Trips to Guatemala

VERAPACES: DISCHARGE AND LOW VERAPAZ

Verapaz discharge offers numerous attractive tourist, activities of eco-tourism and adventure. Of cold climate and dense fog, between their main attractiveness are the lagoons and their beautiful landscapes, as well as great caverns or grottos. One of most important is the Cave of the Candlemas, of 30 kilometers in length, turns which it into one of two greater of America and one of six greater of the world.

Between the lagoons, is essential Semuc Champey, a beautiful series of natural lagoons and swimming pools. The Cahabón river submerges in the entrance of Semuc Champey and reappears to about 400 meters, after to pass the limestone stone bridge suspended by beautiful crystalline lagoons. In this exceptional natural formation the water has shades that go of the green emerald until the blue sapphire.

The near Caves of Lanquín are the home of a great population of fruit bats. To the dusk, thousands of them leave the cave, growing dark the sky, to feed itself. This cave was a sacred place for the Mayans where they made offerings and sacrifices religious.

Also it is recommended to visit the Lagoon of Lachuá. The Lagoon of Lachuá seems a small Caribbean coast located in a rainy tropical forest. The lagoon is surrounded by dense vegetation that includes mahogany and cedar. As far as the fauna it is easy to observe jaguars, giant sábalos that frequently the water and colorful birds like toucans and parrots jump outside.

As far as the gastronomy Kac IC is typical, a broth that is prepared with turkey ripened with samat, own grass of the region.

In crafts guinea fowl emphasize jícaras (utensils that can have diverse daily uses), woven showy and platería, as well as the chachales, necklaces that adorns the ceremonial suits.

Low Verapaz was formerly well-known like Tecurután or Tezulutlán that meant “earth military”, due to the resistance that the native ones offered to the Spanish presence. Nevertheless, its name changed to Verapaz by the pacific conquest obtained by Fray Bartholomew of the Houses in century XVI.

Low Verapaz has, besides a contrasting vegetation, a great cultural wealth. Here three ethnic communities coexist: achi', pocomchi' and judeo-spanish. This region at first included as much High as Low Verapaz. Later it was divided in 1877. It is, along with Discharge Verapaz, one of the Departments with greater number of traditional dances: more than twenty.

One of the places more known this department, in San Antonio Purulhá, is the natural reserve Biotope Mario Dary Creek or Biotope of the Quetzal, dedicated to the conservation of the habitat of this timid bird, national symbol of Guatemala. Crossing the natural footpaths of the cloudy forest orchids, ferns, bromelias, owls, colibríes and toucans will be able to be observed. The area in himself an authentic paradise.

In addition, a great amount of archaeological sites exists in which to appreciate the inheritance of the Mayan culture: Purulhá. Salamá, Cubulco, San Jerónimo and Rabinal, between those of greater importance. It is necessary to also emphasize that in Rabinal the first Dominican church of the Verapaz of the south was built.

Another treasure of the Verapaz Loss is their rivers. It is possible to descry from the highway interesting cracked of great altitude like which it forms the Matanzas River (225 ms of height). The grottos of Chixoy and the dam of Chixoy river are also an important letter of presentation of Verapaz Loss.

Salamá, the departmental head, is well-known like the “sultana of the roses”, and the Second Old one is considered, by the solemnity of its processions of Easter.  Main attractive the architectonic one of the department is the church of Salamá, that conserves fourteen altars, valuable altarpieces and imagery of the pre-Hispanic period. Salamá also counts on the Temple of Platen press, of neoclassic style.