A K'iche' town in the heights above the lake, with a protected municipal forest on Chui Rax Amolo' hill and access to the Rostro Maya lookout.
A K'iche' town high above the lake
Santa Clara is a K'iche' town in the highlands above the lake basin, with a mild climate, and one of the smallest municipalities in Sololá. It owns a protected municipal forest, the Parque Regional Cerro Chui Rax Amolo', and is the starting point for Rostro Maya (the Mayan Face), one of the best-known lookouts on Atitlán.
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The first to arrive found the lake, the volcanoes and the forest; others came after, and each arrival left its mark.
Sources: departamentos.deguate.com · es.wikipedia.org · conap.gob.gt
A protected municipal forest of 173.94 hectares with lake views, wildlife watching and camping.
Closes at 17:00 (Prensa Libre, 2014)Getting there →A zip-line (canopy) course of about 400 meters in the ecological park, at km 148 of the Inter-American Highway.
Getting there →A hill with sunrise views over the lake; the shortest trail starts from Santa Clara.
Landowners charge a right-of-way fee; sunrise departures around 3:00-4:00 (travel guide)Getting there →
Sources: conap.gob.gt · prensalibre.com · thoroughlytravel.com · es.wikipedia.org
Santa Clara de Asís: August 12 (main fiesta). The main fiesta, on August 12, honors Saint Clare of Assisi. Catholicism, evangelical churches and Maya spirituality coexist, the latter practiced by 5% of the population according to a 2003 estimate. Recordings of K'iche' narratives from the town are held in the AILLA Indigenous languages archive.
Sources: es.hispanopedia.com · livinginguatemala.com · livinginguatemala.com · departamentos.deguate.com · islandora-ailla.lib.utexas.edu
The women's dress documented by the Museo Ixchel has a black huipil (traditional woven blouse) woven on a backstrap loom and a dark blue corte (wrap skirt) from a foot loom, joined by a pink randa (decorative joining stitch) that contrasts with the dark backgrounds; the design is sober, almost unadorned. Today it is worn mainly at cultural and educational events. No description of the men's dress was found.
Sources: prensalibre.com
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Ruta de unos 2.7 km hacia el mirador del Rostro Maya, con subida de 40 a 45 minutos; requiere guía local.
Hotel pequeño en el casco de Santa Clara La Laguna, con habitaciones familiares; buena base para subir al Rostro Maya.
Asociación de pequeños caficultores con beneficio húmedo en Paquip; produce café orgánico de altura para exportación.
Iglesia colonial blanca frente a la plaza del pueblo, junto al mercado; centro de la feria de Santa Clara de Asís (12 de agosto).
Mercado del casco urbano junto a la iglesia; en día de plaza los puestos ocupan también las calles cercanas.
Pequeño mirador comunitario del pueblo, usado sobre todo por vecinos, con vista hacia la cuenca del lago.
