Chaotic, congested and polluted, GUATEMALA CITY is in many ways the antithesis of the rest of the country. The capital was moved here in 1776, after the destruction of Antigua, but the site had been of importance long before the arrival of the Spanish. Now the largest city in Central America, its shapeless and swelling mass, ringed by shantytowns, is home to over three million people - about a quarter of Guatemala's population - and the undisputed centre of the country's politics, power and wealth.

Sprawling across a sweeping highland basin, surrounded on three sides by low hills and volcanic cones, the city has an intensity and vibrancy that are both its fascination and its horror, and for many travellers a trip to the capital is an exercise in damage limitation, struggling through a swirling mass of bus fumes and crowds. However, after all these years of neglect and decay, efforts are being made by a small group of conservationists to preserve what's left of the historic centre, Zona 1 , and a smattering of fashionable new cafés and bars, popular with students, have opened in restored buildings the heart of the city.

Like it or not - and many travellers don't - Guatemala City is the crossroads of the country, and you'll certainly end up here at some time, if only to hurry between bus terminals or negotiate a visa extension. Once you get used to the pace, it can offer a welcome break from life on the road, with cosmopolitan restaurants, cinemas, shopping plazas, a couple of good museums and metropolitan culture. And if you really can't take the pace, it's easy enough to escape: buses leave every few minutes, day and night