This yellow church is uphill from the main plaza, at the top of the hill. It was built on the site of an old Maya temple – Maya ceremonies, with plenty of burnt offerings, are still held at the triple-cross altar alongside. The panoramic view across the valley from here is phenomenal.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
23.9 MILES
A former coffee plantation being reclaimed by natural vegetation, this reserve is 200m past the Hotel Atitlán on the northern outskirts of town. It makes…
25.17 MILES
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…
24.77 MILES
Overflowing with art by Guatemalan painters and sculptors, this gallery functions as both an exhibit space and cultural center, hosting lectures, films…
25.19 MILES
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…
22.65 MILES
The ruins of the ancient K'iche' Maya capital of K'umarcaaj remain a sacred site for the Maya, and contemporary rituals are customarily enacted here…
29.5 MILES
A remnant of the Mam capital, the Zaculeu archaeological zone was 'restored' by the United Fruit Company in the 1940s, leaving its pyramids, ball courts…
24.93 MILES
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…
Centro Intercultural de Quetzaltenango
4.79 MILES
Quetzaltenango's railroad station, 1km east of the Templo de Minerva along 4a Calle, lay dormant for many years until the city converted it into this…
Nearby Western Highlands attractions
0.23 MILES
San Andrés Xecul boasts one of the most exuberantly decorated churches in the country, a fiesta almost in itself. Technicolored saints, angels, flowers…
2.21 MILES
This enormous statue dominates the entrance to Salcajá. It depicts a striding figure with a backpack facing north, symbolising the many sons and daughter…
2.37 MILES
Dating from 1524, the Iglesia de San Jacinto, was the first church built in Central America. It is also known as the Ermita Conquistadora De La Inmaculada…
4. Iglesia San Francisco El Alto
4.01 MILES
San Francisco El Alto's 18th century church is a somewhat fortress-like affair, with solid arches holding up its domes. It's worth noting for it's…
4.7 MILES
This monumental arch that greets all visitors on the road into Xela commemorates the 1897 Quetzalteca Revolution, a short-lived uprising in the city…
4.76 MILES
The Altiplano's signature instrument is given pride of place at the center of this iconic traffic circle on the east end of town.
7. Centro Intercultural de Quetzaltenango
4.79 MILES
Quetzaltenango's railroad station, 1km east of the Templo de Minerva along 4a Calle, lay dormant for many years until the city converted it into this…
8. Museo del Ferrocarril de los Altos
4.79 MILES
This museum covers the ambitious rail project that connected Quetzaltenango to the Pacific coast but operated for just three years, from 1930 to 1933…