On the market square of Chichicastenango, Saint Thomas Church (Santo Tomás) stands out with its whitewashed façade and a staircase where smoke from copal incense rises. A Catholic place of worship founded in the 16th century, it has become one of Guatemala's most emblematic sites of Maya-Catholic religious syncretism. K'iche' Maya priests (the chuchkajaues) perpetuate their rituals here by burning incense and candles on the steps and inside, alongside Catholic worshippers.

Why visit Saint Thomas Church

Few monuments illustrate as clearly the encounter between pre-Columbian traditions and colonial Catholicism. The church is not merely a building to visit: it is a living place of worship where, several times daily, K'iche' families burn offerings and candles according to a ritual calendar inherited from pre-Hispanic times.

The interest is threefold: architectural (colonial vaults, gilded Baroque altarpiece), spiritual (observable Maya-Catholic rites), and urban, as the building overlooks Chichicastenango's market, one of the most vibrant in Guatemala's highlands.

History of Santo Tomás

The church was founded around the mid-16th century by Dominican missionaries sent to evangelize the K'iche' region, shortly after the Spanish conquest of Guatemala (1524). The building dedicated to the Apostle Thomas, after several phases of construction, was inaugurated in 1607.

The tower was struck by lightning in 1717, prompting a series of repairs. The building has endured through the centuries without losing its function as a place of worship, and remains the seat of confraternities (cofradías) that structure local religious life. In 1931, the church was designated a national historical and artistic monument.

Notably, Santo Tomás long housed a manuscript of the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the K'iche', recopied in the early 18th century by Dominican friar Francisco Ximénez from a K'iche' version entrusted by local inhabitants.

What to see on site

The staircase of eighteen steps

Access to the plaza is via a staircase of eighteen steps, each associated with one of the eighteen twenty-day months of the Maya solar calendar (the haab'). It is on these steps, particularly the highest ones, that the chuchkajaues perform, burning copal and creating dense smoke visible from afar.

The interior

The layout unfolds in three aisles of equal height (hall-church style), separated by circular and cruciform pillars, with star-patterned ribbed vaults. The main altarpiece, in gilded wood of Baroque craftsmanship, comprises three sections: Saint Thomas, Saint Joseph, and the Assumption, topped at the summit by a statue of Saint Michael.

Behind the altarpiece, the Chapel of Solitude preserves frescoes of the Passion and Resurrection, a sculpture of La Dolorosa, a Christ lying in a glass coffin, as well as statues of Saint Felix and Saint Matthew. The nave also houses a 17th-century Baroque organ (1,700 pipes) crowned with a painting of Saint Cecilia, and a sacristy topped with a lantern dome, where one can see a canvas of La Piedad and a statue of San Roque.

The stone of Pascual Abaj

Near the church, the Cofradía de Pascual Abaj preserves a carved stone bearing inscriptions related to the K'iche' god Tohil. The open-air site on a nearby hill still hosts Maya ceremonies today and provides a natural complement to the visit.

Practical information

• Admission: free entry to the church; donations welcome.
• Duration of visit: allow 30 to 45 minutes for the interior, longer if you linger to observe the rituals on the steps.
• Photography: photographing K'iche' officials and ongoing rites is frowned upon and often prohibited. Always ask permission, and refrain from taking photos indoors.
• Dress code: appropriate attire is expected (shoulders and knees covered).
• Main entrance: by tradition, the central door is reserved for cofradías and Maya priests. Visitors typically enter through the side door.

When to visit

Chichicastenango's market takes place on Thursdays and Sundays: these are the days when activity around the church is most dense, with marked ritual activity on Sunday mornings. The feast of Santo Tomás, celebrated around December 21st, features several days of processions, traditional dances, and rituals—the year's most spectacular time, though also the most crowded.

For a quieter visit, choose a weekday outside of Thursday.

Nearby attractions

• The Chichicastenango market, which sprawls across the square and adjoining streets on market days.
• The open-air sanctuary of Pascual Abaj, on a hill about 20 minutes' walk away.
• Iglesia del Calvario, more modest, facing Santo Tomás across the square.
• Chichicastenango's colorful cemetery, a few minutes from the center.

How to get there

Chichicastenango is located in the Quiché department, approximately 2.5 hours by road from Panajachel (Lake Atitlán), 3 hours from Antigua, and 3 hours from Guatemala City. Most travelers arrive by shared tourist shuttle from Panajachel or Antigua, particularly on market days. Local buses also serve the town from Los Encuentros, the region's main road junction.

Once there, the church sits at the heart of town, within walking distance from any arrival point.

Frequently asked questions

Planning the rest of your journey

Chichicastenango fits naturally into a tour of Guatemala's highlands, between Lake Atitlán, Antigua, and K'iche' country. To build a tailor-made itinerary, explore our Guatemala travel ideas.