The currency in Guatemala is the Quetzal – colloquially referred to as “Q”.

It is named after the national bird of Guatemala, the Resplendent Quetzal and is divided into 100 cents (centavos in legal Spanish or lenes in Guatemalan slang).

The plural can be either quetzales (as it is in Spanish) or quetzals (in a slightly anglicized form).

In ancient Mayan culture, the quetzal bird's tail feathers were used as currency.

Having currency named after the bird carries a strong historical value indicative of the native people of Guatemala.

In general, we don’t recommend or find it necessary for anglers to convert or carry a large amount of local currency. Most places that you would find yourself in are more than happy to accept US dollars or major credit cards. As mentioned above, Quetzales are necessary if you are driving to the coast for the toll station midway – but apart from that only small amounts are convenient for tipping and minor shopping.