Iximche

Iximche was founded in the second half of the fifteenth century as the capital of the Kaqchikel, on a defensible ridge in the highlands with ravines on three sides, and it consists of a series of plazas with temple platforms, ball courts and palace foundations, laid out in the compact highland manner rather than the sprawling lowland one. The Spanish briefly made it their first capital in 1524. It remains a living religious site: Maya spiritual guides hold ceremonies at altars in the site and in the pine woods behind it, and visitors will often find offerings, candles and incense burning, which is the most striking thing about the place.

History

The Kaqchikel had long been loyal allies of the K'iche', but their growing power caused such friction that they left the K'iche' capital and founded Iximche, which was their capital from 1470 until it was abandoned in 1524; the history of the city comes largely from the Annals of the Kaqchikels, written in Kaqchikel in Latin letters soon after the conquest. Its name comes from the Mayan for the ramon tree, literally "maize tree", and because the Spanish founded their first capital here, the Nahuatl name used by their Mexican allies, Quauhtemallan, "forested land", became the name of the city and, in time, of the country (Wikipedia, Iximche).

Highlights

• Plazas and ball courts - the compact highland Kaqchikel layout.
• Ceremonial altars in use - offerings, candles and incense burning.
• The defensible ridge - ravines on three sides of the site.
• Pine woods behind the plazas - the ground used for ceremonies.

When to go

The dry season, November to April. Half a day, easily combined with Tecpan or Lake Atitlan. Ceremonies happen without a schedule and should not be interrupted or photographed without asking.

Practical notes

The structures are low and plainly restored; visitors expecting Tikal will be disappointed. It is a living religious site and behaviour matters. It sits at 2,200 metres and is cold and windy. Facilities are limited.

Nearby

Tecpan is south; Lake Atitlan lies west.

Key facts