Coban

The capital of Guatemala's Alta Verapaz department, Cobán sits at the centre of a major coffee-growing region in the Central Highlands, with mountains close by. The city carries a layered colonial history: Dominican friars administered it after the Spanish conquest, and in the late 19th century German families arrived under liberal land concessions to cultivate coffee at scale — descendants of those settlers remain a presence in the region today. One of Guatemala's most visited cities, it draws independent travellers exploring the highland interior.

• Population212,047
• Nearest water0.9 km
• Nearest mountain4.9 km