North and Central America and Caribbean

There are stiff penalties for drug trafficking (10-20 years) and drug use (8-15 years).  Guatemalan prisons are overcrowded, violent, unsanitary, and disease is rife.

You should refrain from taking pictures without permission, especially in the case of children. See the Crime section above for details. You may be asked to pay a small amount of money to take photographs of both children and adults.

In Guatemala City, local people are largely tolerant of individual’s personal lifestyles and small displays of affection between same sex couples are accepted.  A more conservative attitude prevails outside Guatemala City and public displays of affection by same-sex couples are not recommended.

You should carry a photocopy of your personal details page for identification purposes.

For more general information for different types of travellers see our Your trip page.