Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As Hwy 2 now bypasses Santa Lucía, a lot of buses along it do not come into town. Com-
ing to Santa Lucía from the east, you will almost certainly need to change buses at Es-
cuintla (Q11, 30 minutes). From the west you will probably have to change at Mazaten-
ango (Q15, 1¼ hours). At Cocales, 23km west of Santa Lucía, a road down from Lago de
Atitlán meets Hwy 2, providing a route to or from the highlands. Eight buses daily run
from Cocales to Panajachel (Q28, 2½ hours, 70km, between about 6am and 2pm). Ask
about the current situation, as there have been reports of robberies along this stretch of
road in the past.
TOP OF CHAPTER
La Democracia
POP 17,500 / ELEV 165M
La Democracia, a nondescript Pacific Slope town 10km south of Siquinalá, is hot day and
night, rainy season and dry season. During the late Preclassic period (300 BC to AD 250),
this area was home to a culture showing influence from southern Mexico. As you come
into town from the highway, follow signs to the
museo,
which is on the plaza. You'll find
a 5B ATM there, too.
Sights
At the archaeological site of Monte Alto, on the outskirts of La Democracia, huge basalt
heads and pot-bellied sculptures have been discovered. These heads resemble crude ver-
sions of the colossal heads that were carved by the Olmecs on Mexico's southern Gulf
coast some centuries previously.
Today, these great Olmecoid heads are arranged around La Democracia's newly renov-
ated main plaza, set in their own little roofed stands and illuminated at night.
Museo Regional de Arqueología
( 7880-3650; admission Q30; 8am-4pm Tue-Sat)
Facing the plaza, along with the church and
the modest Palacio Municipal, is this small, modern museum which houses some fascinat-
ing archaeological finds. The star of the show is an exquisite jade mask. Smaller figures,
yokes used in the ball game, relief carvings and other objects make up the rest of this
small but important collection.
MUSEUM
