Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey is a cascade of turquoise limestone pools created by the river plunging below ground for a stretch before rushing back out through a spectacular waterfall. Definitely worth making the trip to Lanquin for as well as the beautiful lodges that have sprung up from the captivating hilly landscape.
Asociacion La Alianza Guatemala
(http://www.la-alianza.org/) welcomes enquiries from potential volunteers who want to help provide care and assistance to, and protect the human rights of, the children and adolescents who live on the streets of latin america.
Guatemala is a great place to learn Spanish. The prices are low, and Guatemalan Spanish is considered pleasing. Antigua has the highest number of Spanish schools and is also the most popular place for tourists. But if studying Spanish is your main concern, you might be better off elsewhere, because you can actually go around in Antigua for a whole day without hearing anything but English.
Because of this, many language students head towards Quetzaltenango in the Western Highlands, where a wide range of language schools also offer Spanish language courses some quite inexpensive. Another alternative is San Pedro la Laguna, seated by Lake Atitlan.
There are various volunteering opportunities around the country.
Proyecto Mosaico Guatemala
pmg (http://www.promosaico.org...) will, for a fee of $270, set you up with an organisation in guatemala which needs a volunteer. they also can arrange a home stay, spanish language classes, and other services.
Global Vision International (GVI)
pmg (http://www.gvi.co.uk/proj...) run a number of volunteering programs around guatemala with indigenous communities. they include home stay, spanish language classes, and other services.
Guatemala is rich in natural beauty and travel opportunities, it's a country that offers so much to those willing to step off the beaten track for a little while.
Antigua Guatemala is often regarded as the travellers hub, a crumbling, picture-perfect central american town ringed by volcanoes. From here you can take a hike up Volcano Pacaya, take a bus to the bustling market of Chichicastenango, or simply sip some coffee in a street-side cafe and watch the world go by.
Lake Atitlan or Lago de Atitlán is another frequent stop on any visitors itinerary. A volcano-rimmed lake with plenty of backpacker hostels and Mayan villages that dot the shores.
Flores in Guatemala's wild north is a tourist friendly island in the middle of Lake Petén Itzá. From here you can take a bus ride to one of best preserved Mayan ruins in the world, Tikal. Howler monkeys and dense jungle make walking around the ruins an adventure in itself.
Safe Passage/Camino Seguro
(http://www.safepassage.org/) welcomes enquiries from potential volunteers who want to empower the poorest at risk children whose families make their living at guatemala's garbage dump by creating opportunities for fostering dignity via the power of education.
Some schools organise social projects as well. See, for example, the Guate Spanish school's entry under Quetzaltenango.
PID
partners in development is a non-profit organization that works to help the extreme poor of guatemala. they build houses for families, provide small business loans, and offer sponsorship programs for children in need (http://www.pidonline.org).
En Mi Salsa
En Mi Salsa (http://www.enmisalsa.com/...) is a Dutch Foundation that focuses on development of rural women and their children. They support womenâs handicraft cooperative Ut'z Bat'z in Chichicastenango and offer scholarships to poor children. Volunteers are needed. They also arrange your Spanish language classes, home stay, volunteer work, local tours.