A procession carries the image of Saint Anthony of Padua through the streets of San Antonio La Paz: the patron saint festival is celebrated in his honor every year on June 13. This specific festive custom is a striking introduction to El Progreso Department, where cultural discoveries, archaeological history and nature come together. If you want to plan your trip around particular interests, you’ll find a variety of starting points here—from Guaytán to a distinctive church façade and forests and wildlife.
Archaeology and Landscape
The archaeological site of Guaytán is located in the municipality of San Agustín Acasaguastlán, Guatemala. It was discovered toward the end of the 19th century. Its location and period of discovery place Guaytán in a specific local and historical context. If you want to include archaeological sites in your trip to Guatemala, Guaytán is a cultural point of interest in El Progreso Department.
El Progreso Department also encompasses more than one landscape. The Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve extends across the municipalities of Morazán, San Agustín Acasaguastlán and San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán. Cerro La Trementina lies in the south of the department, in the municipality of Sanarate. The hill is home to pine and oak forests as well as birds, small mammals and reptiles. These two natural areas offer different perspectives: the Sierra spans three municipalities, while the Cerro is characterized by specific forest types and groups of animals. If you’re especially interested in nature, these different perspectives can help shape your travel plans.
Church Façades and Festival Traditions
The architecture here can also be explored through a clearly defined detail. The façade of the Iglesia de San Agustín Acasaguastlán is white and designed in the colonial Baroque style; instead of side towers, it has a central bell tower. The contrast—a tower in the center and no side towers—makes the façade’s form easy to understand. If you’re interested in church architecture, this exterior offers specific features to look at: style, color and tower placement.
The patron saint festival of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán adds a different cultural note: it includes a horseback procession with riders from various regions of Guatemala. Together, the two festivals showcase different ways of celebrating—in San Antonio La Paz, the religious procession carrying the image of Saint Anthony, held every year on June 13, and in San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán, a horseback procession as part of the patron saint festival. If you want to plan your trip around cultural events, you can distinguish between a procession held on a fixed date and a horseback procession as part of a festival.
More Historical Perspectives in Guatemala
You’ll find more archaeological perspectives throughout Guatemala as well. The ruins of Quiriguá preserve 17 monuments carved between 426 and 810 AD. Their stelae and carved calendars document social, political and economic events in Maya civilization. Tak'alik Ab'aj offers a different perspective on time: its history extends from 800 BC to 900 AD; the transition from Olmec civilization to early Maya culture took place during the first half of this period. Indigenous groups belonging to 22 different Maya language communities still consider Tak'alik Ab'aj a sacred place and visit it for rituals. Innovative water management systems were also found there; sacred spaces and buildings were designed according to cosmological principles.
Discover more destinations: Jutiapa Department, Jalapa Department, Baja Verapaz Department, Quetzaltenango, Sololá, Totonicapán Department, Huehuetenango, Petén
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