road to Caribbean Rio Dulce, via the ruins at Quiriguá, then by boat through tropical forest to the Garifuna town of Livingston. Day 8 Visit San Felipe Fortress. Continue by road to Flores. Day 9 Explore the ruins and forest of Tikal National Park. Day 10 Drive to the remote and pristine cloud forests surrounding Cobán. En route are the Candelaria caves: the largest complex (30km long) in Central America, Day 11 Return to Guatemala City through the mountains via the Biotopo del Quetzal, a preservation area for the iconic bird, the Resplendent Quetzal. Return to Guatemala City. Day 12 Fly to the UK, arriving day 13. Prices from £1,581pp based on two sharing, excluding transatlantic flights. Regular departures from the UK how about?» Visiting some of the more off-the-beaten-track highland villages and markets, such as close-knit Todos Santos Cuchumatán in mountain walking country or Almolonga where the authentic flower, fruit and vegetable market is a riot of colour.020 8747 8315 / journeylatinamerica.co.uk bookings, consultant advice and additional information 27SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

BELIZE TOURIST BOARDBelize is justly famed for its coral beaches and cayes, but the unspoilt interior harbours some of Central America's loveliest landscapes and a host of little-visited Mayan sites. In the north, wildlife sanctuaries rub shoulders with sugar cane fields, and the Mayan city of Lamanai pokes its head above dense jungle. West towards Guatemala, in the Cayo District, the Macal River offers a water-borne way to explore the forest scenery; and you can enjoy the jagged peaks and gorges of ancient Mountain Pine Ridge. The Lodge at Chaa Creek (right) is a disarming property 2 hours by road from Belize City, situated in peaceful gardens overlooking the Macal River. As well as the many optional activities, which include mountain-biking and kayaking, the lodge has a spa within its tropical grounds. From the Mennonite village of Shipyard you travel by motor launch upstream along the beautiful New River Lagoon to Lamanai Outpost. Tangled bromeliads hang from tropical trees providing the thatched cottages with welcome shade. Nearby are the Mayan ruins of Lamanai (left), with almost 700 structures. Activities include canoeing and specialised guided walks either in the forest or in the ruins, with excellent opportunities for spotting birds and caimans.The mountains and jungle of Belize 28 Guatemala & BelizeCHAA CREEK