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All Guatemala Guatemala City Mapa en Relieve
AO Edited

Mapa en Relieve

An impressive century-old, to-scale topographical map of Guatemala.

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Added By
Meg Neal
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Eastern coast of guatemala, showing what was ehne British honduras (Now Belize).   dfculbert / Atlas Obscura User
Eastern coast of guatemala, showing what was ehne British honduras (Now Belize).   dfculbert / Atlas Obscura User
Volcanos!   Meg Neal
Relief Map.   Meg Neal
Pacific ocean border to the left.   Meg Neal
The line of tall volcanos by the Pacific coast creates the ideal conditions for growing coffee.   Meg Neal
Details of the map.   Meg Neal
Relief Map.   Meg Neal
A plaque at the site.   Meg Neal
Bust of the engineer, Francisco Vela.   Meg Neal
Relief Map.   Meg Neal
Relief Map.   Meg Neal
The view from atop one of the observation towers.   Meg Neal
Replica of Lake Atitlan. Surrounded by volcanos, it’s often described as the most beautiful lake in the world.   Meg Neal
Awesome   Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
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About

For a relatively small country (at about 42,000 square miles it’s roughly the size of Tennessee), Guatemala has an exceptionally diverse climate packed within its borders. The landscape ranges from lush tropical jungles to Pacific blank sand beaches to snow-peaked, high-elevation volcanoes. The best way to get a snapshot of this unique geography is right in the center of the capital city, at this century-old, to-scale topographical map of the country.

The Mapa en Relieve (Relief Map) in Guatemala City is a large, impressively accurate 3D replica of the country's remarkable terrain. It depicts in intricate detail the major cities, towns, volcanoes, rivers, lakes, plateaus, and valleys blanketing the landscape, at a scale of 1:10,000 kilometers. This is all the more impressive considering the map was made more than 100 years ago, without the help of satellites and modern technology.

The map was unveiled in 1905. Its creators spent some 15 years traveling the country by donkey and horseback surveying the highs and lows of the land. Engineer Francisco Vela directed the construction of the map, and Costa Rican engineer Claudio Urrutia was the main explorer. He even invented a tool to help accurately measure the topography, a theodolite called the "Mira Urrutia", or Urrutia Viewer. (He is only now getting recognition for his accomplishments, thanks to the help of his descendants.)

Once the wealth of data was collected, it took Vela’s team 18 months to build the map. All these years (and several major hurricanes) later, the map still stands intact, though a little worse for the wear. It's a real engineering wonder and a gem of Guatemala City. But while it's regularly visited by schoolchildren in the area, the relief map is frequently overlooked by tourists. That's a shame, because for visitors planning to travel around the country, taking in a birds-eye view of the landscape from one of the site’s observation towers is the perfect starting point to get your bearings. 

Looking down at the counters of the map, you’re struck by how extremely mountainous the terrain is, except at the coasts (the country is bordered by the Pacific and Caribbean) and the vast stretch of lowlands to the north. The landscape is covered in hills, valleys, rivers, and lush forests. (The name Guatemala is derived from a Mayan word for a “place of many trees.”) There are 37 volcanoes packed into the highlands, three of which are active. At an elevation of nearly 14,000 feet, Tajumulco Volcano is the highest point in Central America.

The 1,800-square-foot map (which, due to the era it was made includes Belize, now a free sovereign independent country) is one of the only cement 3D scale maps in the world. But even more impressive is the rare glimpse it provides at this country's uniquely beautiful landscape.

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Maps Marvelous Maps And Measures Geographic Markers Mountains Volcanoes Science Engineering Geology

Know Before You Go

Located at Parque Minerva at the end of Av. Simon Cañas in Zone 2. Cost is 25Q

Community Contributors

Added By

Meg

Edited By

Collector of Experiences, cpmaverick, kostas1964ath, linkogecko...

  • Collector of Experiences
  • cpmaverick
  • kostas1964ath
  • linkogecko
  • wesbydesigns
  • dfculbert

Published

September 7, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.revuemag.com/2011/07/guatemala-in-scale/
  • https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g292006-d309362-Reviews-Relief_Map-Guatemala_City_Guatemala_Department.html
Mapa en Relieve
Av. Simeón Cañas
Guatemala City
Guatemala
14.660365, -90.508787
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Pinula Aqueduct

Guatemala City, Guatemala

miles away

All Saints Day Kite Festival

Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala

miles away

Casa Popenoe

Antigua, Guatemala

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Guatemala City

Guatemala City

Guatemala

Places 3
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Pinula Aqueduct

Guatemala City, Guatemala

miles away

All Saints Day Kite Festival

Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala

miles away

Casa Popenoe

Antigua, Guatemala

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Guatemala City

Guatemala City

Guatemala

Places 3
Stories 1

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