Zunil
A K’iche’ Maya town in a valley, with a white colonial church, green vegetable fields and the shrine house of the folk deity San Simón.
Zunil sits in the Samalá River valley, surrounded by terraced fields growing vegetables. A white colonial-era church stands on the central plaza, and many women wear traditional purple dress. The shrine house of San Simón (Maximón), the folk deity who smokes cigars, rotates its location regularly. Believers offer him cigarettes and alcohol, and visitors can pay a small fee to see and photograph him. The Monday market is lively. From Xela, a minibus takes about 20 minutes, and it’s usually combined with a stop at the Fuentes Georginas hot springs.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Almolonga Market
- Fuentes Georginas
- Cerro Quemado (Almolonga Volcano)
- Los Vahos
- Cerro El Baúl
- Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
- Casa de la Cultura & Natural History Museum
- Parque Centroamérica