Details emerge about Mérida’s upcoming direct flight to Guatemala

The City of Antigua was founded in 1543 and served for centuries as Guatemala’s original capital. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht

Travelers in Yucatán will soon have a new convenient destination for their getaways, the Central American country of Guatemala.

The new flight will be operated by TAG Airlines and will operate four times a week. 

The new route is expected to begin operations in March 2022 and will connect Mérida’s international airport with La Aurora international airport in Guatemala City.

Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera Concha reached out to the mayor of Guatemala City, Ricardo Quiñónez, to discuss the strengthening of cultural and economic ties between the two cities. 

Similarly to Yucatán, roughly half of all Guatemalans identify as indigenous, with the largest ethnic group being Maya. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht

Plans are also said to be in the works to add flights to El Salvador and Belize as early as next year, but the details have not yet been announced. 

Despite their geographical proximity, flights between Mérida and Central America have been historically rather infrequent.

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Guatemala City is the country’s capital and largest urban center with a population of nearly 17 million people. 

Though Guatemala City has not historically been much of a tourist attraction, it is located just one hour by car or bus from the colonial city of Antigua. That city is famous for its thriving art scene, traditional markets, splendid architecture, and natural beauty. 

The archaeological site of Mixco Viejo, one of the many Maya sites near both Antigua and Guatemala City. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht

Guatemala’s most well-known tourist attraction is the ancient city of Tikal in the northern district of El Petén. Traveling by land between Guatemala City and Tikal is not easy and takes about 10 hours along some of the country’s most perilous roads. Several small domestic airlines offer flights at reasonable rates.

Several of Tikal’s largest pyramidal monuments, Including Structure II, are adorned with a crest that makes them appear even larger. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht

Instead of traveling to Tikal, many visitors to Guatemala City or Antigua choose to instead visit the archaeological site of Copán in neighboring Honduras. At four to five hours, the trip is still fairly long, but the roads and general travel conditions are considerably safer.

Copán is jam-packed with beautiful examples of sculpture and stucco reliefs. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Born in Mérida, Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican/Canadian blogger, photographer and adventure expedition leader. He holds degrees in multimedia, philosophy, and translation from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
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