Chichicastenango Market Days

Chichicastenango Market Days

Chichicastenango Market Days are held on Thursdays and Sundays where vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, pom and copal (traditional incense), cal (limestones for preparing tortillas), grindstones, pigs, and chickens, machetes, and other tools.

The popularity of the Chichi Market has grown over the years and today I would never recommend going to the Chichicastenango Market on either Thursday or Sunday, the main reasons are the crowds; many of the local vendors replaced with those selling items claiming to be from the region.

Mayan masks are offered from many vendors on Market Days, with prices Q150 – Q250. You can walk to the shop that makes Masks and pay Q100.

Crowded Market

When I speak about crowds on market days if you want to join several thousand tourists attempting to navigate through the narrow streets and crowded walkways, with vendors asking you to buy something at every step that is the experience you will have.

Traffic Chichicastenango roads are one way in and one way out. Shuttles lined up and Tourists attempting to escape, plan to wait a few hours.

Chichicastenango on non-market days offers travelers the opportunity to meet local Artisans, the main market between the Churches is open every day. Traffic in and out is limited, and shuttle wait times are a few minutes.

Each of the 18 stairs that lead up to the church stands for one month of the Maya calendar year. Another key element of Chichicastenango is the Cofradia of Pascual Abaj, which is an ancient carved stone venerated nearby and the Maya priests perform several rituals there. Writing on the stone records the doings of a king named Tohil (Fate).

The Cemetary is a must-visit while in Chichi, there you will find Mayan priests making offerings.

I was at Chichicastenango on Monday of this week with a guest, even the shuttle driver agreed never to go on Chichicastenango on Market Days.