goathemayatravel

REGION 6 - Southwest
Conformed by the Departments of San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Sololá, Retalhuleu and Suchitepéquez

Name of the department: San Marcos
Department's Capital: San Marcos
Extension. 3,791 km2
Municipiums: San Marcos, Ayutla, Catarina, Comitancillo, Concepción Tutuapa, El Quetzal, El rodeo, El Tumbador, Esquipulas Palo Gordo, Ixchiguán, La Reforma, Malacatán, Nuevo Progreso, Ocós, Pajapita, Río blanco, San Antonio Sacatepéquez, San Cristóbal Cucho, San Jose Ojetenam, San Lorenzo, San Miguel Ixtahuacán, San Pablo, San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Rafael Pie de la Cuesta, Sibinal, Sipacapa, Tacaná, Tajumulco, Tejutla.
Climate: Cold
Altitude. 2400 mts above sea level
Population: 794,951
Demography. 210 inhabitants per Km2
Urban population. 21.8
Rural population: 78.2
Population per gender: Men: 392,368. Women: 402,583
Population per ethnic group: Indigenous: 248,639. non-indigenous: 546,312
Literacy: 429,212 (population of 7 years of age and more)
Economically-Active Population: 196,969
Creation of the Department: By Decree on µay 8, 1866, by Marshall Vicente Cerna.
Tourism:

1) Tajumulco Volcano (4200 mts above sea level) and Tacana Volcano (4022 mts above sea level): Perfect for those who love the mountain-climbing, these volcanoes are an alternative for the fresh air activities of the region.

2) Tilapa Beach: Located in the municipium of Ocos; you can make boat rides through the canal and admire the mangrove swamps and he resident and migratory birds.

Name of the department: Quetzaltenango
Department's Capital: Quetzaltenango
Extension. 1,951 km2
Municipiums: Quetzaltenango, Almolonga, Cabricán, Cantel, Cajolá, Coatepeque, La Esperanza, Olintepeque, Palencia de Los Altos, Salcajá, San Carlos Sija, San Francisco La Unión, San Juan Ostungalco, San Martín Sacatepéquez, San Mateo, San Miguel Sigüilá, Sibilia, Zunil.
Climate: cold
Altitude. 2300 mts above sea level
Population: 624,716
Demography. 320 inhabitants per Km2
Urban population. 55.2
Rural population: 44.8
Population per gender: Men: 300,325. Women: 324,391
Population per ethnic group: Indigenous: 338,055. non-indigenous: 286,661
Literacy: 377,167 (population of 7 years of age and more)
Economically-Active Population: 185,619
Creation of the Department: Was created by decree of the Constituent Assemby on September 16, 1845.
Tourism:

1) Chicabal Volcano: Has an altitude of 2900 mts above sea level, there is a lagoon surrounded by exuberant vegetation inside its crater. The lagoon, which has the same name as the volcano, is an important religious center where indigenous groups go the make their special rites; at the shore of the lagoon, they put crosses adorned with colorful flowers. Sometimes, they go with musical groups and generally, the praying priests preside the ceremonies.

2) Quetzaltenango: This is the second most important city after the capital city of Guatemala. During the Independence period, the politics took an oath of loyalty to the Mexican Emperor Iturbide and member of the Central American Federation. Quetzaltenango (place of quetzales) was baptized with this name by the conqueror Pedro de Alvarado in honor of the brave worrier Tecun Uman who died defending his beloved Xelaju, later called Quetzaltenango, he was wearing a suit made of long green quetzal feathers that reach down the floor.

3) Zunil: This small town is placed where the onion growing is the most important over other cultivations. Zunil has a white colonial church famous because of the altar frontispiece and tabernacle made of repoussed silver from the colonial period.

4) Aguas Georginas. From the laterals of the Zunil volcano arise the thermal fountains where its sulfur waters reach temperatures very high for a bath. There is also a path for the visitors to know the flora diversity that surrounds this place. This path is very picturesque, you can see the people that works in the onion plantations.

5) Olintepeque, San Carlos Sija, Huitán and Cabricán Route: This is a route of approximately 47 kms, most of the road is of terraceria (off-road) and represents a good opportunity to know the Guatemalan altiplano (high tableland) surrounded by beautiful landscapes, typical and traditional towns.

Name of the department: Totonicapán
Department's Capital: Totonicapán
Extension. 1,061 km2
Municipiums:. Totonicapán, San Andrés Xecul, San Francisco El Alto, San Cristóbal Totonicapán, Momostenango, Santa Lucia La Reforma, San Bartolo Aguas Calientes, Santa Maria Chiquimula.
Climate: cold
Altitude. 2495 mts above sea level
Population: 339,254
Demography. 320 inhabitants per Km2
Urban population. 35.8
Rural population: 64.2
Population per gender: Men: 159,979. Women: 179,275
Population per ethnic group: Indigenous: 333,481. non-indigenous: 5,773
Literacy: 166,607 (population of 7 years of age and more)
Economically-Active Population: 97,823
Creation of the Department: By decree on August 12, 1872.
Tourism:

1) Totonicapán. San Miguel Totonicapán is the capital city of the department with the same name. The climate is moderate and it has lots of handcrafts shops where the pottery, wood, textile and furniture articles are produced. At the center of the plaza you can admire the statue in honor if Atanasio Tzul, which was the one that stir up against the Spaniards in 1820 and begun the independence movement.

2) San Andrés Xecul: This town is located at the foothill of Hill Chuicul, is known because of the XVI century church, painted with a colorful yellow and stucco with classic motives of a popular baroque. Up in the town is found the calvary and near it you can appreciate old oratories where the Mayan priests used to make their rites.

3) Momostenango: Taking a terraceria (off-road) road in between of pine forests you can reach Momostenango (City of the altars), is a town distinguished by its famous ponchos and wool blankets elaborated by the indigenous who also raise sheeps. The cliffs of Momostenango which are close, are formations made out of erosion.

4) San Francisco El Alto: The best day to visit San Francisco el Alto is on Friday, market day, is when the commercialization of animals, cultivations, tools, seeds, textiles and threads take place. Its church is from the XVI century and was seriously damaged by the earthquake of 1976. The reconstruction bring up to light old colonial murals that where hide under layers of subsequent paintings. The principal retable has a beautiful baroque style distinguished for having at the superior side of the central street, the full body of the eternal father and at the center is the town's patron saint: San Francisco de Asis, who founded in Asis the Order of the Minor Monks

Name of the department: Sololá
Department's Capital: Sololá
Extension. 1,060 km2
Municipiums: Sololá, Concepción, Nahualá, Panajachel, San Andrés Semetabaj, San Antonio Palopó, San José Chacayá, San Juan La Laguna, San Lucas Tolimán, San Marcos La Laguna, San Pablo La Laguna, San Pedro La Laguna, Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán, Santa Catarina Palopó, Santa Clara La Laguna, Santa Cruz La Laguna, Santa Lucia Utatlán, Santa Maria Visitación, Santiago Atitlán.
Climate: Cold
Altitude. 2113 mts above sea level
Population: 307,661
Demography. 290 inhabitants per Km2
Urban population. 48.8
Rural population: 51.2
Population per gender: Men: 152,132. Women: 155,529
Population per ethnic group: Indigenous: 296,710. non-indigenous: 10,951
Literacy: 143,776 (population of 7 years of age and more)
Economically-Active Population: 82,935
Creation of the Department: By decree of the Constituent Assembly of November 4, 1825.
Tourism:

1) Sololá: This city is the limit between the kaqchikel region and the quiché region. Is the union between the mountain economy and the growing of the pacific coast. In Sololá you can appreciate one of the best colorful typical suits of the country, where the men wear a shirt with an embroided bat, which is the symbol of the last kaqchikel dynasty and he women wear a red-stripped huipil (shirt) and a dark-colored corte (skirt). Market Day takes place every Friday, in front of the Central American tower where supposedly the union of the five Central American countries was oath.

2) Lake Atitlán: According to some geologists, the formation of the lake was due to the appearance, about 80,000 years ago, of a volcano, located at the east side of the lake. The three current volcanoes arose from the bottom of the water that filled the crater of 900 mts of depth and formed the lake. Even though, the depth that appear on the maps is of 320 mts, the investigations that took place on the 70`s indicate that the bottom of the lake is of 600 mts on the side of San Lucas Tolimán, at the east. It is believed that the water goes to the prairie of the pacific, because of underground infiltrations. At the south of the lake you can see three volcanoes: San Pedro (3020 mts), Tolimán (3158 mts) and Atitlán (3535). The surface of the lake is of 130 km2 at an altitude of 1500 mts above sea level.

3) Panajachel: Is without a doubt the most important village around Lake Atitlán. There you can find the best hotels, restaurants and small boutiques at the principal avenue of the village. Panajachel was the scenery of battles between Spaniards and kaqchikeles against the tz'utujiles during the conquest. The Franciscanos stayed here and founded a church with a convent.

4) Santa Catarina Palopo: Just four kms away from Panajachel, is located this small town of no more than 2000 souls, is distinguished because of their blue-colored typical suit and because of their church with the image of Santa catarina de Alejandria, who is the patron saint of this place.

5) San Antonio Palopó: Is one of the villages at the shore of lake Atitlán with a beautiful sight of the lake, specially from the main door of the church, where special prayers take place on June 13 and 14 for their patron saint San Antonio de Padua. The onion and anis are grown in terraces. The men wear a red-stripped shirt with a brown-squared skirt; women use a red and white-stripped huipil (shirt), dark blue corte (skirt) and a red headdress.

6) Santiago Atitlán: This is the capital of the tz'utujil capital. The main economical activity is the agriculture. The growing of corn, beans, carrot, lettuce, peas and fruits such as apples, strawberries, avocadoes, etc. Fishing is another activity they make. Women are dedicated to the weaving and men to wood engraving. They manufacture masks, images and other products. They also make the naïf painting.

7) Nahualá: This indigenous town is distinguished for being one of the most important handcraft centers of the altiplano (high tableland). The villagers manufacture pine furniture with floral designs which remains the colonial art. The textiles are characterized for the design of two-headed eagle from the former Mayas. This design was accepted by the Spaniards, since it was similar to the emblem of the Habsburgo's. Nahuala means "Place of witches".

Name of the department: Retalhuleu
Department's Capital: Retalhuleu
Extension. 1,856 km2
Municipiums: Retalhuleu, Champerico, El Asintal, Nuevo San Carlos, San Andrés Villa Seca, San Felipe Retalhuleu, San Martín Zapotitlán, San Sebastián, Santa Cruz Muluá.
Climate: Hot
Altitude. 455 mts above sea level
Population: 241,411
Demography. 130 inhabitants per Km2
Urban population. 36.3
Rural population: 63.7
Population per gender: Men: 119,215. Women: 122,196
Population per ethnic group: Indigenous: 54,811. non-indigenous: 186,600
Literacy: 140,974 (population of 7 years of age and more)
Economically-Active Population: 70,481
Creation of the Department: By decree number 194 on October 16, 1877.
Tourism:

1) TAK'ALIK AB'AJ: This is a site from the pre-classic period, has the characteristic of the architectonic style similar to Kaminaljuyú. There was found a painted pottery vase full of jade and figures that represent a jaguar-man, also archeological evidences, some of them pertaining to the most old glyph year of the new world. It is believed that TAK'ALIK AB'AJ was the only place where the Mayans and Olmecas lived together.

2) Recreational Parks Xetulul and Xocomil: This themed parks are part of the Recreational Institute of the workers of private companies of Guatemala and constitute the best tourist attractions of the region, specially for the domestic tourism.

3) Champerico: The municipium of Champerico had a great boom when late on the XIX century was built the pier of the international port of Champerico, which at that time and time after had a great commercial movement because of its strategic location.

4) Archeological and Ethnology Museum (Horacio Alejos Leon): There is exhibited the archeological pieces of the pre-classic, classic and post-classic periods found in different parts of the department. In the ethnologic room, you can appreciate a collection of historic pictures of Retalhuleu.

Name of the department: Suchitepequez
Department's Capital: Mazatenango
Extension. 2,510 km2
Municipiums: Mazatenango, Cuyotenango, Chicacao, Patulul, Pueblo Nuevo, Río Bravo, Samayac, San Antonio Suchitepéquez, San Bernardino, San Francisco Zapotitlán, San Gabriel, San Jose El Ídolo, San Juan Bautista, San Lorenzo, San Miguel Panán, San Pablo Jocopilas, Santa Bárbara, Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez, Santo Tomas La Unión, Zunilito.
Climate: Hot
Altitude. 371 mts above sea level
Population: 403,945
Demography. 160 inhabitants per Km2
Urban population. 41.1
Rural population: 58.9
Population per gender: Men: 199,550. Women: 204,395
Population per ethnic group: Indigenous: 208,200. non-indigenous: 195,745
Literacy: 216,716 (population of 7 years of age and more)
Economically-Active Population: 123,485
Creation of the Department: By decree on October 16, 1877.
Tourism:

1) Palo Gordo Mill: If you want to know about the process of the sugar manufacture, at Palo Gordo Mill you will find specialized guides that will explain the complete. Process.

2) Tahuexco: The Tahuexco tideland is the habitat of migratory birds. You can find here a big size natural lagoon. To be able to get to this destiny, you have to get to the municipium of Cuyotenango and go down the route to La Maquina. If you want to extend your visit you can go to Chicacao beach, where the boat rides are the best transport to know the canales that surround this place.

3) Archeological Museum Francisco Chicajau: There you can appreciate a considerable quantity of pre-hispanic pieces. This museum is located in the municipium of Chicacao.