relief map

There is no better way to visualize this country than to see a relief map (model). You get to see the volcanos, the lakes, the coastal plains, and more. This is especially nice after you have visited several places in the country, and then get to review where you went.

This relief map is one of a kind, it give you a good idea abut the country.it is interesting. It was much better when I was younger now it needs repairing, but still nice to visit

I've never seen anything like this. What amazes me most is that it was created without any of the modern technology. Surveyors went out on horseback to gather the data necessary to construct this to-scale replica of the Guatemalan landscape. Wow, the volcanos are HIGH!

Loved seeing topographic map of Guatemala.everyone should go to get a real appreciation of the beauty of this country! Unfortunately paint was faded and it looked a bit run down. Also it needs updating now that Belize is not part of Guatemala.

This is NOT a table-top map. It is huge. One of the impressive parts in that it was created in 1904-1905 and it is to scale - just to realize amount of effort that went into the incredible craftsmanship and details without modern tools. It spans from the Pacific to the Caribbean. It includes parts of adjoining countries: Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. The cities and regions are clearly marked. There are oil wells, Mayan pyramids, docks, rivers, lakes, lagoons, and other landmark indicators.There are plaques, statues, and a museum with a lot of historical information. This is a great place for families or anyone interested in history or culture. While you can walk around it at ground level, there are a couple observation desks.While I was there, it was undergoing maintenance, which is obvious from some of the photos.

The relief map is not only interesting but also filled with history. It gives you a great perspective of Guatemala and it's landscape and my kids had a lot of fun finding the highest peaks and looking for the towns and cities we had visited on our trips as well as those that we where planning to visit. Cities, towns and places of interest are well marked as well as all of the rivers, lakes, mountains and volcanoes. The park is very nice and was filled with flowers when we visited. We visited on a weekday morning and where the only ones there. There was a lot of security and there where also 2 or 3 really nice guides eager to answer questions and explain all about the map's history and the country's geography. We spent about half an hour there and then we crossed the street to the Carrousel park where the kids had fun on the video games and rides, so visiting the Hipodromo turned out to be a great day for the whole family!

From the over look above the relief map we could see the peaks and valleys we had gone through in the trips around Guatemala that we had taken before. Pacaya Panajachel Xela Flores Tikal Reu. And we were able to plan where we haven't been also!

It is a bit surreal,but allows a unique perspective on the layout,since we were going all over the country.

I wasn't quite sure what to say when my host suggested a visit to a "Giant Map." But this map, located near downtown Guatemala City, is found in a pleasant small park and gives a good orientation to the geography of the country. Cities and towns and well known sites are all marked and it gives a good sense of the topography. Worth a short visit. Won't take more than an hour.

We stopped by to see the relief map during our stay. You do have to pay if you are a tourist. I was amazed at the size of it! It really depicts the size of Guatemala and the geographic features well. They were working on redoing parts of it while we were there. There are so many volcanoes in Guatemala!

A fast, inexpensive way to get to know the landscape of Guatemala. You can see it in less than an hour, so many people can find it boring, it's just a map after all.

At least we were able to see the map from the ground as it was being cleaned of debris by the staff. there are towers that surround the map that allow people to get a better view from different angles. Looked pretty cool. we ended up just walking around the park across the street.

The relief map, which is over 100 years old, helped quite a bit in putting into perspective the location of the towns I have visited and want to visit. Also helped in creating the mental picture of where the mountain ranges sit as well as the location of the surrounding countries.Enjoyed the park surrounding the map as well. I would not miss this if on vacation in Guatemala.Q5 for locals and Q25 for foreigners.

As a traveler it's certainly worth a visit, even before starting travels w/in the country and as a complement to help map out your internal itinerary. It's an undermined resource, and the govt should do more to make it a must see attraction. Gives you an arial view of where you will be, and the natural complexities that have been conquered by man to get you from one point to another. Gives you an appreciation for the ancient Mayan civilization and how advanced they were to build and survive in remote places, at the time. Yet, develop such advance means of technology, farming, astrology, numerical exactitudes and more. To travel to these foreign nations and not emmerce one's self in the history nor appreciate the culture, is missing out on a complete foreign experience. Happy and save travels everyone. Un abrazo solidario a todo el mundo.

This is a little out of the way being at the northern tip of the city (Zone 2) but worth a quick visit if you don't mind walking or are in that neck of the woods.Twenty five Qs to get in for non-Guate residents. There is a small display (in Spanish only) on the architectual history of the city as well as a bit about the creation of the relief map.Outside there are a few bi-lingual signs about the map and it's creators.It's interesting to see that Belize is swallowed up by Guatemala in it's entirety (read your history on the ongoing 'disagreement' between the two countries on borders). Otherwise, to appreciate it more you need to have your own map to hand (I had my mobile phone map handy) to really understand the topography.It's a shame that it's obviously not been maintained much in the last few years as only 1 of the pipes is still working which provides water to the map. I was told that it is all currently undergoing renovation and all the pipes are being refurbished so that by October 2014, all the rivers will be fully flowing which I think will make it much more interesting