The town of Chichicastenango, about 12 miles from the capital of the department -- Santa Cruz del Quiche -- is perhaps the best known tourist attraction in Quiche. While a sleepy highland town on most days, on Thursdays and Sundays farmers and artisans from throughout the region descend on the town to participate in a massive open-air market. The bustling streets of Chichicastenango on market days are perfect for appreciating the variety of spices and crops that make up the highland diet and for finding that unusual souvenir among a wide variety of textiles and handicrafts. Transportation is available from Antigua and Guatemala City on market days.
The fortress-like hilltop city of K'umarcaaj was the last capital of the Quiche Mayas when the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. The city is not visited by as many tourists as the sprawling Maya ruins in northern Guatemala. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the fierce resistance of the indigenous people to the Spanish conquest. The conquistadors leveled much of the city, and few buildings have been fully excavated or restored, but the foundations of a few ancient temples, ball courts and plazas are still visible. The ruins are just 3 miles from Santa Cruz del Quiche. Visitors pay a small admission fee to enter the park. Be respectful of the ruins and the frequent Maya rituals that take place in the area, as many consider the site to be sacred.
Santa Cruz, the capital city of the department of Quiche, has some handsome colonial buildings around a central plaza and can be very lively on Sunday market days. Most tourists only see the city en route to other Quiche attractions, but unlike more well-known tourist destinations like Chichicastenango, Santa Cruz allows visitors to really appreciate what daily life is like for the highland Maya of Guatemala. Buses from Guatemala City and Xela reach the terminal in Santa Cruz.
The villages on Nebaj, Chajul and Cotzal make up the Ixil triangle, the heartland of the Ixil Maya people. In part because of the geographical isolation of this remote corner of northern Quiche -- but also due to brutal repression in the area during the country's civil war -- the Ixil remain especially close to their Maya heritage. You'll hear more native Ixil spoken here than Spanish, and most people still wear the beautifully colored textiles of their traditional dress. The largest town, Nebaj, is accessible by bus from Santa Cruz and pickup trucks will take you to the other two villages from Nebaj. Be aware that few tourists travel to this area, and restaurants and hotels are rare outside of Nebaj.
