Sololá

This department is located in the west part of the country. It is notable for its traditions and indigenous folklore. This is the land of the Tzutuhil, Quiche and Cackchiquel peoples, all of which are direct Mayan descendants. Solola is the capital city of the department and is located 135 kilometers (ca. 85 miles) from Guatemala City.

The origin of Solola is described in the annals of the Cackchiquel people, or the Solola Memorials, a chronicle written by the end of the 16th century that describes the history of the Cakchiquel people, before and after the Spanish conquest -.Solola was founded in 1541, the same year its Cathedral was built, when the inhabitants of an ancient place bearing the same name moved to the Lake Atitlan basin. The new town became to be known as Tecpan Atitlan, until the catholic friars christened the place as Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion de Solola.