The fruits are round to pear-shaped and measure up to 7.6 cm in diameter; their pulp contains many small hard seeds (more abundant in wild forms than in cultivated varieties). The fruit has a yellow skin and white, yellow, or pink flesh. The musky, at times pungent, odour of the sweet pulp is not always appreciated.

Most guavas are green, with slightly bumpy skin, often ripening to a yellow or almost maroon color. Though a guava smells a lot like a lemon, its pale pink flesh and juice are sweet and mild, sometimes described as a cross between a ripe pear and a strawberry.