Chichicastenango, popularly called “Chichi” by locals, is an indigenous town in the Guatemalan Highlands where a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, traditions and tastes, takes place. Its market days predate the Spanish arrival and still draws people from far and wide to trade fresh products, handcrafted goods, vibrant textiles and local recipes. This experience includes walking through lively streets, visiting the cemetery, a traditional mask workshop, and the historic Santo Tomás Church, guided by experts and passionate local friends.

Chichi is the perfect culture-watching thing to do as a day trip, tasting seasonal fruits like the original Guatemala banana, and trying pan de muerto “bread of the dead” (a bread honoring the four elements of life for those who are no longer in this physical cosmos), textiles and everyday scenes of Mayan life.

Our visit includes one on one time with a local costume factory called Morería, where generation after generation the family has dedicated their passion and art to the creation of traditional costumes worn at festive dances, step inside of Santo Tomás Church to appreciate how Maya and Catholic ideology has blended together.