INGUAT, Guatemala’s tourism institute, has recognised five Pueblos Pintorescos: Estanzuela, Zacapa, the first, on 18 November 2022; Isla de Flores, Petén; San Juan del Obispo, in Antigua Guatemala; Santa Catarina Palopó, Sololá; and the city of Quetzaltenango, the fifth, on 30 November 2023. Five more towns are nominated.
The label is a heritage and tourism distinction: a town earns it by meeting INGUAT’s criteria, from cleanliness and traffic order to a sign regulation and a tourist-safety programme, with INGUAT’s technical support.
In short: Recognised (INGUAT, read 10 November 2026): Estanzuela (18 Nov 2022), Isla de Flores (1 Mar 2023), San Juan del Obispo (Sep 2023), Santa Catarina Palopó (Oct 2023), Quetzaltenango (30 Nov 2023). Nominated: Livingston, San Cristóbal Totonicapán, San José Petén, the city of Zacapa, Salcajá. Built on INGUAT’s Plan Maestro de Desarrollo Turístico Sostenible 2015-2025.
The five recognised towns
| Town | Department | Distinction delivered | What INGUAT reports doing there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estanzuela | Zacapa | 18 November 2022, the first in the country | Murals of local culture and tradition under its Arte y turismo, un país con más color programme; paint for façades at the main entrance and the centre |
| Isla de Flores | Petén | 1 March 2023 | Paint for façades on streets the municipal tourism-planning office prioritised; welcome murals of Flores’s nature and culture at the Centro Universitario de Petén (CUDEP) |
| San Juan del Obispo | Sacatepéquez (Antigua Guatemala) | September 2023, to the alcaldía auxiliar | INGUAT says the distinction strengthens the conservation of its historic and architectural heritage |
| Santa Catarina Palopó | Sololá | October 2023 (AGN report of 28 October) | Ceremony held during its patron-saint festival for Santa Catalina de Alejandría; the municipality accepted the programme in October 2020, and a sign was placed and unveiled beside the public dock |
| Quetzaltenango (historic centre) | Quetzaltenango | 30 November 2023, the fifth | Paint for the Calle Real del Calvario tourist walk, about 9,000 square metres, as part of the historic centre’s revitalisation |
Sources: INGUAT’s programme page; AGN for Estanzuela (18 November 2022), Santa Catarina Palopó (28 October 2023) and Quetzaltenango (2 December 2023). After listing its nominees, INGUAT’s page says of the last five on that list: “los cinco últimos han logrado obtener el reconocimiento como Pueblos Pintorescos de Guatemala”.
At the Estanzuela ceremony, AGN quoted INGUAT’s director, Anayansy Rodríguez, saying that residents and visitors could now see murals portraying the town’s identity. For Santa Catarina Palopó, AGN adds that the town is 138 km from Guatemala City, covers about 8 square kilometres and is one of the 12 municipalities on the shore of Lake Atitlán, and names its painting and weaving projects, Pintando Santa Catarina and Tejiendo Santa Catarina.
The nominees
INGUAT’s programme page lists these towns as nominated, with technical support from the Sección de Estudios y Proyectos of its tourism-planning department, but not recognised:
| Nominee | Department | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston | Izabal | Among the original nominees (2022) |
| San Cristóbal | Totonicapán | Among the original nominees (2022) |
| La ciudad de Zacapa | Zacapa | Among the original nominees (2022) |
| Salcajá | Quetzaltenango | Among the original nominees (2022) |
| San José | Petén | Nomination reported by AGN on 11 December 2023, with the aim of preserving the town’s culture and traditions |
Nine or ten? INGUAT’s introductory text says the programme supports nueve pueblos that were nominated, then lists ten names, San José included. Its own announcements of November 2022 and March 2023, reproduced lower on the same page, list nine nominees without San José, and AGN’s programme explainer of 26 November 2022 lists the same nine. AGN reported San José’s nomination on 11 December 2023. INGUAT does not explain the count on the page.
What the label means
INGUAT describes the programme as seeking the puesta en valor, conservation and revitalisation of centres, historic ensembles and settlements with relevant natural and cultural features, with the commitment of local authorities and civil society. Its stated aim is to rescue and promote such towns by conserving community heritage, strengthening residents’ identity, and improving the urban image, the quality of services and the available infrastructure.
It names seven criteria: tourism quality, architectural quality, sustainability, development, accessibility, safety and animation. The practical requirements, listed by INGUAT and repeated by AGN, are:
- cleanliness;
- reorganising vehicle traffic;
- gardening green areas;
- creating or updating a sign regulation and applying it;
- a tourist-safety programme.
INGUAT bases the programme on its Plan Maestro de Desarrollo Turístico Sostenible 2015-2025, specifically axis 2 (sustainable tourism development), axis 3 (consolidating and diversifying the tourism offer) and axis 5 (tourism competitiveness). According to AGN, INGUAT presents the programme as an answer to the deterioration of some destinations’ urban image caused by tourist overload, and to the loss of vernacular architecture where there are no land-use plans. AGN’s 2022 explainer says the nominees were chosen after research into their qualities and their cultural, historical and natural value.
Pueblo pintoresco or pueblo mágico? INGUAT’s programme page does not use the term pueblo mágico. AGN’s report on Santa Catarina Palopó opens: “Uno de los pueblos mágicos ubicado en la orilla del lago más lindo del mundo”, then names the distinction INGUAT gave the town, Pueblo Pintoresco a Nivel Nacional.
Visiting the recognised towns
- San Juan del Obispo, and its Festival del Níspero.
- Isla de Flores: things to do in Flores.
- Estanzuela: the Estanzuela paleontology museum.
- Santa Catarina Palopó: municipality page.
- Quetzaltenango: things to do in Xela.
- Nominee San José, Petén: Motul ruins, San José.
Sources
- INGUAT: Programa Pueblos Pintorescos — read 10 November 2026.
- AGN: Estanzuela, Zacapa, se convierte en primer pueblo pintoresco del país, 18 November 2022 — read 10 November 2026.
- AGN: En qué consiste el programa Pueblos Pintorescos, 26 November 2022 — read 10 November 2026.
- AGN: Santa Catarina Palopó recibe distinción de Pueblo Pintoresco, 28 October 2023 — read 10 November 2026.
- AGN: Quetzaltenango es reconocido como pueblo pintoresco, 2 December 2023 — read 10 November 2026.
- AGN: Nominan a San José, Petén, para recibir la distinción Pueblo Pintoresco, 11 December 2023 — read 10 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which towns has INGUAT named Guatemala's official Pueblos Pintorescos (picturesque towns)?
Five, according to INGUAT’s programme page read on 10 November 2026: Estanzuela, Zacapa (the first, 18 November 2022), Isla de Flores, Petén (1 March 2023), San Juan del Obispo, Antigua Guatemala (September 2023), Santa Catarina Palopó, Sololá (October 2023) and the city of Quetzaltenango (30 November 2023, the fifth).
Which towns are nominated but not yet recognised?
Livingston, Izabal; San Cristóbal, Totonicapán; San José, Petén; the city of Zacapa; and Salcajá, Quetzaltenango. INGUAT’s page lists them as nominees, and AGN reported San José’s nomination on 11 December 2023.
Are there nine or ten nominated towns?
INGUAT’s page says nueve pueblos were nominated but lists ten names. Its 2022 and March 2023 announcements, reproduced on the same page, list nine without San José, whose nomination AGN reported in December 2023.
What does a town have to do to become a Pueblo Pintoresco?
INGUAT’s criteria include tourism quality, architectural quality, sustainability, development, accessibility, safety and animation. In practice it names cleanliness, reorganised traffic, gardened green areas, a sign regulation put into practice and a tourist-safety programme, with commitment from the local authorities and civil society.
Is a Pueblo Pintoresco the same as a pueblo mágico?
INGUAT’s programme is called Pueblos Pintorescos, and its programme page does not use the term pueblo mágico. AGN’s article on Santa Catarina Palopó uses the phrase in its prose to describe the town.
