Chichicastenango
A K'iche' market town in the western highlands, where the Popol Vuh came to light and the stalls fill the streets every Thursday and Sunday.
- Arrival
- La Aurora, Guatemala City · GUA
- To the town
- About 75 km north-west of GUA in a straight line
- Private jets
- FBOs and customs at GUA
- Best time
- November to April
The city
Market days in the highlands.
Twice a week, on Thursday and Sunday, Chichicastenango becomes the largest market of its kind in Central America. Weavers bring blouses, belts and tablecloths worked on the loom or by hand; there are pots, and carved masks, some of them made for the old dances.
The town belongs to the K'iche' Maya. Their sacred book, the Popol Vuh, was found in the church of Santo Tomás, which has its own cofradías, the brotherhoods of Santo Tomás, San Sebastián and San José. Ceremonies there mix Mayan and Catholic tradition, and on a hill outside town people still leave candles and incense as offerings.
- Santo Tomás The church where the Popol Vuh was found, its eighteen steps tied by tradition to the months of the Mayan calendar.
- The market Textiles, ceramics and dance masks, sold in the streets on Thursdays and Sundays.
- Pascual Abaj A hill about twenty minutes from town, sacred to the K'iche', where offerings are made before a stone idol.
Arriving
Into the hills from La Aurora.
Chichicastenango has no airfield. Flights come into La Aurora, on the edge of Guatemala City, about 75 kilometres away in a straight line, and the rest of the trip is by road into the western highlands.
- Cancún 1 h 25
- Panama City 2 h 10
- Antigua 4 h 25
- New York 4 h 35
- Vienna 13 h 15 long-range jet
When to go
November to April.
These figures come from Panajachel on Lake Atitlán, some 23 kilometres south. The highlands stay mild, with afternoons of 20 to 23 °C all year. From November to April it hardly rains; June and September are the wettest months.
- 20° J 6
- 21° F 8
- 22° M 12
- 23° A 35
- 23° M 123
- 22° J 259
- 21° J 180
- 21° A 162
- 21° S 232
- 20° O 143
- 20° N 40
- 20° D 12
Where to stay
Down at the lake.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
-
Casa Palopó A private house turned hotel in 2000, adults only, and the first Relais & Châteaux member in Guatemala; it can bring guests in by helicopter from La Aurora.
Where to dine
A table on the lake.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Guatemala and the town has no high-end table of its own. The nearest is the restaurant of Casa Palopó on Lake Atitlán, listed by Relais & Châteaux.
- 6.8 Palopó Relais & Châteaux Guatemalan, seasonal Casa Palopó, Lake Atitlán, about 25 km
Elsewhere in Guatemala
More reasons to come.
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