![]() ![]() A good place to look out for them is at one of their favoured feeding trees, the broad-leaved aguacatillo, which produces a small avocado-like fruit. They can be easily identified by their jerky, undulating flight. In general, the birds tend to spend the nights up in the high forest and float across the road as dawn breaks, to spend the days in the trees below. The best time of year to visit is just before and just after the nesting season (between March & June), and the best time of day is sunrise. Quetzals are occasionally seen here but they’re extremely elusive. Two paths through the undergrowth from the road complete a circuit that takes you up into the woods above the reserve headquarters (where maps are available for US$0.75). The reserve covers a steep area of dense cloudforest, through which the Río Colorado cascades towards the valley floor, forming waterfalls and natural swimming pools. On the highway north to Cobán, just before the village of Purulhá, the Biotopo del Quetzal was established to protect the habitat of the endangered quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird (see The Resplendent Quetzal). The other big attractions are the quetzal sanctuary, on the western side of the Cobán highway, and the forested mountains, waterfalls and wildlife inside the Reserva Sierra de las Minas just to the east. The small towns of Salamá and San Jerónimo, situated on a flat-bottomed valley, have some intriguing historic sights, while to the west Rabinal and Cubulco boast interesting markets and host deeply traditional fiestas. ![]() ![]() Baja VerapazĪ dramatic mix of dry hills and fertile valleys, BAJA VERAPAZ is crossed by a skeletal road network. After five years the famous and invincible Achi were transformed into Spanish subjects, and the king of Spain renamed the province Verapaz, “True Peace”.ĭuring the colonial era the Verapaces remained isolated, their trade bypassing the capital by taking a direct route to the Caribbean along the Río Polochic and out through Lago de Izabal. By 1538 they had made considerable progress and converted large numbers of Maya. In 1537 Las Casas set out into the highlands, befriended the Achi chiefs and learnt the local dialects. Under the leadership of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, the Church made a deal with the conquistadors: if Alvarado would agree to keep all armed men out of the area for five years, the priests would bring it under control. The Catholic church, however, couldn’t allow so many heathen souls to go to waste. Alvarado’s Spanish army was unable to make any headway against them, and eventually he gave up trying to control the area, naming it tierra de guerra, the “land of war”. Long before the Conquest, local Achi Maya had earned themselves a reputation as the most bloodthirsty of all the tribes, said to sacrifice every prisoner they took. In the extreme northwest of the region, the astonishingly beautiful lake Laguna Lachúa, fringed by rainforest, is well worth the detour it takes to get there. From Chisec it’s a short hop to the extraordinary Candelaria caves and the nearby ruins of Cancuén. North of Cobán, a couple of wonderful natural attractions lie near the town of Chisec: the emerald lakes of Lagunas de Sepalau and the sink hole of Bombil Pek. Northeast of here, the exquisite natural bathing pools of Semuc Champey near Lanquín are surrounded by lush tropical forest and are a key travellers’ hangout. However, the hub of the region is Cobán in Alta Verapaz, a fairly attractive mid-sized mountain town with good accommodation and some very civilized coffeehouses and restaurants. Guatemala’s national bird, the quetzal can occasionally be seen in the cloudforests of this department: the quetzal sanctuary is one possible and accessible place to seek them out. In Baja Verapaz, the towns of Salamá, Rabinal and Cubulco are rightly renowned for their traditional fiestas, while San Jerónimo has some interesting historic sights. ![]()
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