Nentón

Turning north off the Carretera Interamericana before La Mesilla a rough road travels up the lime-stone plateau to Nentón and the northern border -crossing with Mexico at Gracias a Dios.

At La Trinidad, 35 kilometers (21.7m) farther north of Nentón and 9 kilometers (6.9m) east of Gracias a Dios, a dirt track goes down to Yalambajoch and carries east onto San Mateo Ixtatán. Some pick-ups and 4WD vehicles pass this way so you should be able to thumb a ride. There are also two early-morning daily buses from Yalambajoch to Huehue.

In this area you will find a couple of natural attractions worth visiting if you have made it this far. La Cimarrón is a sink hole with a huge forest and lake at the bottom which has just recently been explored for the first time. You can get transport from La Trinidad to La Cimarrón. Furthermore, La Laguna Yolnabaj is a magnificent lake, which you can get to from Yalambajoch, and to visit Río Azul. You may ask at agencies in Quetzaltenango for organized trips to this remote area.

It is not advisable to cross the border at Gracias a Dios. Mostly Mexican and Guatemalan migrant workers use this gateway and it is not an area frequented by many western travellers. If you do wish to use this crossing get your exit stamp first in Huehuetenango. On the other side, you can get your entry stamp in the town of Carmixán and find some onward transport.