Tourist Places to Visit in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, America

Huehuetenango is the capital city of Huehuetenango Department in Guatemala also serves as the seat of all the municipalities that come under Huehuetenango department and is situated about 280 km from the national capital Guatemala City. Huehuetenango is well known for coffee exportation and other crops grown in Huehuetenango include chile, yucca, sugarcane and tobacco.

Huehuetenango department is home to 31 municipalities and the major municipalities are Chiantla, Cuilco, Jacaltenango, Nenton, San Juan Ixcoy, Santa Eulalia, Tectitan and San Rafael Petzal.

Geography of Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango is positioned between 15°18′53″ N latitude and 91°28′34″ W longitude at an altitude of 1,901 meters and the department of Huehuetenango occupies an area of 7,403 sq. km.

Huehuetenango department is surrounded by Mexico towards northwest, Totonicapan in the south and El Quiche on the east.

History of Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango was earlier known as Xinabahul and the literal meaning of Huehuetenango in the Nahuatl language is ‘the place of the ancestors’.

How to reach Huehuetenango?

Huehuetenango has its own airport but currently not in use. The nearest working airport to Huehuetenango is Quetzaltenango Airport located at a distance of about 140 km with charter flights to Guatemala City. La Aurora International Airport is about 290 km away from Huehuetenango.

The major bus station of Huehuetenango is situated between the Interamericana and the city. It takes around 1:30 hour to reach Huehuetenango from Quatro Caminos and costs Q20 and from La Mesilla to Huehuetenango takes 2 hours, costs Q20.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango is one of the Maya sites housing many archeological sites and cultural centres. There are many handicraft centres, jewelry and pharmacies sited in Huehuetenango City. Pradera Huehuetenango is the main shopping centre in Huehuetenango. Banco International is a bank in Huehuetenango offering currency exchange service.

Restaurante Las Palmeras is one of the well known food corners in Huehuetenango famous for traditional and international eateries, available at reasonable prices. To have coffee, chocolate and different cakes, tourists can reach Cafe Museo which is open from 7am-10pm (Monday-Saturday) and 2-9pm (Sunday). It also offers free Wi-Fi.

Things to do in Huehuetenango:

Shopping
Archeological sites
Internet cafes

Places to see in Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango Bridge:

Huehuetenango Bridge is constructed over the San Juan River source and is the major tourist attraction in Huehuetenango drawing tourists from all around the country.

The Maya ruins of Zaculeu:

The Maya ruins of Zaculeu are archeological sites located in the vicinity of Huehuetenango city. There are regular buses available to reach Zaculeu from Huehuetenango city.

Chiantla:

Chiantla is a religious town widely known for Catholic Church with the image of Virgin of Candelaria or Nuestra Senora de Chiantla which means ‘Our Lady of Chiantla’.

Other places of interest in Huehuetenango include:

Chalchitan
Moja
San Mateo Ixtatan
Parque De Huehuetenango
Ruins de Zaculeu
Santo Entierro
Quetzaltenango

Best time to visit Huehuetenango:

During the ending months of the year are ideal to travel Huehuetenango.

Accommodation Options in Huehuetenango:

Huehuetenango is a colorful city with full of archeological sites, restaurants, food corners and religious sites. It is home to many well facilitated hotels and most of the hotels are located near the major bus terminal. The price may vary on the facilities provided by the hotels and generally top end hotels charge Q60 per person/night. The prominent hotels in Huehuetenango are as follows: