A further 22km from San Francisco, down a paved road that continues over a ridge behind the town then drops down through lush pine forests, is MOMOSTENANGO , a small, isolated town and the centre of wool production in the highlands. Momostecos travel throughout the country peddling their blankets, scarves and rugs - years of experience have made them experts in the hard sell and given them a sharp eye for tourists. The wool is also used in a range of traditional costumes, including the short skirts worn by the men of Nahualá, San Antonio Palopó and the jackets of Sololá. The ideal place to buy Momostenango blankets is in the Sunday market , which fills the town's two plazas.

A visit at this time will also give you a glimpse of Momostenango's other feature: its rigid adherence to tradition. Opposite the entrance to the church, people make offerings of incense and alcohol on a small fire, muttering their appeals to the gods. The town is famous for this unconventional folk-Catholicism, and it has been claimed that there are as many as three hundred Maya shamans working here. Momostenango's religious calendar, like that of only one or two other villages, is still based on the 260-day Tzolkin year - made up of thirteen twenty-day months - that has been in use since ancient times.

As a visitor it's best to visit Momostenango for the market, unless you can coincide your visit with the start of the Maya new year or the fiesta on August 1. If you decide to stay for a day or two then you can take a walk to the riscos , a set of bizarre sandstone pillars, or beyond to the hot springs of Pala Chiquito, about 3km away to the north.

The best place to stay in Momostenango is the Hotel Estiver , 1 C 4-15, Zona 1 (tel 736 5036; US$5-10), which has clean rooms, some with private bathrooms, great views from the roof and safe parking. For eating , there are plenty of small comedores on the main plaza or try the one inside the Hospedaje Paglóm . There's a Bancafé bank at 1 C and 1 Av (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) which accepts Visa, cash and travellers' cheques.

Buses run here from Quetzaltenango, passing through Cuatro Caminos and San Francisco El Alto on the way. They leave the Minerva terminal in Quetzaltenango every hour or so from 9am to 4pm (1hr 15min) and from Momostenango between 6am and 3pm. On Sunday, special early-morning buses leave Quetzaltenango from 6am: you can catch them at the rotunda.