Chichicastenago, is a quiet Western Highland town, perched on a hillside at an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters. Chichi, as it is called by
the locals, is located about 140 km and 2-3 hrs by road, northwest of Guatemala City and is one of the most popular Highland destinations and
one of the the most colorful, indigenous market
in latin America.
Chichicastenango is typical in many ways
of a Highland town. The narrow cobblestone streets converge on a wide plaza where most days you'll find a few old men passing the time.
Then twice a week, the normally calm "Chichi" hosts the most famous market in the Mundo
Maya world.
From the dead of night, every Tuesday and Sunday, traders arrive
to set up their stalls and by daylight the roads into town are crammed with trailers, trucks and camionetas (buses) and row after row of colorful stalls fill the main square and overflow the adjoining streets and alleyways.
Here you will find a dizzying array of handmade items from woven baskets, blankets and other textiles to handicrafts, carved-wooden masks, flowers, pottery, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, t-shirts and copal, a traditional incense used in both Mayan and Catholic rituals.
The manufacture of masks, used by dancers for traditional dances, has made Chichi well-known
for it's woodcarvings.
Behind the most visible areas are stalls devoted to
the local needs, including fruit and vegetables, baked goods, clothing, spices, tools and toys. Cheap "Comedors" provide lunch for buyers and sellers alike.
Most stalls are taken down by late afternoon and prices are best just before the market breaks up, as traders would rather sell an item cheap then carry it back home with them. The market starts winding down around 3pm or 4pm. So if you are still around at this time, bargain hard!
The Chichicastenango market is probably the best place in the country to buy typical textiles and handicraft - short of venturing to their place of origin.
Around the Town
Iglesia de Santo Tomás Sitting pretty in the middle of the plaza is the 400-year old church of Santo Tomás. The whitewashed Iglesia de Santo Tomás is an overwhelming sight with the air around the steps thick with the aroma of the pine-based incense, copal.
The church was built atop a Pre-Columbian platform, and the steps originally led to a pre-Hispanic Mayan temple. Shamans still use the church for their rituals, burning incense and candles, while church officials look the other way. In special cases, they may even sacrifice a chicken for the gods. Each of the 18 stairs leading up to the church, stands for one month of the Mayan calendar year.
Capilla de Calvario
Across from the
Iglesia de Santo Tomás is a small chapel. It doesn't attract the attention that it's much larger neighbor does, but from its step you'll have a nice view of the market.
Pascual Abaj There is another sacred site located on a hill just outside Chichi where sacrifices and flowers are regularly offered to the "Idolo", a blackened pre-columbian sculpture. Writing on the stone records the doings of a king named Tohil.
Its just south of town, within walking distance...and a little bit of a hike...but the woods are beautiful, and when you arrive at the top, you are treated to a wonderful panoramic view of town and the surrounding hillside.
Local Shamans, lead villagers in special rites that include sacrificing chickens. Because it's one of the most accessible of the highland shrines, Pascual Abaj often attracts travelers eager to see these rituals firsthand.
It's a about a 20 minute walk from the main plaza.
The Cemetery The cemetery is very colorful and filled with mausoleums the size of small houses, all painted
in brilliant shades of blue, teal, yellow and orange.
Chichicastenango's cemetery is one of the most colorful in the Western Highlands. In the midst of headstones topped with crosses, you'll doubtless find candles and incense - evidence of Mayan rituals. The cemetery is on a hillside and viewable from town. You can take a short walk and have a look around or admire it from a distance.
Chichicastenango is an important centre of culture and religion for the local Indigenous population and it is here where they still maintain much of their cultural traditions, including their own special inclusion of traditional, religious beliefs with Catholicism.
Along with their famous market, it is this relationship with the past, with the old traditions still omnipresent in everyday life, that makes Chichicastenango such a fascinating place to the outsider and a must see for visitors to the region.
About 1,000 people, mainly ladinos, who are of mixed Indian and Spanish blood, live within the town itself.
They work as tradesmen or local officials, or they operate the small number of hotels, shops and bars in town. However, there are over 20,000 Indians living in the surrounding hills, most of them farmers owning small plots of land.
It is on market days that Chichicastenango comes alive, as these Indigenous farmers pour into town to sell their wares, buy provisions and partake in religious ceremonies.
Sitting pretty in the middle of the plaza is the 400-year old church of Santo Tomás. The whitewashed Iglesia de Santo Tomás is an overwhelming sight with the air around the steps thick with the aroma of the pine-based incense, copal. 
There is another sacred site located on a hill just outside Chichi where sacrifices and flowers are regularly offered to the "Idolo", a blackened pre-columbian sculpture. Writing on the stone records the doings of a king named Tohil.
The cemetery is very colorful and filled with mausoleums the size of small houses, all painted 
Chichicastenango is an important centre of culture and religion for the local Indigenous population and it is here where they still maintain much of their cultural traditions, including their own special inclusion of traditional, religious beliefs with Catholicism.
