40 Best Sights in The Highlands, Guatemala

Standing watch over the square is this gleaming white Dominican church, Guatemala's most intriguing, busy with worshippers all day and late into the night. The structure dates from 1540, built on the site of an ancient temple, and locals say a block of stone near the massive front doors is all that remains of the altar. The Quiché people still consider Chichicastenango their spiritual city. Perhaps no church in the country better represents the concept of syncretism, the blending of theologies, than does Santo Tomás. Church officials look the other way as Mayan ceremonies are still practiced here today. In fact, once the daily 9 am mass ends, the rest of the day and evening are given over to indigenous rituals conducted by shamans (curanderos in Spanish, or chuchkajaues in Quiché), who wave around pungent incense during the day, and at night toss rose petals and pine needles into a raging fire right on the steps of the church as part of purification rituals.

Take care: If you are at all sensitive to heavy fragrance, the incense aroma can be overpowering.

The age-old ritual has darkened the once-white steps—18 steps correspond to the months in the Mayan calendar—leading to the church entrance.

Outsiders should not pass through the front doors. Instead, enter through the door via the courtyard on the building's right side. Also, under no circumstances should you take photos inside the church.

Inside, candles are affixed to 12 tablets embedded in the floor, four each representing sun, moon, and rain. Curanderos place conjoined candles there on behalf of married couples, solitary candles on behalf of single people. Yellow candles represent entreaties for business affairs; blue, for rain; green, for agriculture; and white, for health.

Artesanos de San Juan is a cooperative of 58 artisans who weave textiles and sell from their showroom just north of the dock.

In Panajachel, both Atitlán Solutions

Across from the Iglesia de Santo Tomás is this squat little chapel. It doesn't attract the attention that its much larger neighbor does, but from its steep steps—there are 13, to acknowledge the months in the lunar calendar, or the 13 movements of the body (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles)—you'll have a nice view of the market. As with the Santo Tomás church,

photography is prohibited inside.

The butter-yellow Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción stands guard over the main square, and dates from 1874.

On the southeastern corner of Parque Centro América, this cathedral dates from 1535. All that remains of the original building (Espíritu Santo) is the facade, which features life-size saints that look down upon worshippers headed here to pray and is offset to the left of the newer cathedral (Los Altos), with its own front, constructed in 1899.

Filled with brightly painted mausoleums, the town's cemetery is one of the most colorful in the highlands. You'll be treated to wonderful views of the city's red rooftops. Among the headstones topped with crosses you'll doubtless find candles and incense—evidence of Mayan rituals. We recommend visiting only with an INGUAT guide. A few robberies of tourists have occurred. If you don't want to walk all the way to the cemetery, you can still get a nice photo from the street in front of the Mayan Inn.

The beautiful adobe Iglesia de San Antonio Palopó stands in a stone plaza that marks the center of town. The interior is particularly peaceful. During the day the steps are a meeting place where all passersby are sure to stop for a while.

The town's Iglesia de San Jacinto dates from 1524 and is said to be the oldest surviving church in Central America. It suffered severe structural damage in a 2001 earthquake.

This bluish church on the east side of Parque Benito Juárez is known for its unusual baroque design. Although lovely, it looks a bit out of place in the town's mix of Greek Revival and colonial structures.

The main road leads to the squat white 1547 Iglesia de Santiago Apóstol, the church dedicated to town patron, St. James the Apostle, but where Tzutuhil deities can be seen in the woodwork around the pulpit. Fondly remembered onetime American parish priest Father Stanley Rother was assassinated in the church rectory by right-wing death squads in 1981 for his outspoken support of the Tzutuhil cause.

Totonicapán's main church, the Iglesia San Miguel Arcángel, dedicated to its patron, the archangel Michael, dates from 1545, although much of what you see is actually post-earthquake reconstruction done in the late 19th century.

North of town is K'umarcaaj, the ancient capital of the Quiché kingdom. This once-magnificent site was destroyed by Spanish conquistadors in 1524. The ruins haven't been restored, but they are frequently used for Mayan rituals. A taxi to and from the ruins should cost less than Q60. You can also walk the pleasant 3-km (2-mi) route without much difficulty. Follow 10 Calle out of town, where it becomes a dirt road. A tight S curve is the halfway point. The road forks at the bottom of a hill; take the road to the right.

Atitlán is known for its fair-trade coffee, and a local 140-member cooperative, La Voz que Clama en el Desierto —that translates as "The voice that cries in the desert"—offers tours of its coffee-processing facilities and artisan shop. Call to arrange a visit.

Lema is an association of local weavers who use environmentally friendly dyes in their work.

In the Casa de la Cultura on the south side of Parque Centro América, the Museum of Natural History is interesting mainly for its neoclassical flourishes. Inside are some examples of pre-Columbian pottery. Your ticket also includes admission to the so-called Museo de la Marimba, which, despite its name, has little to do with marimbas, and is more a hodgepodge collection of Quetzaltenango artifacts. It's a must only if you're a true aficionado of regional history.

For a brief history of the lake and its people, head to the Museo Lacustre de Atitlán. Here you'll find a handful of informative displays tracing the history of the region back to precolonial times.

If you want to learn more about the history of Chichicastenango, check out this little colonial-era building, which displays pre-Columbian artifacts that came from the private collection of a local priest. Painted scenes depicting Mayan history adorn the front of the building.

About 10 blocks north of Parque Centro América is this palm-lined park where many families spend their Sunday afternoons. Ice-cream stands are in glorious abundance.

The town surrounds its Parque Central, where you'll find a pretty fountain, oyster-shaped bandstand, and relief map of the region.

As in most colonial villages, the heart of Chichicastenango is its central square, and any tour begins here. It's pretty tranquil here when the market isn't open, but not on Thursday and Sunday when hundreds of vendors (and buyers) arrive from near and far. The market long ago outgrew this square, and spills onto adjoining streets. All the major sights are either here or nearby. Three blocks north is Arco Gucumatz, an arch over 5 Avenida where you watch vendors heading to the square the night before or very early the morning of market day.

The city's central plaza, ablaze with pepper trees, is one of the most beautiful in Central America. It is surrounded by neoclassical architectural masterpieces, most of which date from the early 20th century (earthquakes took their toll on older colonial structures), such as the magnificent building called Pasaje Enríquez, built in 1900 in the style of a center-city European shopping arcade. Bees buzz around the park's numerous flower beds. Be careful if you're susceptible to harm from their stings.

On the road west to San Pedro, Parque de la Paz commemorates 11 Tzutuhil people, including several children, who were killed when the army open fired on a peaceful demonstration that protested the military presence here. The memorial is a sober reminder of Guatemala's tortured past.

Local shamans lead villagers in special rites at this site whose name translates as "stone of sacrifice" perched on a hilltop south of town. The shrine is dedicated to Huyup Tak'ah, the Mayan god of the earth, who receives offerings of flowers, incense, liquor, and, occasionally, slaughtered chickens. Because it's one of the most accessible of the highland shrines, Pascual Abaj often attracts travelers eager to see these rituals firsthand. Be as unobtrusive as possible, and always ask permission before taking photos. (The answer will almost always be no, though.) To see the shrine, follow 9 Calle until you see the signs for the narrow footpath up the hill. Boys hanging around the Parque Central will offer to guide you to the shrine for a small fee, and can tell you when the rituals will take place. Robberies of tourists have occurred along the route, so we recommend using the services of the official red-vested INGUAT guides instead. There is a mask factory on-site.