Guatemala in January [2027]: Weather, Esquipulas and Max Tott

January suits a Guatemala trip built around dry-season highlands, warm coastal days and the Esquipulas celebration on 15 January. For runners, the organiser lists the 21 km Max Tott half marathon for 24 January 2027. Choose your overnight stops with altitude in mind: a beach packing list alone will not suit Xela.

For the wider seasonal comparison, start with the best time to visit Guatemala by month.

January weather by altitude

These are the published January values from our parent guide’s 1996-2025 Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis series. Average daily high/low is in °C, with °F in brackets. Values retain the published rounding; these are historical model averages, not a forecast for your travel dates or official station normals.

The useful contrast is between cool highland nights and warm lowland nights. If you want a beach stay alongside Antigua, pack separate clothing for each setting rather than expecting the same evening temperature throughout the trip.

The same series assigns January 4% of Tikal’s annual rain, compared with 7% in Livingston and 0% in Monterrico. These are rounded shares of annual rainfall, not chances of rain; a displayed zero does not promise a rain-free holiday. The parent guide’s method explains why it reports seasonal shares rather than rainfall totals.

January dates to build a trip around

Esquipulas: choose the celebration deliberately

AGN describes the Cristo Negro celebration as an annual 15 January observance. That makes it a reason to choose January if pilgrimage and religious traditions are central to your visit. It does not establish next year’s Mass times, road arrangements or queue lengths.

Use our Esquipulas pilgrimage guide to plan the visit, then confirm the basilica programme and your transport before reserving around a specific service. Treat Esquipulas as a planned stop, rather than adding it simply because you have a spare afternoon elsewhere in the country.

Max Tott: arrange the trip around the race

The organiser lists the 21 km race for Sunday, 24 January 2027. Our Max Tott guide covers the organiser’s entry information. Confirm entry and collection arrangements before committing to flights; the calendar date alone does not secure a place.

What to pack and how to choose your stops

For Antigua, Panajachel and especially Xela, bring a warm evening layer alongside daytime clothing. Add lightweight clothing for Monterrico or Tikal and a rain layer for Petén or Livingston. Our Guatemala packing guide helps adapt the bag to your activities.

For a first visit focused on towns and scenery, consider a highland base with a separate coastal stay. For an event-led trip, decide whether Esquipulas or Max Tott is the anchor before choosing the rest of the route. These are itinerary suggestions, not promises about driving times or weather.

Compare actual accommodation quotes for your chosen dates and read cancellation terms. A dry-season label does not tell you the price of a particular room, and national visitor totals do not tell you how crowded an individual street will be.

Sources

• Guatemala Life: best time to visit, monthly weather tables and methodology — read 4 November 2026; published Open-Meteo ERA5 figures.
• AGN: Cristo Negro celebration and child safety — read 4 November 2026; annual observance.
• Max Tott: Media Maratón 2027 — read 4 November 2026.