©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd The Highlands Includes ¨ Why Go? Sololá ........................... 93 Guatemala’s most dramatic region – El Altiplano – stretch- Panajachel ................... 93 es from Antigua to the Mexican border. Traditional values Santiago Atitlán ......... 105 and customs are strongest here. Maya dialects are spoken San Pedro far more widely than Spanish, and over a dozen distinct La Laguna .................. 108 groups dwell within the region, each with its own language and clothing. Such extraordinary diversity is perhaps most San Juan La Laguna ... 112 evident in the weekly markets of Chichicastenango and San San Marcos Francisco El Alto. This is where indigenous tradition blends La Laguna ................... 114 most tantalizingly with Spanish, and it is common to see Chichicastenango .......118 Maya rituals taking place in front of and inside colonial Nebaj ...........................125 churches. Quetzaltenango ......... 130 Most travelers spend a spell at volcano-ringed Lago de Huehuetenango ..........147 Atitlán. West of the lake stands Guatemala’s second city, Quetzaltenango. Northward spread the Cuchumatanes mountains, where indigenous life follows its own rhythms amidst fantastic mountain landscapes. For hikers, this is the promised land. Best Places to Eat ¨ Restaurante Hana (p101) ¨ Café El Artesano (p113) When to Go If you’re up for trekking the Ixil Triangle or scaling Vol- ¨ Café Sabor Cruceño (p117) cán Santa María, trails tend to be less muddy and volcano ¨ Allala (p115) visibility is best from November to April. ¨ Mayan Inn (p120) Key events to plan a trip around include Quetzaltenan- go’s annual party (late September or early October); devil- burning ceremonies in Chichicastenango (early December); Best Places and folk saint Maximón’s spring move in Santiago Atitlán (Holy Week). to Sleep Try to be in Todos Santos Cuchumatán on November 1, ¨ La Fortuna (p117) when the normally sedate town hosts a no-holds-barred ¨ Mayan Inn (p120) celebration with rowdy horse races and all-male marimba dancing. ¨ Hacienda Mil Amores (p130) ¨ La Casa del Mundo (p116) ¨ Posada Rural Finca Chaculá (p156) 91 Benemérito 0 30 km de las Américas 0 20 miles Reserva de la Biósfera Montes Azules n Parque Nacional ú t Lagunas de n Comitán Laguna Yolnajab a Montebello c Lagos de (Laguna Brava) a Montebello Flor de Chajul L Ixcán o La Trinitaria Café Rí Gracias a Dios Yalambojoch Finca Chaculá Playa Grande San Mateo Ixtatán Parque Nacional Presa de la MEX Nentón Laguna Lachuá Angostura 190 Barillas San Miguel Santa Sier má MEXICO Acatán Eulalia ra de Cha THE THE Ciudad La Mesilla Jacaltenango Soloma Cuauhtémoc San Juan Ixcoy H La Torre H 1 (3837m) IGHLANDS Todos Santos Laguna Cuchumatán Magdalena Chajul San Juan Atitán Nebaj San Juan Cotzal anes Pueblo Cordi llera de los Cuchumat Viejo Chiantla Aguacatán G HI Zaculeu Huehuete nango Uspantán ghlan Sacapulas Volcán 1 Tacaná (4093m) Interamericana Volcán D Tajumulco Cubulco S Hwy HI (4220m) Momostenango Santa Cruz del Quiché ghl Talismán San Marcos San Francisco El Carmen Joyabaj El Alto I GH 1 Cuatro Caminos Totonicapán Chichicastenango Salcajá Los Encuentros T San Juan Ostuncalco Mixco La Cuchilla S San Martín Sacatepéquez Quetzaltenango 1 Viejo 5 Ciudad Volcán Chicabal Zunil Tecpán Tecún Rio Naranjo (2900m) Volcán Santa María Panajachel San Juan Umán 2 (3772m) Lago de Iximché Comalapa Volcán Volcán San Pedro Atitlán Chimaltenango Santiago Santiaguito Patzún Sacatepéquez (2488m) El Palmar (3020m) 1 Viejo Santiago San Lucas Tolimán GUATEMALA El Zarco Junction Atitlán Mangrove 11 Volcán CITY Volcán Tolimán Volcán Acatenango Antigua Retalhuleu 9 Ocós (3158m) Atitlán (3976m) Volcán PACIFIC (3537m) Volcán Fuego Agua OCEAN (3763m) (3766m) The Highlands Highlights 1 Soaring over, diving under 3 Upgrading your Spanish 5 Mingling with the Maya in or relaxing by sublime Lago de and ascending volcanoes in Todos Santos Cuchumatán Atitlán (p92). and around Quetzaltenango (p152), San Mateo Ixtatán 2 Hunting for huipiles (p130). (p154) and other remote (embroidered tunics) and 4 Taking in the stunning villages. other Maya weavings at scenery and village life of the vibrant indigenous markets in Ixil Triangle around Nebaj Chichicastenango (p118) and (p125). San Francisco El Alto (p145). .