Discover San Mateo: Church, trails and nature
Accommodation in San Mateo
San Mateo can be viewed on two geographical scales: the Catholic church in the town center and other places in the municipality. The municipal community area at Cerro 7 Orejas is within the municipality of San Mateo. The waterfalls near Labor Santa Bárbara are in the outlying areas of the municipality. The range of topics therefore extends from the religious landmark in the town center to trails and landscapes at the municipal level. Before visiting specific places, check their accessibility in advance.
Church in the town center: the tradition of San Mateo ApĂłstol
The Catholic church in the center of San Mateo was built on the site of a large cypress tree. According to traditional accounts, a relief image of San Mateo ApĂłstol appeared on this tree; today, the church houses the image of the saint. For travelers interested in religious traditions, this connection offers a clear cultural focal point in the town center.
Cerro 7 Orejas and Cantabria
The municipal community area at Cerro 7 Orejas, within the municipality of San Mateo, includes a recreational hiking trail and an ecological park. The trail focuses on recreational exercise, while the park has an ecological emphasis. Cantabria is a place in the municipality for social events, food and relaxation. These places therefore differ in their focus: recreational hiking and a park at Cerro 7 Orejas, and community gatherings and food at Cantabria.
Waterfalls and landscapes in the municipality
The waterfalls near Labor Santa Bárbara are associated with the forests there and the course of the RĂo Samalá. The forest and river give the waterfalls a broader landscape setting. The falls are in the outlying areas of the municipality of San Mateo, not in the town center. Their geographical location therefore differs from that of the church in the center.
Quetzaltenango as a regional context
The broader travel destination of Quetzaltenango offers additional nature, culture and cuisine themes. From Volcán Santa MarĂa, visitors can observe the ongoing eruptive activity of Volcán de Santiaguito and the central volcanic chain that runs through the country. Volcanic activity can vary.
At Volcán Chicabal, lush cloud forest provides a backdrop for the sacred lagoon. Every year, 40 days after Semana Santa, the Rogativa por la Lluvia ceremony takes place there. Chicabal means “thunder” in the Mam language; the name refers to the echo produced in the crater during thunderstorms.
The broader travel destination of Quetzaltenango also has a culinary tradition: Choka’ (chiuwach ka’) is a ceremonial dish from Almolonga, a Maya K’iche’ community in the Department of Quetzaltenango. Unlike other recados, Choka’ is made with pepita de ayote instead of pepitoria.
Discover more destinations: Coatepeque, Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango, El Rosario.
Return to the broader travel overview: Quetzaltenango.
