Knopf Guide: Route of the Mayas: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador

I love this book. Lots of wonderful pictures, history, and explanations of the Maya, their culture, the ruins, etc. Even if you don't plan a trip to the area, it is a beautiful book to look at.

I used this guide in 1998 while touring the Yucatan and its fantastic pyramids. While preparing for a spring trip to Guatemala, I re-discovered this guide and will use it throughout the Maya Highland areas of Guatemala. In addition, I use portions of this guide to teach my freshman-level anthropology students about Maya Traje. If you are a traveler and not a tourist, this is the guide for you! Of all of the guides I have used for Southern Mexico and Guatemala, this is the best.

This is one of the most user friendly information packed guides on the Maya Route I have found! the 3D style maps give a good indication of the kind of territory and the transport networks in the region.I coupled this with Footprint's Central America and Mexico Handbook and lonely Planet's Guatemala, Belize and Yukatan guide and I reckon I am set! The other 10 or so guides will be relegated to the bookshelf or garbage!!

This wonderfully illustrated portable guide is a wealth of information not normally seen in the regular travel guides. Such information as the geography, animals, different ethnic groups within the Maya, how the commuinities are structrured, festivals, musical instruments, furniture, food, and alot more. The format for the guide is 2 or more pages on each topic, lots of drawings, or paintings, or photos (new and old). The book uses lots of colour, is fascinating to go through even after you have read it. It has some helpful tourist information as to hotels, shops, restaurants, but is not a primary source for booking reservations information. If you have any interest in this area or these people, this is a great book to have for a really good price. It is a treat to look at.

Lots of informative text and splendid pictures make this portable guide well worth its relatively modest price. The book deals with almost every aspect of both ancient and modern-day Maya life, as well as with practical travel information. I have been through La Ruta Maya on five different trips and am a fan of travel literature on Central America, but I still learned many new things from this book, especially about present-day Maya practices. There are a few typos, but still, it's perfect for actual or armchair travel to La Ruta Maya.