Sacapulas

Sacapulas, sitting at base of the Cuchumatanes on the banks of the Río Negro, is a fairly non-descript little town albeit with a superb positioning and spectacular views. There is not much to attract the traveler here and most will just pass through, this being the gateway to the Ixil Triangle as well as a junction from the Central to the Western Highlands and the route east to Uspantán. However, if you reach Sacapulas late in the day, this is as good a place as any to break your journey. There are a couple of hotels and places to eat but not much to do apart from sit and relax.

Services
There is a Banrural on the north side of the square. The gas station on the road east to Nebaj / Uspatán has a store stocked full of snacks and a decent bathroom. There is a Red Cross (Cruz Roja) station on the left before the bridge

Things to See and Do
There isn’t much to do in Sacapulas, so do as the locals and while away the afternoon sitting under one of the two huge cieba trees in the pretty town square. Here you should be able to spot the women of Sacapulas wearing their traditional pompom headdresses. The market is held of Thursday and Sunday.

The Tourist Center Nelly (left over the bridge on the road to Aguacatán) has a swimming pool, and nearby there are some basketball and five-a-side soccer pitches, which usually generate a lot of local activity.

Accommodation
The Comedor y Hospedaje Tujaal is a bright and clean hotel on the south bank of the Río Negro, right before bridge. Rooms have views of the river and cost around $10 (Tel: 502-5550-9051). Hospedaje Río Negro is next to Red Cross. It is more basic and with shared bathrooms, but about half the price of Tujaal (Tel: 502-5410-8168).

Restaurants
The Tujaal has a pleasant restaurant with big windows looking towards the Cuchumatanes. There is a string of comedores as you go right over the bridge, which is something of an informal truck stop. It is well-lit and there are always plenty of people around, even after dark.

Getting To and Away from Sacapulas
To get to Sacapulas take a bus or mini-bus from Santa Cruz del Quiché heading north (1 hour 30 minutes). Moving on there are several buses a day to Nebaj (1 hour 15 minutes) and Uspantán (1 hour 45 minutes) from where you could continue on to Cobán. From here you can also get mini-buses to Agucatán (1 hour 30 minutes) and then onto Huehuetenango.

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Other places nearby Sacapulas: San Juan La Laguna, Tzununá, San Juan Acul, Santa Cruz La Laguna, Uspantán, Sololá, Jaibalito, Chajul, Panajachel and Ixil.