Santa Cruz Barillas is a municipality in Huehuetenango department. INE’s 2018 census counted 100,849 people there, 86,177 of whom identified as Maya. The town has its own hospital, the Hospital de Barillas (AGN, August 2023), and its fiesta patronal honours the Santa Cruz, with 3 May as the main day. The population at the top of the page is the 2018 census count; the safety, cost and internet figures in Key Stats are our own map data, not official figures. For department-level data, see Huehuetenango. Check the latest exchange rates and cost of living data.
Municipal Services
The Municipalidad de Santa Cruz Barillas is the local government office for municipal procedures.
For national government services:
- RENAP – its list of bank agencies authorized to collect RENAP fees includes agencies in Barillas, among them one listed at the Barillas market; check RENAP’s office list for where to do the procedure itself
- SAT – check SAT’s office list before you travel
- PNC – check the nearest station before you travel
The department capital is Huehuetenango. For step-by-step instructions on any government procedure, see our complete tramites guide.
Health: the Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias reported on 9 August 2023 that heavy rains had affected the Hospital de Barillas and that its areas, including paediatrics and maternity, were working normally again after repairs; Emisoras Unidas reported on 31 July 2023 that the Health Minister had confirmed damage to the Barillas hospital, where water had entered. The MSPAS announced in September 2023 three municipal health districts for Santa Cruz Barillas: Central de Barillas, with a type B health centre, and San Ramón and Nueva Generación Maya, each with a permanent care centre (CAP).
Climate & Weather
We have no sourced climate normals or elevation for Santa Cruz Barillas. For current conditions and forecasts, see our weather page.
How to Get There
The distances in the box at the top of this page are straight-line distances computed from OpenStreetMap coordinates; road distance is longer and varies by route.
From Guatemala City:
- By bus: This page does not name a bus operator, terminal or fare: we print those only from an operator’s own timetable. Our sourced route guide for Huehuetenango department: Guatemala City to Huehuetenango.
- By car: The route runs through Huehuetenango department. Check road reports before you travel, especially in the rainy season.
- By shuttle: The transport hub lists the shuttle routes we have checked against the sellers’ own timetables.
Check our transportation guide and today’s gas prices.
Local Festivals & Ferias
The fiesta patronal of Santa Cruz Barillas honours the Santa Cruz, patron of the town. The Ministry of Culture’s SiCultura listing gives 3 May as the main day and says the activities start days earlier, dating them 29 April to 3 May; they are organized with the Municipalidad, the parish and feria committees. The programme it describes includes masses, novenas, alboradas and a procession with the image of the Santa Cruz, plus parades, artistic performances, traditional dances, concerts, sports events, mechanical rides and food fairs.
The festival card elsewhere on this page comes from our own map data, and its dates differ from SiCultura’s. See our complete ferias calendar for dates across Guatemala.
Local Costs & Services
The monthly cost in the Key Stats section and in the cost section of this page is our own map estimate with no published source, and so is the internet figure. Earlier versions of this text gave a $450 monthly budget and 10-30 Mbps internet speeds, neither with a published source.
- Current fuel prices: see our gas prices page.
- Exchange rate: Check today’s live rate
Compare remittance rates and check the cost of living calculator for detailed budgets.
Safety Overview
The safety score in the Key Stats section is our own map rating, not an official figure. The Diálogos observatory’s June 2026 homicide report gives figures by department: in Huehuetenango it recorded 1 homicide of a man and none of women that month, with interannual rates (the 12 months to June 2026) of 3.0 per 100,000 men and 0.7 per 100,000 women. We have no sourced figure for the municipality itself.
Emergency contacts (CONRED’s directory of emergency numbers):
- CONRED (disaster): 119
- Police (PNC): 110 or 120
- Bomberos Voluntarios: 122
- Bomberos Municipales: 123
- Cruz Roja Guatemalteca: 125
- PROVIAL (roadside assistance): 1520
- Tourist assistance (PROATUR): 1500 from inside Guatemala, per the UK government’s travel advice
Read our full Guatemala safety guide for department-by-department data.
Explore Huehuetenango Department
Santa Cruz Barillas is one of the municipalities in Huehuetenango department. Explore nearby areas and compare data across the region.
Useful links:
- Huehuetenango department overview
- Exchange rates — updated daily
- Remittance comparison — find the cheapest way to send money
- Weather forecast — current conditions
- Guatemala safety map — department-by-department
Sources
- INE, Resultados del XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda 2018 (population by municipality; Cuadro A4.2, pueblo de pertenencia).
- Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias, 9 August 2023 (Hospital de Barillas), read 10 October 2026.
- Agencia Guatemalteca de Noticias, 6 September 2023 (MSPAS health districts), read 10 October 2026.
- Emisoras Unidas, 31 July 2023 (rain damage to the Barillas hospital), read 10 October 2026.
- SiCultura, Fiesta Patronal de Santa Cruz Barillas, read 10 October 2026.
- CONRED, Números de emergencia, read 8 October 2026.
- UK government, Guatemala travel advice, Getting help (PROATUR), read 24 September 2026.
- RENAP, list of bank agencies authorized to collect RENAP fees.
- Diálogos, Observatorio de la violencia, Informe sobre la violencia homicida en Guatemala, junio 2026.
- Prensa Libre, 6 October 2022, on cardamom prices and growing areas.