Torre del Reformador

Address 7a Avenida y 2a Calle, Zona 9, Guatemala City

The Torre del Reformador is a 75-metre steel lattice tower in Zona 9, modelled on the Eiffel Tower and built in 1935 to mark the centenary of President Justo Rufino Barrios. It stands at the intersection of 7a Avenida and 2a Calle, just south of the historic centre, and is one of Guatemala City's most recognisable landmarks.

The tower is not open to climb, but it functions as a local orientation point and makes an interesting stop on the walk between Zona 1 and Zonas 9 and 10. The surrounding streets are busy with commercial activity. The tower is illuminated at night and is most photogenic in the early evening.

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A story
The Torre del Reformador was built in 1935 to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Justo Rufino Barrios, the reformist liberal president who modernised Guatemala in the 1870s and 1880s. It is a nearly exact copy of the Eiffel Tower — though at 75 metres it is a fraction of the size — and was constructed from steel imported from Belgium. A large bell at the top rings only once a year, on Independence Day.

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