Coban

Cobán is located in humid mountains of northern Guatemala. Its lush, subtropical cloud forests are perched on top of the watershed dividing the Yucatán Peninsula: the pristine rivers of Alta Verapaz feed into the Chixoy-Usumacinta system (Gulf of Mexico) to the west, and into Lake Izabal-Rio Dulce (Caribbean Sea) to the east. Cobán is the center of Guatemala's gourmet coffee-growing region, and also produces cardamom and allspice for export. Cobán is often called the Imperial City because it was chartered by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (hence the churches in Alta Verapaz exhibit Mayan versions of the Hapsburg double-eagle on their facades).
The Verapaces harbor some of the greatest attractions in Guatemala: Semuc Champey, a place where one river flows over another in a series of natural pools and waterfalls; Lake Lachua, like a little Caribbean sea set down in the tropical rainforest of Alta Verapaz; Candelaria, a cave big enough to build a cathedral inside. There are huge coffee fincas (plantations) and cloud forest where you can see the famous feathered serpent, the Quetzal. It's possible to go trekking, caving, and white water rafting, and see Mayan holy places and ceremonies