Kumarcaaj - Utatlan
An ancient cave and maya ruins wait for you at only minutes from Santa Cruz del Quiche where several small mayan temples remain semi buried. Only one is fully visible and complete, but darken by the smoke of the fire local people use for their sacred rituals.
The main plaza of Kumarcaaj or “Utatlan” is scenery of frequent religious maya rituals you can watch from a prudent distance for respect to their traditions (there is no problem on being there at all, feel free to approach, just remember it is a sacred event so, always ask for permission before taking any pictures).
History of Kumarcaaj
The Quiche city was founded by the year 1400 by Kucumatz on top of a hill as it is a costume of mayan edifications for security reasons, giving them advantages over possible attackers (read the Cackchiqueles, their enemies).
Soon, the city of K’umarcaaj gained power over and conquered several towns and cities around. By the Spanish conquest a fierce and historic battle against the colonizers took place.
Tecun Uman, considered a national hero died facing Pedro de Alvarado. The battle was lost and later they invited the Spanish colonizers to the city of Utatlan in an attempt to kill them. Alvarado found out quickly and took the city with the help of the cakchiqueles.
After loosing the battle, the quiche leaders were decapitated and burned at the main plaza as by the colonizers as a clear message to any possible future resistance. The message was effective.
What to expect at Kumarcaaj?
- Several mayan temples semi buried and with no restoration work. Only one temple remains fully visible and resembles the look of a mid size brick edification.
- An unfinished excavation shows some stairs of what it seems to be an interesting edification. The museum at Kumarcaaj shows several pre-Columbian objects and maps of the ancient city of Utatlan.
- The weather is fresh as there are trees everywhere, in fact it is a nice park to spend the afternoon learning about the ancient mayas at Quiche.
- Kumarcaaj is still considered a sacred place, so it is easy to find local groups celebrating religious rituals at the main plaza.
The cave at Utatlan
Following a trail behind the main plaza you’ll find a tunnel or cave. Just as the ancient maya beliefs, it is considered mystical. The sings of fire show traces of religious rituals at the entrance as on the inside. Is not a long cave, maybe it’s 60 mts long and you can freely walk in there.
Some locals will say it was connected to other cave systems miles away from Utatlan. There is no confirmation about this but the characteristics of the terrain make this idea almost impossible.
Take your headlamp if you want to explore the cave. There are no bats nor is a humid pace.
How to get there
Take a little cab at Santa Cruz del Quiche and ask the driver to take you to Utatlan Ruins. The place is really near the center of Santa Cruz so it won’t be an expensive drive. The city is still growing, reaching the surroundings, so you only need 10 minutes to get to Utatlan.Guatemala guides is written and managed by travelers and for travelers
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