Visiting Guatemala as a Masonic Traveler
Guatemala City is the center of Guatemalan Masonic activity, with the Grand Lodge offices and several active lodges. Antigua Guatemala — the colonial capital and one of the most beautifully preserved Spanish colonial cities in the Americas — has a historical Masonic presence connected to the reform era. Traveling Masons should contact the Grand Lodge of Guatemala in advance to confirm lodge visit arrangements. Guatemala's lodge community is small by regional standards, so advance contact helps ensure a productive visit.
Antigua Guatemala — the former colonial capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautifully preserved Spanish colonial cities in the Americas — is the essential destination for historically minded travelers to Guatemala. The city's volcanic setting, its baroque churches (many partially ruined by eighteenth-century earthquakes), and its well-preserved colonial streetscape provide the context for four centuries of Guatemalan institutional life. The city has historical Masonic connections to the reform era.
Tikal (the extraordinary Maya archaeological site in the Petén jungle) is Guatemala's most internationally recognized heritage destination and documents the pre-Columbian civilization that preceded European settlement by more than a millennium. The Semuc Champey natural pools in Alta Verapaz and Lake Atitlán surrounded by volcanoes are among Guatemala's most distinctive natural sites. Visiting Masons should contact the Grand Lodge of Guatemala for current lodge information.
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