One of Guatemala's best-loved tourist destinations is the little town of Todos Santos Cuchumatán, set in a spectacular valley of the Cuchumatanes Mountains at 2470 m ASL. Both the men and women of Todos Santos wear distinctive, hand-woven clothing. The men's clothing includes red and white striped trousers, a colorful shirt, straw hat, and a black capixay, or woolen cape to guard against the chilly mountain climate. In Todos Santos, visitors may study Spanish or Mam, the local Maya language, visit the market, see a small archaeological site on a hill above town, or hike to the nearby town of San Juan Atitán, through gorgeous scenery of sheep pastures, corn fields and pine forests.

Like many other villages in the Cuchumatanes, Todos Santos had been isolated until a road was built in the early seventies and recently reworked for 2000. The mountains surrounding Todos Santos rise to 3,500 meters and are covered with pine forests. Potatoes and apples are products of these high altitudes, and sheep are raised primarily for their wool that is then sold to weavers from Momostenango. Lumbering, and pata de gallo for hats, is also a source of livelihood in the Todos Santos area. As in other towns throughout the Cuchumatanes, Todos Santos men often seek seasonal labor on the lowland cotton or coffee plantations to supplement their income, and sometimes bring raw cotton home for their wives to spin into thread.

Todos santos is famous for their horse races. The annual festival is held on November 1 the day of the dead, which cap off a week long festival. Traditional foods are served throughout the day and mask dances take place in the evening.
Nearby villages

Soloma, Santa Eulalia, & San Mateo Ixtatán

Although Todos Santos is the most popular tourist stops in the Cuchumatanes, there are many other beautiful mountain towns that are well worth visiting. Along the road leading from Huehuetenango to Barillas, near Guatemala's northern border, lie the towns of Soloma, Santa Eulalia and San Mateo Ixtatán, with their own unique attractions.
The women of Soloma, a town set in fertile valley that was once a lake bed, wear a long, white-lace huipil and strands of gold-colored beads. From town, visitors may hike out to the Pajaj waterfall, 30 meters high and one of the most spectacular in the Cuchumatanes.
Further down the road lies Santa Eulalia, famed for its production of marimbas, Guatemala's national instrument.
Finally, visitors arrive at San Mateo Ixtatán. Sitting atop a high ridge overlooking a narrow valley, San Mateo is an age-old site for salt production and one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala. To this day, salt is collected in a mine below the village and sold throughout the highlands. At the tip of the ridge is a Maya ruin, where mounds of former ceremonial structures can be seen. The Maya language spoken in the town is Chuj, and the women wear a beautiful huipil, with an embroidered, star-like design.