Guatemala has hundreds of archeological places and sites, some are well known, and some others have not been even explored, however, we know about their existence. Many people are familiar with the archeological sites in the northern, such as Tikal, El Mirador, Yaxhá, and others, but what most people don´t know is that Guatemala has many sites almost everywhere, even in Guatemala City. Today, we want to take you to an important archeological site in the western, we are talking about Zaculeu. Zaculeu is in the department of Huehuetenango, around 3-4 hours away from the Central Park of Xela, however, the trip is worth it. We recommend it 100%, not only because of the archeology, but the Mayan culture, their history, and the other places we will visit on this tour. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Ruinas de Zaculeu

Zaculeu´s original name was Xinabajul which means “In Between Ravines” in the Mam Mayan language. This kingdom was conquered by the Spanish in 1525 with help of Quiches and Tlaxcalan warriors. The Quiches were a Mayan ethnic group that was enemies of Xinabajul´s kingdom. The Tlaxcalans helped with the conquest of some Guatemalan Mayan kingdoms as a union of power between them and the Spanish conquerors. However, the conquest of this kingdom was not easy, it took them 30+ days of the war to finally defeat them. A big portion of their defeat was caused by the famine of the Xinabajul´s warriors as they didn´t have any way to get food while in the war. After the conquest, the Quiches named this place Zaculeu which means “White Land” and that is the name that is maintained until nowadays. This is just a portion of all the history behind this archeological site like no other. Come with us and have an expert tourist guide by your side, explaining every detail, so you don´t miss a thing.