Introducing The Highlands
Guatemala’s most dramatic region – the Highlands – stretches from Antigua to the Mexican border northwest of Huehuetenango. Here the verdant hills sport emerald-green grass, cornfields and towering stands of pine, and every town and village has a story.
The traditional values and customs of Guatemala’s indigenous peoples are strongest in the Highlands. Mayan dialects are the first language, Spanish a distant second. The age-old culture based on maize (from which the Maya believe that humans were created) is still alive; a sturdy cottage set in the midst of a thriving milpa (maize field) is a common sight. And on every road you’ll see men, women and children carrying burdens of leña (firewood), to be used for heating and cooking.
Most towns here were already populated by the Maya when the Spanish arrived. History turned bloody and inhumane with the beginning of the civil war in 1960, when the Highlands were targeted heavily by guerrillas and the army alike.
The poster child for Guatemala’s natural beauty, the volcano-ringed Lago de Atitlán has been attracting tourists for decades. Surrounded by small villages, the lake deals with its popularity well. The only place that feels really played out is Panajachel – the other villages maintain a quiet air, while offering a reasonable degree of comfort. This area was particularly badly hit by Hurricane Stan in late 2005 and the whole village of Panabaj disappeared under a landslide. Reconstruction work – for the most part by local communities and international organizations – is ensuring a slow but sure return to normality for this region.
Western Highlands
The departments of Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán and Huehuetenango are more mountainous and generally less frequented by tourists than regions closer to Guatemala City.
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango, which the locals kindly shorten to Xela (shell-ah), itself an abbreviation of the original Quiché Maya name, Xelajú, may well be the perfect Guatemalan town – not too big, not too small, enough foreigners to support a good range of...
The Highlands destination guides
Lago de Atitlán
Guatemala’s most dramatic region – the highlands – stretch from Antigua to the Mexican border northwest of Huehuetenango.
Hotels in The Highlands
Budget Hotels & Hostels in The Highlands
Guesthouses and B&Bs in The Highlands
San Pedro La Laguna
It all comes down to what you’re looking for – price wars between competing businesses keep San Pedro among the cheapest of the lakeside villages, and the beautiful setting attracts long-term visitors whose interests include (in no particular...
Need to know
Huehuetenango
Mostly a stopping-off point for more interesting places, Huehuetenango, or Huehue (way-way), offers few charms of its own, but some people do love it for its true Guatemalan character.