NEBAJ is the centre of Ixil country, a beautiful old town, by far the largest of the three, with white adobe walls and cobbled streets. The weaving done here is unusual and intricate, the finest examples being the women's huipiles , which are an artistic tangle of complex geometrical designs in superb greens, yellows, reds and oranges, worn with brilliant red cortes (skirts). On their heads, the women wear superb headcloths decorated with pompom tassles that they pile up above their heads; most men no longer wear traditional dress. You'll find an excellent shop, selling goods produced by the Ixil weaving co-operative, on the main square.

The small market , a block east of the church, is worth investigating. On Thursday and Sunday the numbers swell as traders visit from out of town with secondhand clothing from the USA, stereos from Taiwan and Korea and chickens, eggs, fruit and vegetables from the highlands. The town church is also worth a look, although it's fairly bare inside. If you're here for the second week in August, you'll witness the Nebaj fiesta , which includes processions, dances, drinking, fireworks and marathon marimba-playing.