The city of Huehuetenango, capital of the province of the same name, is a friendly, medium-sized town generally seen as a place to stay for a day or two when crossing from Guatemala to Mexico or vice-versa, or as a necessary stop on the way to Todos Santos Cuchumatan. This is a bit unfair, as Huehuetenango (“Huehue” to locals) does have its own charm, even if that charm is a bit hidden and difficult to find.

The department of Huehuetenango is home to several different indigenous groups, and many of them come to the “big city” of Huehue to shop and sell their wares. For this reason, the market is always interesting, as it is likely to be full of men and women in brightly colored clothing from all corners of the province. The area was home to the Mam culture before the arrival of the Spanish and the ruined city of Zaculeu is not far from modern day Huehue.

Perched high in the Cuchumatanes mountains, Huehue features a perfect climate: every day is about21°C (70°F) and sunny. The hotels in Huehuetenango tend to be basic and inexpensive: the lack of a regular tourist trade keeps rates down. There are several good restaurants in Huehuetenango: the food tends to be uninspiring but well-prepared, generous in quantity and dirt cheap.

Most travelers are going to or from La Mesilla, the border crossing into Mexico. If you decide to stay for a while, there is much to see and do. The ruins at Zaculeu have been somewhat paved over and covered in concrete, but they’re worth a visit nevertheless. The indigenous town of Aguacatan is colorful and picturesque, even if the inhabitants are a bit surly and tend to drink until they pass out on the street. Nearby Chiantla was once home to a silver mining industry and still retains a taste of its colonial glory. The big attraction is still Todos Santos Cuchumatan, high in the mountains over Huehue, which draws off-the-beaten-path travelers.

Depending on who you ask, Huehuetenango either means “place of the old ones” or “place of the ahuehuetle trees.” The area was the scene of many of the ugliest episodes of the civil war that ravaged Guatemala in the 1980s: ruthless dictator Efraín Ríos Montt was born in Huehuetenango. Nevertheless, things have calmed down some, and Huehue is once again safe to visit.