About 45 minutes walking time from Huehuetenango Center Square is Zacaleu, a small Mayan archeological site and family park. Our guidebook had said the admission was free, so we were surprised to find an elderly park ranger chasing us down to pay the 25 quetzal entrance fee (locals pay 2 quetzales). There is no entrance gate, so he came bolting out of the museum to catch us.
Having entered the tiny museum to pay and get our tickets, we started our visit by exploring farther past the cash register. The museum contained some interpretive signs, tools, and ceramics, as well as some skulls, one of which was interesting because it had such a wide forehead.
Zacaleu was a religious and defensive site for the Mam Maya. It is strategically perched on a high spot with creeks and deep ravines on three sides. Today the buildings are restored, but not necessarily with authentic restoration methods. There was an attempt to redo the traditional plaster-like coating on the buildings, absent at other archeological sites, but the decoration that normally would have been painted into the wet plaster was not recreated. The overall effect is a plain, cement-like set of buildings.
The aspect of Zacaleu that I enjoyed most was seeing the local families having picnic lunches and dads playing soccer with the kids. It was nice to relax in a spot of shade and enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains and the quiet air. Overall, there was a nice atmosphere, that is unless you dwell on the fact the Spaniards overtook the site in 1525 by surrounding it and starving the Mayan people to death. Other than that, it’s a nice place… ahem…
To reach Zacaleu by foot, follow 2a calle west from the main plaza. There will be a jog to the left, where you will turn right. At a split in the road, stay right, then take another right in the next couple blocks to the next street over, where you will go left. Here you should see a sign for Zacaleu, or ask any passerby. The ones we talked to were very friendly. Follow this road all the way out to the park. It will be obvious when you get to the park – your first sight will likely be of food and beverage vendor tables arranged in a line near the entrance gate. I think there is also a bus or jitney truck to Zacaleu, but it leaves at the jog in 2a calle, rather than at the plaza like the other buses.