Mayan Cosmology and Archaeology Tour

Iximché was the capital of the Kaqchikel Maya during the fifteenth century. When the Spanish arrived the Kaqchikel worked with them to defeat their rivals, the K’iche’, but the Spanish eventually turned on them and burned the town to the ground.

Like other Postclassic Mayan sites, Iximché has a strong Mexican influence, which was likely a result of Toltec groups who migrated here from present-day Veracruz. The site has four plazas, a few pyramids, and a couple of ball courts. Your knowledgeable guide will teach you about the Kaqchikel and the history of the structures.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore and photograph these structures. You’ll also have a chance to learn and play the ancient Mayan ball game.

While here, it’s possible that you’ll see a Mayan ceremony happening. Iximché is a sacred place for Mayans and is still used for many ceremonies.

After Iximché, you’ll visit an altar to Maximón, a Mayan folk saint who is still prayed to in the Guatemalan highlands. This cigar-smoking, booze-drinking saint is thought to represent Judas or Pedro de Alvarado. Many Mayans visit this altar, offering different things and holding rituals to ask for favors and blessings.