Trip Planner: Central America / Guatemala / Western Highlands / Solola Department / Lake Atitlan / Panajachel / Iximche

Iximche, Panajachel

4.5

#1 of 11 in Historic Sites in Western Highlands

Step back to the 15th century and learn about Mayan culture at Iximche. Dating back to about 1470, the local area was once the capital of the Late Postclassic Kaqchikel Maya kingdom, until it was abandoned in 1524. Find the remains of pyramid-temples, palaces, and two Mesoamerican ball courts, all of which sit in ruins on a flat grassy area. Nature has taken over some parts of the ruins, with grass growing at the top of the pyramid remains. Hire a local guide to learn about the history of Mayan culture and, more specifically, the archaeological site. To find out how to plan a trip to Panajachel, use our trip itinerary maker.

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Iximche Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

272 reviews

Google

4.6

By Haley R On May 19, 2018

By the time I visited Iximche, I had already seen Tikal and Yaxha in the Peten region of Guatemala. Those sites were incredibly ancient compared to Iximche, which was explained to us as one of the las... more »
By bruce r On May 17, 2018

Nice ruin and interesting town. Visited with a tour off the Cruise ship and in the mountain a lot cooler that the coast. Our guide was excellant and knew a lot about the Mayan Culture. more »
By smokemon On May 14, 2018

Spent several hours here with a couple of friends. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the trip. No crowds, nice ruins and not far from Antigua or Lago Atitlan. We hired a private driver for 300Q r/t i... more »

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By Shannon Lord On January 18, 2018

The history is so interesting it is not full of large temples like Tical... But the grounds are beautiful. Spend the money on a guided tour. Alex's (tour guide found at the entrance to the park) English was fantastic and he has great knowledge and insight that you won't get without a guide.

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By Graciane Baumstark On February 4, 2018

Great experience on this small Mayan ruins. But very rich in details thanks to our guide Luis. (He speaks perfect English)

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By Mrs.Jimenez , Lesly On January 24, 2018

Had a great time with the family. It's really nice.... My hubby liked it had fun...

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By J Brew On November 26, 2017

This is an extremely interesting Mayan archaeological site that dates from about 1460. There are three pyramids along with a ceremonial site and some ball courts. Well worth visiting. One recommendation is to visit with a guide that speaks your native language if you don't understand Spanish.

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By Jeff Todd On August 17, 2017

We had a great time at Iximche. It was definitely worth hiring a guide, though he only spoke Spanish. His name was Dionidas and he was knowledgeable and well trained in explaining features of the ruins. Getting there early was nice as there were few people when arrived shortly before 9.

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