Nebaj

Nebaj sits in a bowl in the mountains of northern Quiche and is the largest of the three Ixil towns, in a region that keeps its own language and a weaving tradition that is immediately recognisable: women's huipiles in red with dense geometric and bird figures, worn with a distinctive wrapped headdress with pompoms. The market fills the centre on market days. Around the town, walking routes run to villages like Acul in its valley of cheese-making farms, to waterfalls and to hill viewpoints, and guides from the town take visitors on them. The region has a difficult recent history and this is well understood locally; visitors should be careful how they raise it.

What you actually see

• Ixil huipiles and headdresses - the weaving of the region worn daily.
• The town market - the trade for the whole Ixil area.
• Walks to Acul and the valleys - the routes into the surrounding hills.
• Mountain setting - the bowl the town sits in.

When to go

The drier half of the year, November to April. Two to three days. Market days are the busiest and best for the town itself. Roads in are winding and slow.

Honest expectations

The roads in are long, winding and often in poor repair. Accommodation and food are basic. Photography of people needs asking. The region's recent history is painful and locally sensitive; follow the lead of the people you are with.

Nearby

Chajul and Cotzal are the other Ixil towns; Santa Cruz del Quiche lies south.