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Zunil
 Ten kilometres south of Quetzaltenango is the traditional village of ZUNIL , a vegetable-growing market town surrounded by steep hills and a sleeping volcano. The plaza is dominated by a beautiful white colonial church with a richly decorated façade; inside an intricate silver altar is protected behind bars. The women of Zunil wear vivid purple huipiles and carry bright shawls - the plaza is awash with colour during the Monday market. Just below the plaza is a textile co-operative , where hundreds of women market their beautiful weavings. Zunil is also one of the few remaining places where Maximón (or San Simón), the evil saint, is still worshipped. In the face of disapproval from the Catholic Church, the Maya are reluctant to display their Judas, who also goes by the name Alvarado, but his image is usually paraded through the streets during Holy Week, dressed in Western clothes and smoking a cigar. Virtually any child in town will take you to his abode for a quetzal.
In the hills above Zunil are the Fuentes Georginas , a spectacular set of luxuriant hot springs. A turning to the left off the main road, just beyond the entrance to the village, leads up into the hills to the baths, 8km away. You can walk it in a couple of hours, or rent a pick-up truck from the plaza in Zunil. Prices are officially set at US$5 for the trip, no matter how many passengers hitch a ride - it's an exhilarating journey up a smooth paved road which switchbacks through magnificent volcanic scenery. If you're not staying the night you'll have to arrange the return trip (another US$5) a few hours later with the driver. The baths (US$1.30) are surrounded by fresh green ferns, thick moss and lush forest, and to top it all there's a restaurant and a well-stocked bar (with decent wine) beside the main pool. It's easy to spend an afternoon or more here soaking up the scene, though you can also rent one of the very pleasant rustic stone bungalows for the night (no phone; US$10-15) complete with bathtub, two double beds, fireplace and barbecue.
Buses to Zunil run from Quetzaltenango's Minerva Bus Terminal every half-hour or so, though you can also catch a ride from a bus stop closer to the centre of town, beside the Shell gas station at 10 C and 9 Av in Zona 1. The last bus back from Zunil leaves at around 6.30pm.
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