About Us: Martsam Travel
Three Generations Connected to the Maya World
For more than three decades, Martsam Travel has designed tailor-made journeys throughout Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. Our roots, however, go back much further—to the island of Flores in Petén, where our family's connection to tourism, archaeology, conservation, and the Maya world began generations ago.
Today, we combine deep local knowledge, meaningful community relationships, and personalized travel design to create journeys that connect travelers with the people, places, and stories that make Central America extraordinary.
Why Guatemala Is More Than a Destination to Us
For our family, Guatemala is not simply a place we sell. It is our home, our history, and the foundation of relationships that have been built over decades.
From the archaeological sites of Petén and the colonial streets of Antigua to the indigenous communities of the highlands, our understanding of the region comes from lived experience and long-standing local connections.
This perspective allows us to design journeys that go beyond sightseeing and provide a deeper understanding of the cultures, landscapes, and traditions that define the Maya world.
What Makes Martsam Different
Deep Regional Knowledge
With decades of field experience, our team offers insider insight into the region’s history, culture, nature, and communities.
Tailor-Made Travel Design
We design fully personalized travel plans built around your pace, interests, and style.
Meaningful Local Connections
From remote archaeological ruins to local artisan workshops and wildlife encounters, we curate access to places few travelers reach.
Seamless Journey Management
We manage every detail—accommodations, guides, transportation, and meals ensuring a smooth, stress-free experience.
Why Travel with a Local Central America Specialist?
Traveling with a local destination specialist provides advantages that go beyond logistics.
Our team lives and works in the destinations we recommend. We maintain direct relationships with guides, communities, accommodations, conservation projects, transportation providers, and cultural organizations throughout the region.
This local presence allows us to provide first-hand recommendations, greater flexibility, personalized service, and access to experiences that are often unavailable through large international tour operators.
For travelers seeking authentic, meaningful, and well-designed journeys, local expertise makes a difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Martsam Travel?
Martsam Travel is a family-owned Destination Management Company (DMC) specializing in tailor-made journeys throughout Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, and El Salvador. For more than 30 years, we have designed personalized travel experiences focused on culture, archaeology, nature, community-based tourism, and meaningful local connections.
2. How long has Martsam Travel been operating?
Martsam Travel was officially founded in 1994. However, our family's connection to tourism in Guatemala dates back to the early 1970s in Flores, Petén, where we helped pioneer tourism services in one of the most important regions of the Maya world.
Are your guides certified and English-speaking?
Yes. All our guides are certified by INGUAT (Guatemala’s Tourism Commission), members of CAMTUR, and fluent in English. We match travelers with guides based on interests like archaeology, birdwatching, photography, adventure, or cultural exploration.
4. What makes Martsam Travel different from other tour operators?
Our approach combines multi-generational local knowledge, direct relationships with communities and local partners, deep expertise in the Maya region, and fully customized travel design. Rather than offering fixed packages, we create journeys tailored to each traveler's interests, pace, and travel style.
5. Why travel with a local Central America specialist?
Local specialists provide first-hand knowledge, stronger local relationships, greater flexibility, and access to experiences that are often unavailable through large international operators. Our team lives and works in the destinations we recommend, allowing us to offer authentic insights and personalized support throughout your journey.
6. What destinations does Martsam Travel specialize in?
Martsam Travel designs tailor-made journeys throughout Mexico and Central America, drawing on decades of experience in the Maya region and beyond. While Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico remain our strongest areas of specialization, we also create customized travel experiences throughout Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Our expertise spans archaeology, culture, nature, wildlife, luxury travel, community-based tourism, and meaningful local experiences.
7. Are your trips private and customizable?
Yes. Every journey can be customized according to your interests, travel dates, accommodation preferences, activity level, and budget. We specialize in creating personalized itineraries rather than one-size-fits-all travel packages.
8. Does Martsam Travel work with local communities?
Yes. We actively collaborate with local guides, artisans, community organizations, cooperatives, conservation initiatives, and cultural projects throughout the region. These partnerships help create meaningful experiences while supporting local economies and cultural preservation.
9. Who are Martsam Travel journeys best suited for?
Our journeys are ideal for travelers seeking authentic experiences, cultural immersion, archaeology, wildlife, photography, family adventures, birdwatching, luxury travel, and meaningful connections with local communities. Whether you are visiting the region for the first time or returning for a deeper exploration, we design experiences around your interests.
10. Do you offer services beyond leisure travel?
Yes. In addition to tailor-made leisure travel, we provide support for incentive travel, corporate programs, meetings and events, educational travel, development projects, NGO visits, donor trips, and specialized group travel throughout Central America.
11. How do I start planning a trip with Martsam Travel?
Simply contact our team and share your interests, travel dates, and ideas. We will work with you to design a personalized itinerary that reflects your goals, travel style, and the experiences you wish to have throughout the Maya world.
Start Your Tailor-Made Adventure
Ready to explore Guatemala, Belize, and the Mayan world? Contact our travel experts and let’s design a custom itinerary built entirely around your interests.