Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
San Cristóbal Verapaz
is an interesting Poqomchi' Maya village set beside Lake Chicoj,
19km west of Cobán. During
Semana Santa
(Easter Week), local artists design elaborate
alfombras
(carpets) of colored sawdust and flower petals rivaled only by those in Antigua.
Check out the town's excellent community website at
www.sancrisav.net
.
In addition, San
Cristóbal is home to the
Centro Communitario Educativo Pokomchi
(Cecep; 7950-4896)
, an organ-
ization dedicated to preserving traditional and modern ways of Poqomchi' life. To this
end, Cecep inaugurated the
Museo Katinamit
(Calle del Calvario 0-33, Zona 3; admission Q10; 8am-5pm
Mon-Sat, 9am-12pm Sat)
, which re-creates a typical Poqomchi' house, with well-ordered dis-
plays of household items and everyday products. Other rooms feature art, tools and tex-
tiles still in daily use, and an introduction and orientation on the Poqomchi'. Cecep also
offers volunteer and ethnotourism opportunities and houses the
Aj Chi Cho Language Center
(courses incl homestay per week Q1300)
for teaching Spanish.
El Portón Real
( 7950-4604;
oscar_capriel@hotmail.com; 4a Av 1-44, Zona 1; s/d Q65/110)
is a Poqomchi'-owned and -operated
hostelry, a few blocks away from the museum and school.
Balneario Las Islas
At the town of San Pedro Carchá, 6km east of Cobán on the way to Lanquín, is the
Bal-
neario Las Islas
(admission Q10; 7am-4pm)
, a tributary of the river Cahabon coming down past
rocks and into a natural pool that's great for swimming. It's a five- to 10-minute walk
from the bus stop in Carchá; anyone can point the way. Buses operate frequently between
Cobán and Carchá (Q3; 20 minutes).
Grutas Rey Marcos
Near Aldea Chajaneb, 12km east of Cobán, is the cave system
Grutas Rey Marcos
(
7951-2756;
www.grutasdelreymarcos.com.gt
; admission Q25; 8am-5pm)
. It's set in the
Balneario Cecilinda
(admission Q10; 8am-5pm)
, which is, incidentally, a great place to go for a swim or a hike on
scenic mountain trails. The caves themselves go for more than 1km into the earth, al-
though chances are you won't get taken that far. A river runs through the cave (you have
to wade through it at one point) and there are some impressive stalactites and stalagmites.
Headlamps, helmets and rubber boots are included in the admission price to the cave. Ac-
cording to local legend, any wishes made in the cave are guaranteed to come true.
