(CNN) -- For 36 years, civil war overshadowed Guatemala's rugged, volcanic beauty, its mystical Mayan relics, and the vestiges of its long, Spanish colonial history. A peace agreement finally came to the nation on December 29, 1996. Now the government is trying to get tourists to follow.
To divert attention from the violence of recent history, Guatemala is reaching to the ancient past. In cooperation with Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and five states of Mexico, it has established Mundo Maya -- a tourism project focused on a 1,440-mile circuit where the Maya Indian culture began flourishing more than 1,700 years ago.
It's possible to experience many of the attractions of Mundo Maya -- from the villages of Mayan descendants to Spanish colonial cities -- within Guatemala. Guatemala City and three small towns offer a broad sampling of urban flavor, old-fashioned markets, rugged natural beauty, and centuries-old ways of life.
Despite the peace agreement and increasing tourism, Guatemala remains a very risky destination, and visitors should be well-aware of the potential dangers. (See "Traveling Safely")
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