About Guatemala

Chichicastenango, or Chichi, for short, is a town in the highlands of Guatemala, with a strong Maya culture, and an important marketplace of the region. It’s located in the El Quiché department, at an altitude of 1965 m above the sea level, 140 km Noth West from Guatemala City.

Twice a week, Sundays and Thursdays are market days, and the town gets full of vendors of many linguistic groups, color, smoke, smells and traditional costumes. People from all parts of Guatemala come to Chichi to sell their products, which include vegetables, fruits, candles, pigs, chickens, pottery, machetes, medicinal plants and specially high quality handcrafts that are sold at very good prices.

The market of Chichicastenango might look chaotic, but it’s very well organizated, and it’s a true Mayan market. People sell their products very much like their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. It is said that Chichi is the most beautiful market of Central America, and perhaps of all the American Continent.

To preserve their traditions, people of Chichicastenango are organized in Cofradías, groups that celebrate Maya ceremonies in front of the catholic church that was built by the Spaniards atop of a venerated ceremonial mayan temple. The Cofradías perform their rituals burning incense, candles flowers and chocolate. It’s worth visiting the cemetery if you have the time. Chichi is less than an hour away from Lake Atitlán, and visiting this fascinating place will take you at least one day.