North America >> Central America >> Guatemala >> Chichicastenango

Chichicastenango is a small town in the Western Highlands of Guatemala (pop. about 23000). Located at an altitude of 2030m, it is surrounded by valleys and mountains. It is mostly renowned for its colourful markets, held on Thurdsays and Sundays, where it is said that some of the most beautiful traditionnal Mayal textiles are sold.

Travel to Chichicastenango - Visa Requirements

After 17km from the Los Encuentros junctions, you will go through endless switchbacks to reach Chichicastenango. Many buses and shuttles from Guatemala City, Antigua Guatemala and Panajachel are providing easy access to Los Encuentros and change the bus there toward Chichicastenango. There are steady flow of direct buses for market days.

Tours and Getting around Chichicastenango

Chichicastenango tourist attractions and sightseeing

The Festival of Santo Thomas is one of the largest celebrations in Guatemala. It is a combination of a city festival with traditional dances, a religious celebration by the Cofradia and the regular market.

It starts December 13th and goes to December 22nd with the biggest day December 21st. There are Toros and Castillos of fireworks in the main square in the evening, after dark. Firecrackers and mortars are set off in front of the Church of Santo Thomas all day long.

There are two religious processions per day, lead by the Cofradia carrying altars decorated with flowers and fruit collecting the saints from neighborhood chapels and taking them to the Church of Santo Thomas.

Learn

Culture and History

There's a small Inguat tourist information office beside Santo Tomás church on 8 Calle with good stock of leaflests about Chichicastenango.

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Chichicastenango nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

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Chichicastenango cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

  • Santo Tomas Hotel [1] Chichicastenango, Guatemala
  • Mayan Inn Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Get out

This page was last edited by tom holley. Based on work by Paxton Hoag, Jim DeLaHunt and Michele Ann Jenkins, Wikitravel user(s) Infrogmation and Episteme and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license

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