Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ALTA & BAJA VERAPAZ
Hwy 14 (also marked Hwy 17) leaves Hwy 9 at El Rancho, 84km from Guatemala City. It
heads west through a dry, desertlike lowland area, then turns north and starts climbing up
into the forested hills. After 47km, at the junction called La Cumbre Santa Elena, Hwy 17
to Salamá divides from Hwy 14 for Cobán. Descending the other side of the ridge, Hwy 17
winds down into the broad valley of the Río Salamá, and enters Salamá town, 17km from
the highway.
Before the Spanish conquest, the mountainous departments of Baja Verapaz and Alta
Verapaz were populated by the Rabinal Maya, noted for their warlike habits and merciless
victories. They battled the powerful K'iche' Maya for a century but were never conquered.
When the conquistadors arrived, they too had trouble defeating the Rabinal Maya. It was
Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas who convinced the Spanish authorities to try peace where
war had failed. Armed with an edict that forbade Spanish soldiers from entering the region
for five years, the friar and his brethren pursued their religious mission, and succeeded in
pacifying and converting the Rabinal Maya. Their homeland thus was renamed Verapaz
(True Peace) and is now divided into Baja Verapaz, with its capital at Salamá, and Alta
Verapaz, which is centered on Cobán. The Rabinal Maya have remained among the most
dedicated and true to ancient Maya customs, and there are many intriguing villages to visit
in this part of Guatemala, including Rabinal itself.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Salamá & Around
A wonderful introduction to Baja Verapaz's not-too-hot, not-too-cold climate, the area
around Salamá hosts a wealth of attractions, both post-Colonial and indigenous.
The town itself is known for its ornate church (complete with grisly depiction of Jesus),
bustling Sunday market and the photogenic ex-sugar-mill-turned-museum and impressive
stone aqueduct in the neighboring town of San Jerónimo.
Salamá has some fine accommodation options, including the
Posada de Don Maco
(
7940-0083; 3a Calle 8-26; s/d Q110/140; )
and the
Hotel Real Legendario
( 7940-0501; 8a Av 3-57; s/d
Q140/150; )
. There are restaurants and cafes around the plaza. The meat-stuffed flour
tortillas at
Antojitos Zacapanecos
(cnr 6a Calle & 8a Av; mains Q20;
10am-9pm)
are not to be missed.
