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Visit Jalapa

Jalapa

Sand and bread are two words that are linked to the name Jalapa, maybe because this place distinguishes itself because of its beauty and abundance, a product of natural conditions that make this a region of various contrasts including valleys and mountains.

In spite of the fact that for some natives the name Jalapa means “sandy places”, for others it is defined as “sand and bread”, but it does not matter which the meaning is exactly, it is related to the magnificent mountains and fertile valleys. Its topographic aspects are earmarked by the mountainous regions which constitute most of the department’s territory in which cold weather predominates, especially at the municipiums of San Carlos Alzatate and Mataquescuintla. The remainder of the region is conformed by valleys and plane lands which are characterized by a warm weather, as the case of the municipium of Monjas.

The department has many rivers, some wide as the Jalapa, Grande or Guastatoya, Ostua or Grande, Platanos and Monjas Rivers, and other smaller like the Tapalapa, Juan Cano, Uxtena and Urlanta Rivers.

Jalapa’s economy is based on agriculture, and because of the climate conditions it is a good place to grow agricultural products of three different weathers, like corn, black beans, rice, potatoes, yucca, chili, coffee, bananas, tobacco, sugar cane, wheat, among others. At the soil and subsoil there is an abundance of unexploited treasures.

Another important income source is the livestock, horse, and porcine industries, in addition to production of milk products, and production and trade of local typical handicrafts.

The department of Jalapa has two small lagoons, one of it located on the way to the Jumay volcano and the other one in the crater itself. It has also many water streams and some thermal fountains. In addition, four volcanoes are located in this department: Jumay, Alzatate, Tahual, and Monterrico volcanoes, all of a magnificent presence with a view that should be appreciated. Also, some mountains reach high altitudes, like the Santiago, Soledad Grande, Soledad el Colorado, Samurra and Miramundo Mountains, all with view sites from where large extensions of land can be watched.

One of the most visited tourist site is the Balneario Los Chorros, formed by a river name the same which is located at the municipium of San Pedro Pinula, and that also has a thermal water fountain. Another natural spa is the Agua Tibia, located on the road to Monjas, which represents the beauty of Jalapa and its natural resources.

Jalapa is a department with two well-defined types of life: indigenous and ladina. Indigenous are located at the municipiums of San Luis Jilotepeque, San Pedro Pinula, and San Carlos Alzatate; the first two Pocoman descendents, but in all of them a visitor can find traditional elements which reflex in their hand woven attires, customs, life habits, religious culture, social organization, and ritual folkloric dances. If there is a single feature that makes Guatemala unique, it is the living indigenous culture which envelopes daily life, especially in the highlands. Color, traditions, language, ritual and customs dominate in almost half of the country as Guatemala’s 23 ethnic groups proudly cling to their ancestral ways, differentiating their hometown by wearing their distinctive hand woven attire.

The remainder of the municipiums corresponds to the ladina population, where the cultural patterns are base on a Hispanic heritance, which is reflex in the daily life of the different communities.

Local natives preserve the popular literature, beliefs, and over natural stories. Among the artesian industry we can mention ceramics, glassed ceramic, wood and jarcia products, palm products, metal and stone handicraft, as well as leather products.

Local fairs: San Pedro Pinula, February 1-5; Monjas, February 6-9; San Manuel Chaparron, March 9-12; San Carlos Alzatate, March 11-16; San Luis Jilotepeque, December 13-16; Jalapa, May 2-5; Mataquescuintla, July 23-27; San Luis Jilotepeque, August 25.

Guatemala Departments:

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