A few days in Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Once we bought plane tickets to Guatemala, we began looking for places to visit. (We booked cheap tickets without any other plan or details – ‘figure it out later’ is my go-to). Breese found information on a market in the mountain town of Chichicastenago, home to the K’iche’ Maya (the largest of the 22 Mayan groups). There is a market daily, but on Thursdays and Sundays, it explodes with vendors and shoppers from the surrounding highlands. It is not only one of the largest markets in Central America and one of the oldest Mayan markets. We scheduled our itinerary around making it to Chichi for the Sunday market.

We arrived in Chichi via a bus from Lake Atilan. There are day trip options from the lake area, but we wanted a few days to soak up the market. We only had one Sunday that would work with our flights to visit the Chichicastenango market, and it turned out it just so happened to fall right in the middle of the town’s biggest festival of the year – Fiesta de Santo Tomás, in honor of the town’s patron saint. Somehow, we always randomly end up at big festivals!

I’ve only heard tiny bits about the Mayan civilization. It was not a topic my history classes spent chunks of time discussing. I could point to the location of the ancient civilization I was taught on a map, but that was about it. The Mayan Civilization ruled Guatemala until it became a Spanish colony in 1521 AD. Today, about 40% of Guatemala’s population is indigenous, with the Mayans being the largest of the ethnic groups.

The Cemetery

Overlooking the town one of the world’s most colorful cemeteries is nestled on the ridge. According to National Geographic, “To outsiders, the passionate display of color may seem incongruent with loss of life—but according to indigenous Maya tradition, honoring the dead encourages the living to make peace with the inevitability of death.”

Slow entry

Chichicastenango is easily walkable (if you don’t mind hills). We stayed in an Airbnb outside the main hub, walked 30 minutes to the cemetery, and headed into the main part of town. The town was bustling on Saturday afternoon. We took time to scout things out and get familiar with the surroundings before the market exploded the next day. Knowing we were headed to Guatemala, Everett delayed a much needed haircut. Trips to local barbers are one of his favorite ways to experience a new culture. His list of countries where he’s gotten haircuts continues to grow. I love that he doesn’t just embrace it, but chases after these experiences. Breese and Corbett chase after food experiences. Well, we all do.

The Market

The streets we thought were busy on Saturday night overflowed on Sunday. I desperately wanted to bring every basket and bag home for everyone I know. The handiwork in Guatemala is beautiful, colorful, and detailed.

We scouted out a small cafe, Pasteles Corazón, with excellent coffee and cake. The photo on the left is from Saturday. The photo on the right is the same angle taken on Sunday when the market was in full swing.

The Church & Festival

The steps leading to the Catholic Church, Santo Tomás, initially led to a Mayan temple, one step for each month on the Mayan calendar. The ancient temple was destroyed, and the church was built on its platform in the 1540s. Down the center aisle of the church are small altars for Mayan practices. Mass is conducted inside the church, and Mayan priests are welcome to perform rituals and prayers inside, as well. 

As much as I like learning from observations, places and experiences like this always lead me down a rabbit hole of digging for more information in other ways. Understanding how culture, religion, and history seamlessly and messily intertwine helps me understand people – both abroad and at home. And learning how to understand people better…well, makes life more enjoyable.

A highlight of the festival is the Palo Volador – a ceremonial/ritual dance involving men ‘flying’ from a pole. We spent hours talking to residents, our Airbnb host, planning team members, flyers, and even a news station trying to figure out the exact time it would take place, but everyone source gave us a different answer.

Here is a video if you (or your kids) would like to see it in action.

Leaving on a bus

We had to catch a bus to Guatemala City in order to get our flight home. We lingered by the pole playing Monopoly Deal for as long as we possibly could, but sadly had to grab our backpacks and catch the bus. It was a bummer to miss it!

Walking the streets of the market and town provided glimpses into the rich Mayan culture and history. In the future, when I hear someone mention the Mayan civilization, it will be more than a pinpoint on a map. My perspective and understanding have broadened and changed. This is why I love travel. A couple of locals pointed us in the direction to catch a bus to the capital and we were off…

Notes I made on the bus ride back to Guatemala City:

Hudson is squished in a 2 person seat with 4 people. A Grandma fell asleep on him. He can’t budge and has been crashed out for over an hour too.

We just passed a volcano erupting. 

A little guy is asleep on me. His head rocks with each sharp turn.

There is a volcano erupting outside my window.

An older man with salt and pepper hair and a mustache to match climbed on board. He is wearing a blue button up shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows and a felt cowboy hat. His studded belt is tight around his narrow waist with a big buckle. He gently helps women with baskets of tortillas on and off the bus. We bought chili rellenos from one of the women for lunch.

Every 10 minutes the young guy assisting the driver climbs out the door, onto the roof, adjusts bags, and climbs in through the back door. The bus is flying down curvy, mountain roads.

This driver has the best playlist:
Lady In Red
Total Eclipse of the Heart
My Heart Will Go On
I Will Always Love You
I Want to Know What Love Is

A man just tossed a wheelbarrow on the roof.

Breese can’t stop smiling.

Notes On Visiting Chichicastenango

It is entirely do-able to take public buses from Lake Atilan to Chichi and from Chichi to Guatemala City (or back to Lake Atilan). Just ask around and anyone will help point you in the right direction. We had zero issues getting the 7 of us on one bus, however, we also only traveled with personal size backpacks (think school bag, not airplane carry-on). We also have low comfort standards, so keep that in mind. There are tons of restaurants and cafes throughout the town, but the nightly food market was our favorite stop for dinner. There were a few items in Chichi that we did not see in Antigua, but overall the prices were actually better in Antiqua. I bought tons of fabric in Antiqua and a few baskets in Chichi. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and quick to help us. I do think the market and town could be done in a day if you arrive early from Lake Atilan. Nonetheless, we were glad to have a few days to move at a slower pace and learn more about the town, its history, and experience the community after the crowds left.