Iximche: The Capital of The Kaqchikel Maya

Last Updated on: 5th July 2024, 10:45 pm

By the time of the Spanish conquest, most of the great Mayan cities had already collapsed. But traditional Mayan culture was still alive and well in the 16th century, as evidenced by sites like Iximche.

If you’ve just visited Tikal, Iximche, which is located in the Guatemalan highlands near the city of Tecpán, can in no way compare. But not only is Iximche significant for being one of the last major Mayan cities, it remains an important ceremonial center for indigenous people to this day.

Iximche was the capital of the Kaqchikel Maya, who were former allies of the K’iche Maya. Originally, the two groups inhabited the K’iche capital of Gumarkaaj (located near the present-day city of Quiché). But following a dispute, the Kaqchikel established a capital of their own in 1470.

The city was built atop a ravine surrounded by ridges, allowing for easy defense. And interestingly, rather than a single king, Iximche was ruled by leaders of the four main Kaqchikel clans. 

When the Spanish arrived in the Americas just decades after Iximche’s establishment, the rivalry between the Kaqchikel and K’iche was so heated that the Kaqchikel even allied themselves with the Spanish. And before the founding of Antigua, Iximche was even declared the very first capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala in 1524!

After just a few years, however, the Kaqchikel would revolt against Spanish rule. And in response, the Spanish destroyed Iximche around 1526. Though never forgotten, the site would largely remain abandoned until excavations began in the 1950s.

Iximche is not the easiest place to reach. You can either get there by private tour, or via private transport from either Antigua or Panajachel. Check the end of the article for more details.

Iximche Ruins

Exploring Iximche

Iximche Ruins

At the time of writing, Iximche is open daily from 8:00-16:00 and costs 50Q for foreigners to enter.

The site consists of a few main plazas and several additional smaller ones. And shortly past the ticket gate, you’ll pass one of these minor, unnamed groups on your right.

Consisting of a few pyramids and multiple long structures, there’s clearly a lot more waiting to be excavated.

Plaza A

The first of Iximche’s major plazas is Plaza A, which is home to two main pyramids. The city’s pyramids consisted of rubble cores with cut stones placed around them. Like almost all pyramids of the Mayan world, they originally would’ve been covered in stucco.

Iximche Ruins
Plaza A

Iximche’s pyramids were also once topped by temples. But as they were built of adobe bricks and wood, little of them remains.

Notably, a cache of skulls was discovered in one of Plaza A’s pyramids (Structure 2), while an elite burial was found just behind it.

Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins

In addition to Plaza A’s pyramid, the center of the plaza contains the foundations of additional stone structures. Long, elevated platforms, meanwhile, can be found along the northern end. 

These were likely bases for temples or administrative buildings, though none of them have stood the test of time.

Iximche Ruins

Plaza A is also home to one of Iximche’s two ball courts, and this is the much better preserved of the two. Uniquely, it can only be accessed via stairways built into platforms at either end of the court.

It’s interesting to observe how the Mesoamerican ball game was an important part of Mayan society right up until the start of the colonial era.

Plaza B

Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins

Next to Plaza A is Plaza B. To get there, I decided to walk along the northern edge of the city. And from here, I could see how it was all pretty much built atop a massive artificial platform.

While its pyramids may not be the most impressive, it’s clear that a lot more labor went into the city’s construction than first meets the eye.

Plaza B was home to a dense palatial complex built atop a three-meter platform, and which contained over a couple dozen structures. Interestingly, both Plaza A and Plaza B likely belonged to the Sotz’il clan.

Plaza B’s most noteworthy structure is simply known as Structure 1, and it sits within a large sunken plaza over to the south. 

Structure 1 is a small pyramid that looks a bit different from the others at the site, as it’s one of the few to have been fully cleared and restored. 

In the center of the spacious plaza, meanwhile, is a small circular altar. While we don’t know for sure, circular platforms in Mesoamerica were often associated with the worship of Ehecatl, a form of the god Quetzalcoatl.

Iximche Ruins

Plaza C

Moving on, you’ll encounter Plaza C, the largest at Iximche. It likely once belonged to the Xajil clan. As mentioned above, the Kaqchikel Maya four main clans, though it appears that Iximche was mainly dominated by just two.

In fact, in addition to the Kaqchikel’s rivalry with the K’iche, the Kaqchikel also experienced infighting amongst the clans in the late 15th century. Ultimately, the rebellion by the less-powerful clans would be quashed.

Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins

Plaza C contains three pyramids, though they’ve only been partially excavated, with multiple trees growing out of the mounds at the top.

This plaza is also home to one of Iximiche’s two ball courts. But it’s not in the best condition, and only those with prior experience visiting pre-Hispanic ruins would immediately recognize what it is.

Iximche Ruins
Plaza C's ball court

Walking around, you’ll find more elevated platforms, in addition to the foundations of various residential buildings. All in all, Plaza C is quite similar to Plaza A.

It was a Saturday at the time of my visit, and numerous families were using some of the unexcavated mounds to relax and have picnics. 

Iximche Ruins

The Ceremonial Area

At the far end of Iximche is an area that’s officially known as Plaza F. But many today simply call it the Ceremonial Area (or Xukulb’al in the local dialect), as it remains in active use among the local indigenous community.

Apparently, the structure used for the ongoing ceremonies is indeed original. But what, exactly, are locals coming here to do?

Iximche Ruins

In front of the pyramid are several circular altars, and someone will occasionally come and put down plates of various offerings that will be burned in a ritual fire.

These offerings usually contain four large candles – one black, one white, one red, and one yellow. They’re said to represent the four cardinal directions.

The offerings also contain numerous smaller candles of various colors, all of which have their own symbolic meaning. For example, different colors represent concepts like the earth, the sky, peace, love, and one’s ancestors.

Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins

And the plates also contain certain herbs that are meant to either attract or repel particular spirits. Alcohol and tobacco are commonly used in local rituals as well.

Generally speaking, the ceremonies taking place here are intended to establish communication with spirit guides and one’s ancestors. But each participant’s requests of the spirits surely varies from person to person.

Having been to dozens of Mayan sites around Mexico, I was surprised to see indigenous ceremonies taking place like this out in the open. But this would be just one such occurrence of several that I’d witness throughout Guatemala.

A representation of the ceremonial offerings on display at the on-site museum

The Museum

Before leaving, be sure to check out the on-site museum, where you’ll find a scale model of the ancient city in addition to historical and cultural information. It’s a modern and well-made museum, but aside from a few pottery fragments, it contains little in the way of artifacts.

Iximche Ruins

If you’re visiting in the afternoon and find the museum closed, note that it’s probably because the staff are out to lunch. Wait around long enough and someone should eventually return to open it. 

Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins
Iximche Ruins

Additional Info

The simplest way to get to Iximche would be by tour. Unfortunately, no group tours go to Iximche from Antigua, so a private tour is the only option.

Asking around at various tour agencies in Antigua, I was quoted from as low as $80 USD, all the way up to $200 USD! Furthermore, you may have to pay extra if you’re just a solo traveler.

If you’d rather visit the ruins this way, you might as well book online, as tours like this one can be booked in advance for about $90.

If you’re coming from the Lake Atitlán area, you can also book this tour for about the same price.

If you speak basic Spanish and have a lot of patience, it’s possible to reach Iximche from Antigua very cheaply via a series of chicken buses.

First, you’ll want to walk to the chicken bus station located to the west of town. You’ll find it labeled as both ‘Chicken Bus Station’ and ‘Bus Terminal’ on Google Maps.

From here, you’ll want to take a bus to the city of Chimaltenango. Many locals simply call it ‘Chimal’ for short. There’s no official timetable, but buses seem to depart frequently.

The buses have the destinations written above their front windows. But if you don’t immediately see it, simply tell someone your destination and they’ll point you to the right bus.

This is pretty much your typical local ‘bus terminal’ in the developing world, but if you’re new to Latin America, it can feel quite chaotic and confusing.

The bus from Antigua to Chimaltenango should cost 10Q. First, find a seat on the bus, and at some point in the journey, someone will come around to collect your money.

While Google Maps says that the journey should just take 45 minutes, it took us 75 minutes due to all the stops the bus made.

At Chimaltenango, you’ll have to transfer to a bus bound for Tecpán. In my case, the Tecpán-bound bus was waiting right next to where my first bus stopped, so there was no wait time.

The bus will likely be bound for somewhere much more distant, such as Quetzaltenango (Xela), but be sure to tell the conductor that you want to get off at Tecpán.

This bus should also cost 10Q per person, and the journey from Chimaltenango to Tecpán should take about 45 minutes.

Getting off at Tecpán, the next step is a little bit tricky. First, you’ll have to cross the highway via an elevated walkway. The area where the bus drops you off is about a twenty-minute walk from the city center, from where you can then take a minivan directly from the ruins.

So you either have the option of walking or taking a tuk tuk from the highway. I opted for the tuk tuk, for which I paid 5Q.

I then walked to the central square of Tecpán, knowing that there should be an Iximche-bound minivan somewhere. I ended up finding one along 2 Avenida, a block northeast of the central park. 

These shared minivans should have ‘Ruinas’ in big letters above the front window. The ride should cost 5Q and last about ten minutes.

Fortunately, getting back to Antigua is pretty straightforward, as you just have to follow the steps above in reverse. You should be able to find minivans back to Tecpán not far from the entrance to Iximche.

All in all, you probably won’t spend more than an hour or two at Iximche, as the site just isn’t very big. Hopefully, this guide has helped you decide if the journey will be worth it for you, whether you plan on coming independently or with a private tour.

You should also be able to reach Iximche independently from Panajachel (the transport hub of Lake Atitlán). According to this link, you’ll first want to take a bus to Solola, another bus to Los Encuentros, and then another bus to Tecpán. And from Tecpán, you’ll need to take a minivan to the ruins as described above.

By staying within the historical center, all of the top things to do in Antigua will be walkable. While it might be tempting to save a bit of money by staying in Antigua’s outskirts, it’s well worth splurging a bit to stay somewhere central. But there are indeed some budget options in the center to choose from.

Popular budget-friendly hotels in the heart of the city include Hotel La Sin Ventura and Hotel De Cortez y Larraz.

Those looking for something a bit fancier should consider Hotel y Arte Antigua or Posada San Sebastian.

And for those without much concern for their budget, Hotel Las Farolas and Hotel Aurora are some of the highest-rated options.

Antigua is situated just next to Guatemala City, so many travelers fly into the capital before immediately heading there. The journey could take up to an hour depending on traffic.

While Guatemala City is indeed worth checking out for a day or two, those coming directly from the airport can take a taxi. But a more hassle-free option would be to book a pre-arrange a shared shuttle in advance.

But what about coming to Antigua from elsewhere in the country? Generally speaking, when traveling around Guatemala, you’ll want to take special tourist shuttles. Guatemala and most Central American countries lack the convenient and comfortable coach buses that you’ll find throughout Mexico. While coach buses do exist, their routes are extremely limited.

That leaves ‘chicken buses’ (the nickname for local buses that are converted American school buses) as the only public transport option in many cases. But if you’re looking for a relatively comfortable and direct ride to your destination, a shared tourist shuttle is the way to go.

While pricey, these can save you a lot of time and stress. Multiple companies exist throughout the country, but I can recommend Adrenalina Tours. I used them multiple times, including from Flores to Antigua (a 12.5-hour journey!) and from Antigua to Panajachel, among other trips. Communication was always smooth and I always reached my destination without issues.

But if you’re still determined to take a chicken bus to Antigua, you’ll arrive at ‘La Terminal’ to the west of the city center. Personally, I think chicken buses are fine to take for day trips. But if you’re traveling with a lot of luggage or valuable items, I’d think twice.

Some chicken buses might have plenty of storage space above the seats or a system in place to put your things on the roof. But in other cases, you may have to bring everything to your seat with you. And sometimes, the buses can get so full that three people will squeeze into a single seat! 

Furthermore, you’ll often have to transfer multiple times, even if your destination may appear quite close on a map.

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