Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LoversofcaveexplorationwillwanttospendsometimeintheareaaroundChisec,north
of Cobán, where there are numerous cave formations, including the sinkhole of B'omb'il
Pek and the spectacular
Candelaria Caves National Park
just a little farther north. Ar-
chaeologybuffswillnotbeleftwantingforattractionshere,astheMayansiteof
Cancuén,
still being excavated and restored, lies north of here just across the border of Petén.
Last but certainly not least is the almost perfectly circular
Laguna Lachuá,
a magnifi-
cent azure lagoon in the flat jungles of northwestern Alta Verapaz.
Baja (Lower) Verapaz is the name given to the southernmost of the two departments. It
is fringed by semiarid plains at its southern extremes before mountains, most notably the
impressive
Sierra de las Minas,
rise and give way to lush cloud forests. The department
is bisected by a number of flat valleys, the most important being the lush river valley that
is home to its departmental capital of Salamá. A number of other interesting towns can
be found along this corridor extending west toward the department of El Quiché. To the
east, the Sierra de las Minas extends into Alta (Upper) Verapaz before descending into the
neighboring flatlands of Izabal department. The two regions' unique ecosystems together
comprise the bulk of all biodiversity found in Guatemala.
Tothe north,Baja Verapaz again meets the department ofAlta Verapaz. Itsdepartmental
capital,Cobán,liesnorthofthisboundaryinalushvalleyflankedbygreenhillsandcoffee
farms at a comfortable altitude of 1,500 meters (5,000 feet). To the north, the mountains
give way to smaller limestone hills and flatlands pockmarked by a variety of caves and
sinkholes. The jungle flatlands extend west into the Ixcán region of Quiché and northward
into Petén.
Theentrypointformosttravelersmakingtheirwayintothisregionisfromthesouthvia
highway CA-14, which branches off from the semiarid plains west of Guatemala City at
El Rancho Junction and climbs its way northward into the mountains of Baja Verapaz. An
excellent paved highway also leads south from Petén into Alta Verapaz, from where you
can see the rugged limestone peaks off in the distance. It is one of Guatemala's most won-
derfully scenic stretches of highway.
The road from the El Rancho Junction (CA-14) winds its way through the dry hill country,
eventually making its way into the lush Baja Verapaz hillsides. Along Km. 132 is a turnoff
known as “La Cumbre,” from where the road branches west (CA-17) and begins its des-
cent into the lush Río Salamá Valley. Fifteen kilometers down this road is the departmental
