Traditional fiestas are one of the great excitements of a trip to Guatemala, and every town and village, however small, devotes at least one day a year to celebration.

Guatemalan fiestas can be divided into two basic models: ladino and Maya. Ladino towns and villages celebrate with daytime processions, beauty contests and perhaps the odd marching band with dance halls by night. In the highlands, however, where the bulk of the population is Maya , you'll see a blend of religious and pre-Columbian secular celebration. The very finest ceremonial costumes are usually dusted down and worn, and you can expect to see some hugely symbolic traditional dancing, including the Baile de la Conquista , which re-enacts the Spanish victory over the Maya. Whether ladino or Maya, festivals tend to be chaotic, drunken affairs with plenty of dancing and fireworks. If you can join in the mood, there's no doubt that fiestas are wonderfully entertaining as well as offering a real insight into both sides of Guatemalan culture.

Many of the best fiestas include some specifically local element, such as the giant kites at Santiago Sacatepéquez , the religious processions in Antigua and the horse race in Todos Santos Cuchumatán . At certain times virtually the whole country erupts simultaneously: Easter week is perhaps the most important, particularly in Antigua and Santiago Atitlán , but All Saints' Day (November 1), when people gather in cemeteries to honour the dead, and Christmas are also marked by celebrations across the land.