A world away from La Antigua

San Juan Comalapa is a peaceful mountain town about 35 kilometers north of La Antigua. This rural municipio has more than 50,000 inhabitants, of whom about 90% are indigenous Kaqchikel Maya.

Photo by Herbert Burrion

An Artists Town

The town, located in the department of Chimaltenango, is home to the largest hand-painted mural in Guatemala. Spanning more than 180 meters in length and 2 meters in height, it has 62 distinct scenes depicting events from the foundation of the town by Mayan gods to the armed conflict that wiped an entire village off the map. This mural’s beauty lies in the story told from a uniquely Guatemalan perspective and rendered by artists born into a vibrant tradition of painting. Internationally acclaimed artists Andrés Curruchiche and Óscar Perén hail from Comalapa, and the influences of their unique styles of art predominate in the expansive mural.

Photo by Fernando Pérez

With a Musical History

San Juan Comalapa has more to offer to those who are looking for even more culture: the town is well-versed in music. The score of the Guatemalan National Anthem has its origins in humble Chixot – the Kaqchikel name for Comalapa, which itself means “between comales” (the flat, metal pans used for cooking tortillas over open flame).

Photo by Ilustración Guatemalteca

Rafael Álvarez Ovalle, the anthem’s composer, was born and raised in San Juan Comalapa where he began his ascent to fame as an acclaimed classical musician and composer.

In Comalapa, a museum has been erected in Ovalle’s childhood home where an extensive collection of carefully restored personal effects and original scores can be found.

Proudly proclaimed as La Florencia de las Américas (The Florence of the Americas) by locals, San Juan Comalapa lives up to this reputation as a locale with a grand cultural tradition and is an embodiment of what it means to be Guatemalan. A trip to the Land of Eternal Springtime isn’t complete without a visit to the heart of the Mayan world – conveniently located between comales.

Written by: Cyrus Sethna