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Quiché is the homeland of the K'iche' people, though other groups form the fabric of this culturally diverse region, most notably the Ixil of the eastern Cuchumatanes mountains. Most visitors who come to this largely forgotten pocket of the country are on a jaunt to the famous market at Chichicastenango. Similarly captivating commerce is conducted in the less trammeled territory of Santa Cruz del Quiché, the departmental capital to the north. On its outskirts lie the mysterious ruins of K'umarcaaj, the last capital city of the K'iche'. Adventurous souls push further north for Nebaj, heart of the culturally vibrant Ixil Triangle, with myriad hiking opportunities.
This region was at the heart of the violence of the civil war, with the Ixil people suffering greatly in reprisals from the army to such an extent that it's locally often referred to as a genocide. Be extremely circumspect about the war if it comes up in conversation.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Quiché.
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Some villagers still walk for hours carrying their wares to reach Chichi's market, one of Guatemala's largest and a highlight of many people's trips to the country. It's a rich mix of the traditional and the tourist, where local women shopping for a new huipile rub shoulders with travelers looking for a textile souvenir. Sunday is the busier of the two market days, when Spanish school students and weekenders from Guatemala City descend en masse on Chichi.
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This church on the plaza's east side dates from 1540 and is often the scene of rituals that are more distinctly Maya than Catholic. Inside, the floor of the church may be dotted with offerings of maize, flowers and bottles of liquor wrapped in corn husks; candles are arranged in specific patterns along low stone platforms. Enter through the side door rather than the front entrance and note that photography is very strictly not permitted inside.
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On a hilltop south of town, Pascual Abaj (Sacrifice Stone) is a shrine to the Maya earth god Huyup Tak'ah (Mountain Plain). A stone-faced idol stands amid a circle of squat stone crosses in a clearing. Said to be hundreds – perhaps thousands – of years old, it has suffered numerous indignities at the hands of outsiders, but local people still revere it.
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This formidable church dominates the south side of Parque Principal. Inside, to the left of the entrance, is a memorial to Juan José Gerardi, who as bishop of Quiché witnessed widespread human rights abuses here. Soon after he released a report about these atrocities, Gerardi himself was assassinated. Several hundred simple wooden crosses around the monument memorialize the Nebaj inhabitants who were murdered during the civil war and since. Outside, a bright mural celebrates Ixil culture.
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Be sure to admire the mural that runs alongside the wall of the town hall on the east side of the plaza – it’s dedicated to the victims of the civil war and tells the story of the war using symbology from the Popol Vuh, the book compiled by members of the Maya nobility soon after the Spanish Conquest.
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This small museum is something of an unexpected gem for a town of Nebaj's size. It displays a collection of mostly ceramic objects excavated in the Ixil region, all arranged by historical period. Among the more interesting pieces are a ceremonial ax with a skull handle and a giant funerary urn with a jaguar face, plus some well-preserved polychrome vases. If you're a Spanish-reader, the small library of books on local history and culture is excellent.
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On the way down the hill to the shrine at Pascual Abaj, you might stop into this interesting gallery. Developed as an art institute for local children with the backing of Project Guggenheim, it holds a small but important collection of oil paintings by the artist brothers Juan and Miguel Cortéz and their pupils. K'iche' classes are sometimes offered, along with the chance to experience traditional Maya ceremonies (contact the gallery in advance).
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On the west side of the plaza, this whitewashed church is similar in form and function to Santo Tomás, but smaller. Ceremonies go on continually in front of the church, as worshippers ring a bonfire of fragrant copal, while within, candles are placed upon blackened stone slabs.
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The church is home to the icon of Christ of Golgotha, which is the focus of a huge pilgrimage on the second Friday of Lent – one of the biggest pilgrimages in the country. The huge wooden doors carved with stylised animals are particularly worth noting, as is the statue of the Virgin Mary dressed entirely in local Ixil costume.