San Juan Cotzal and Chajul

To visit the other two towns in the Ixil triangle, it's best to time your visit to coincide with market days , when there's more traffic around: Cotzal is on Wednesday and Saturday; Chajul on Tuesday and Friday; and Nebaj on Sunday. Buses run to an irregular schedule, but on Sunday transport returns to both Cotzal and Chajul from Nebaj after 10am. Pick-ups supplement the buses. Look out too for aid-agency and MINUGUA (United Nations) 4WDs. It's certainly possible to visit both towns in one day from Nebaj if you get an early start.

SAN JUAN COTZAL is closer to Nebaj, up to an hour and a half away, depending on the state of the road. The town is set in a gentle dip in the valley, sheltered some what beneath the Cuchumatanes and often wrapped in a damp blanket of mist. Cotzal attracts very few Western travellers, so you may find that many people assume you're an aid worker or attached to an evangelical church.

Intricate turquoise huipiles are worn by the Maya women in Cotzal, who also weave bags and rope from the fibres of the maguey plant. There's little to do in the town itself but there is some great hill-walking close by. If you want to stay , there's a small and very basic unmarked pensión called Don Polo (US$5-10) two blocks from the church, or you may find the farmacia in the corner of the plaza will rent you a room. For eating , the La Maguey restaurant, housed in someone's front room a block behind the church, serves up reasonable, if bland, food. Buses should return to Nebaj daily at 6am and 1am; at other times you'll have to hitch.