Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
QUICHÉ
The road into Quiché department leaves the Interamericana at Los Encuentros, winding
northward through pine forests and cornfields. Quiché is the homeland of the K'iche'
people, though other groups form the fabric of this culturally diverse region, most notably
the Ixil of the eastern Cuchumatanes mountains. Most visitors who come to this largely for-
gotten pocket of the country are on a jaunt to the famous market at Chichicastenango,
though similarly captivating commerce is conducted in Santa Cruz del Quiché, the depart-
mental capital to the north, and it's less trammeled territory. On its outskirts lie the mysteri-
ous ruins of K'umarcaaj, the last capital city of the K'iche'. Adventurous souls push further
north for Nebaj, heart of the culturally vibrant Ixil Triangle, with myriad hiking opportunit-
ies.
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Chichicastenango
POP 71,995 / ELEV 2172M
Surrounded by valleys, with mountains serrating the horizons, Chichicastenango can seem
isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow cobbled streets and
red-tiled roofs are enveloped in mist, it's downright magical. The crowds of crafts vendors
and tour groups who flock in for the huge Thursday and Sunday markets lend it a much
worldlier, more commercial atmosphere, but Chichi retains its mystery.
Masheños
(citizens
of Chichicastenango) are famous for their adherence to pre- Christian beliefs and ceremon-
ies.
Cofradías
hold processions in and around the church of Santo Tomás on Sunday.
Once called Chaviar, Chichi was an important Kaqchiquel trading town long before the
Spanish conquest. In the 15th century the group clashed with the K'iche' (based at
K'umarcaaj, 20km north) and were forced to move their headquarters to the more defens-
ible Iximché. When the Spanish conquered K'umarcaaj in 1524, many of its residents fled
to Chaviar, which they renamed Chugüilá (Above the Nettles) and Tziguan Tinamit (Sur-
rounded by Canyons). These are the names still used by the K'iche' Maya, although every-
one else calls the place Chichicastenango, a name given by the Spaniards' Mexican allies.
Today, Chichi has two religious and governmental establishments. On the one hand, the
Catholic Church and the Republic of Guatemala appoint priests and town officials; on the
other, the indigenous people elect their own religious and civil officers to manage local
