Internships in Guatemala

Guatemala borders Mexico to the north, Belize to the east, and El Salvador and Honduras to the south. Chiapas, Mexico, across the northern border, is full of rural Mayan farming villages, rich Mayan ruins, and coffee farms, and this environment is mirrored in the western Highlands of Guatemala, where volcanoes dot the horizon and colorful indigenous markets are housed in village plazas. To the east the tropical climate of Belize flows over the border to Tikal, one of the most extensive Mayan ruins in the world, where monkeys swing from trees and pyramids replace volcanoes on this ancient skyline.

Further south along the Caribbean Coast is a rasta culture developed by a community of descendents of freed slaves. Spanish ruins from the colonial days rival Mayan ruins in their grandeur further west. Hippies seeking an alternative lifestyle are sprinkled from Panajachel to the tanangos (towns of the Western Highlands). In the center is Guate City, a big bustling Latin American city with all the industry and amenities of neighboring capitals.

Guatemala City is the political and commerce capital of Guatemala, most popular for community development internships.

Antigua is one of the most beautiful towns in Latin America. The cobblestone streets become works of art during Semana Santa, when locals paint beautiful pictures from flower petals for the procession of Christ. While the town may have more Spanish schools per capita than any place on earth, the city still has a local cultural life. Part of that centers around the village, indigenous population that travels to Antigua to work in the marketplace. This population accommodates many service projects including health internships and education programs. Many internships in Antigua are coupled with Spanish language classes too, since there are multiple language institutes located here.

Flores is a small town adjacent to the ruins of Tikal, near the Belize border. A long bus ride from the capital, Flores has a small but thriving eco-tourism industry. Tropical villagers in the region come to Flores for education and business.

Panajachel is a lakeside community in the Western Highlands. This is a regular stop on the backpackers route. The Mayan community sells their wares to tourists in the marketplace to maintain a stable income.