Chichicastenango

Santo Tomas Chichicastenango, known for its Indian market held every Thursday and Sunday, is only 87 miles from Guatemala City. It is the commercial center of the Department of Quiche.

Indigenous people from throughout the region stream into town on market days to buy, sell, socialize and worship. Add the tourists attracted to the market from all over the world, and you have the colorful outdoor spectacle which has made Chichicastenango one of the world's popular tourist destinations.

While buyers and sellers bargain for items such as produce, flowers and handicrafts, Mayan-Christian rites are practiced by devout Indians on the steps of the Santo Tomas and Senor Sepultado del Calvario churches which face on either end of the market plaza.