Famous for its twice-weekly market, this town in the Guatemalan highlands is a must-visit destination. Located a two or three hour drive northwest of Guatemala city, vendors set up booths every Thursday and Sunday to sell their wares, which include beautiful hand-woven textiles and hand-carved traditional ceremonial dance masks.
In addition to the colorful market scene, visitors can check out the Santo Tomas cathedral, which is situated next to the market. This church is 400 years old and shamans still use it for rituals, complete with incense burning and occasionally they sacrifice a chicken for the gods. The Mayan creation story, the Popol Vuh, was found in this church. There are eighteen steps leading up to the church, standing for the eighteen months on the Mayan calendar.
The annual town fair takes place in Chichicastenango from December 14-21. One of the important events to take place during the fair is called the palo volador, when young men climb a tall pole then spiral back to the ground, holding on to a rope that is attached to the top of the pole.