Chichicastenango travel guide

Background

Often called ‘Chichi’ but also known as Santo Tomás, Chichicastenango is the hub of the Maya-K’iche’ highlands. The name derives from the chichicaste, a prickly purple plant-like a nettle, which grows profusely, and tenango, meaning ‘place of’. Today the locals call the town ‘Siguan Tinamit’ meaning ‘place surrounded by ravines’. The townsfolk are also known as Masheños, which comes from the word Max, also meaning Tomás. About 1000 ladinos live in the town, but 20,000 Maya live in the hills nearby and flood the town for the Thursday and Sunday markets. The town itself has winding streets of white houses roofed with bright red tiles, which wander over a little knoll in the centre of a cup-shaped valley surrounded by high mountains. The men’s traditional outfit is a short-waisted embroidered jacket and knee breeches of black cloth, a woven sash and an embroidered kerchief around the head. The cost of this outfit, now over US$200, means that fewer and fewer men are wearing it. Women wear huípiles with red embroidery against black or brown and their cortes have dark blue stripes.

Ins and outs

Getting there

Chichicastenango is served by numerous chicken buses that head north from Los Encuentros or south from Santa Cruz del Quiché. There are direct buses from Xela and Guatemala City and shuttles from Antigua, the city and Pana.

Chichicastenango

Bus

Buses passing through Chichi all stop at 5 Av/5 Calle by the Hotel Chugüilá, where there are always police and bus personnel to give information. To Guatemala City, every 15 mins 0200-1730, 3 hrs, US$3.70. To Santa Cruz del Quiché, every ½ hr 0600-2000, US$0.70, 30 mins or 20 mins, if the bus driver is aiming for honours in the graduation from the School of Kamikaze Bus Tactics. To Panajachel, ½ hr, US$2, several until early afternoon or take any bus heading south and change at Los Encuentros. Same goes for Antigua, where you need to change at Chimaltenango. To Quetzaltenango, 5 between 0430-0830, 2½ hrs, US$3.80. To Mexico, and all points west, take any bus to Los Encuentros and change. To Escuintla via Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, between 0300 and 1700, 3 hrs, US$2.80. There are additional buses to local villages especially on market days.

Shuttle

Chichi Turkaj Tours, see Tour operators, above. Shuttles to the capital, Xela, Panajachel, Huehuetenango and Mexican border. Maya Chichi Van.

Banks

There are a number of banks in town taking Visa and MasterCard. Mayan Inn will exchange cash.

Internet

Aces, inside Hotel Girón, 6 Calle, 4-52.

Post office

7 Av, 8-47. Cropa Panalpina, 7 Av, 8-60, opposite post office, T7756-1028, http://www.cropa.com.gt. Will pack and ship your purchases back home by air cargo.

Telephone

Telgua, 6 Calle between 5 y 6.