One of the things that first attracted me to Guatemala is how vibrant a country it is.
Everywhere you go, you see people wearing traditional woven clothing in a rainbow of reds, blues and yellows. Towns and cities like Antigua and Quetzaltenango are crammed with houses painted in vivid shades of amber and azure. Even the cemeteries are colourful – not for the Guatemalan people the dreary grey headstones we’re used to in the west, instead the tombs celebrate life in joyful shades of lime, rose and mustard.
But nowhere’s more colourful than Guatemala’s markets. Almost every town has one, and whether it’s a small collection of street stalls or a huge dedicated market hall covering several floors, a visit is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the bustle and noise of real Guatemalan life.
Locals travel from across the region to buy and sell everything from livestock, meat, fruit and vegetables to clothing, homewares, toys and electrical items. Guatemala markets are a kaleidoscope of life and colour, and fantastic for people watching and photography.
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The most famous market in Guatemala is Chichicastenango, which has become one of the country’s top tourist attractions. Of course, I went there too, but for me one market was not enough. I wanted to see more.
So I turned my attention to another, much less celebrated, but no less fascinating market: the Solola market near Lake Atitlán in the southwest of Guatemala.
Or in fact, I should say the Sololá markets, because there are two! Solola, you’re spoiling me…
Introducing Solola Guatemala
Solola (spelled Sololá in Spanish and pronounced So-lo-LA with the stress on the last syllable) is a small city about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Lake Atitlán in the west of Guatemala.
It has around 14,000 inhabitants and sits at an elevation of 2,114 m (about 7,000 ft) on a mountainside about 600 metres (2000 ft) above the beautiful Lake Atitlan.
The greater Solola area also includes the four neighbouring villages of San Jorge la Laguna, Los Encuentros, El Tablón, and Argueta — as well as 59 smaller rural communities.
As the capital of the department of Sololá, the city is also the market centre for the region, with people travelling from all the smaller towns and villages to trade their products.
Almost all the population are either Kaqchikel Maya or K’iche’ Maya, and the majority still wear traditional clothes – the women in their gorgeous rainbow-coloured huipiles and striped skirts, and many of the men in fabulous embroidered trousers, gorgeous patterned shirts and cowboy hats.
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The Solola market
Guidebooks and blogs will often talk about visiting the Solola market, but when you start to look closer this can get a bit confusing because there are actually two main markets in Sololá, and often it can be hard to tell which one they mean.
Do they mean the Solola Municipal Market, in the city centre right on the main square, or do they mean the Solola Wholesale Market, about 8 blocks to the north?
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When Lonely Planet says that “Sololá’s market is one of the most vivid in the highlands,” they’re talking about the Mercado Mayoreo, the Wholesale Market. Meanwhile, Culture Trip just describes the “busy market where enticing sights, smells and sounds fill the air,” so I’m not actually sure which one they’re talking about – though in fairness that description could apply to either.
Both markets run on Tuesdays and Fridays, so you can easily visit them in a single day.
I went to both, so let’s clear this up.
Solola Mercado Municipal (Solola Municipal Market)
The Sololá Municipal Market is located on the southwest corner of Parque Centro America, Solola’s main square. It’s a two-storey yellow building with the words ‘CENTRO COMERICAL MUNICIPAL’ clearly written on the front, and you can either enter through this main entrance, or there are steps to one side leading up to the first floor. There’s also a side entrance and sort of loading bay along the right-hand side of the building towards the back, which is also where you’ll find the public toilets if you need them (I paid Q1.50 – about 15p – to use the toilets, which were not the nicest but perfectly adequate).
Inside on the ground floor the narrow entry point immediately opens into a large market hall, where you’ll immediately be assailed by a riot of smells, noises and colours. The ground floor is where you’ll find most of the food stalls, including several butchers’ windows selling fresh meat, as well as all the fresh fruit and veg sellers. Towards the back you’ll also find stands selling all the dry and non-perishable food items such as grains and spices.
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Here, and throughout the market, the passageways are narrow and crowded, with brightly-dressed local people pushing their way past, often carrying big bags of shopping or heavy items on their heads.
Upstairs is a little bit quieter and calmer, home to the bakery section, with several ladies selling different types of bread. All the bread seemed to be more or less the same and most of it is quite dry; with my sweet tooth I was disappointed not to find more people selling pastries and cakes, but these don’t seem to be all that big in Guatemala for some reason.
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Also upstairs is where you’ll find the tailors and the people selling fabrics and the gorgeous embroidered clothing that the traditional Maya (especially the women) wear.
And if you get hungry, upstairs is also the ‘food court’, where there are at least two dozen stands selling freshly cooked meals, mainly a variety of meats with tortillas.
After I’d wandered around here for a while I then got a surprise when I looked over a balcony and discovered that there are actually two more floors going down into the basement, where you can buy just about everything else I haven’t already mentioned, from toys and electrical goods to more clothes, tools and equipment and homewares and household products.
As Solola market is not a tourist market at all, you will find very little in the way of souvenirs – or, for that matter, other visitors – here. Which is something I loved, partly because it feels like the real Guatemala and partly because the people here aren’t so tired of being looked at by foreigners.
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Solola Mercado Mayoreo (Solola Wholesale Market)
You could spend hours wandering around looking at everything going on at the Mercado Municipal and never make it to the other market, and that would be fine. But if you want the full Solola market experience, make sure you also leave time to check out the Mercado Mayoreo.
You’ll find this about eight blocks north of the Plaza Central – which you can walk in about 10 minutes, or a tuktuk will cost you Q5 (50p) per person.
The entrance is a bit more confusing as the street in front is narrower and more chaotic, but there’s a green archway and a sign above it clearly saying ‘BIENVENIDOS AL MERCADO DE MAYOREO.
Inside the floor slopes uphill along a wide passageway with stands on both sides and a row of stalls in the middle selling clothes, shoes, and some meat and other food products. On the right-hand side are a couple of entrances leading into the main market hall, and about halfway up you’ll also find the public toilets.
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The main market hall is a huge, airy indoor space, and like the Municipal Market it’s jammed with colourfully-dressed people selling fruit, vegetables, dried fish, grains, and other produce. But they’re selling in bulk, so instead of having organised stalls with neat displays of foodstuffs, here each trader seems simply to have an area of floor space, which they’ve piled high with bags and crates overflowing with tomatoes, prawns, potatoes, or whatever it is they’re selling.
At the top of the slope the space opens out into a large outdoor area, where you’ll find more vendors in their splendid costumes selling wholesale items in large quantities: corn, grain, more fruit and vegetables, live poultry, more clothing, homewares and even furniture.
I didn’t get here till about 1 pm, so much of the produce had already been sold and the area was a bit of a mess with litter and discarded scraps of food being picked over by street dogs.
It’s a riot of sound and colour that can be quite a chaotic experience but is also a wonderful opportunity to get off the tourist trail and really immerse yourself in traditional Guatemalan life.
Guatemala market photography
One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Solola and its markets was to take photographs. As a travel photographer I love the life and colours and variety you get in markets, and I’ve had great joy photographing markets the world over.
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But I was nervous about visiting Solola as I had heard that many Guatemalans don’t like being photographed, and so far during my travels in Guatemala I’ve found that many people are shy or suspicious of foreigners with cameras.
When I walked into the Mercado Municipal and also discovered that the light was horrible and the room was extremely dark, I nearly gave up and left again.
But these are the times when, as a photographer, you need to work a bit harder to get the shot. And my experience has been that these kind of challenging environments can often force you to think creatively, and you end up with better, more original images as a result.
To make my photography work I needed to do three things:
- Accept that I was going to need to use a very high ISO and the widest aperture I could get away with.
- Look for areas of the market where the light was a bit better, such as by the doorways and close to the central atrium.
- Patiently chat to people, smile and everyone, and gradually try to win their trust.
So that’s what I did.
I chatted to the vendors, asked questions, was polite and friendly, and then asked for a photo. Some still said no, but others were happy to let me take their picture. As I relaxed and got into my groove, it became easier to make connections and sometimes if one person agreed to a photo, that meant I could then also photograph their friend or neighbour.
Sometimes I didn’t even need to ask. People will soon let you know by their gestures and facial expressions if they don’t want a photo, such as a head shake, turning away, or covering their face, but others will smile back or simply look unconcerned by your presence, showing you that they don’t mind.
And so after a frustrating start, I ended up with a selection of images that I really love, and I think really capture the spirit of the Solola markets.
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When is the best time to visit the Solola markets?
The market gets going from around 8 am, so ideally you should aim to get to Solola between 8 and 9. The busiest trading hours are in the morning, though the market does keep going well into the afternoon.
I arrived at around 8.40 am and went to the central market first. It was fairly busy but not too rammed, but got busier by mid-morning. I spent about three hours there, then went to the cemetery (to see it before the rain started), and finally got to the wholesale market around 1 pm. By this stage it felt fairly quiet so I was only there for an hour before getting the bus back around 2 pm.
I might have stayed longer but I visited in rainy season and there was a heavy thunderstorm on the way.
My recommendation would be to pick your preferred market and head there first, as the busiest and most exciting time will be between about 9 and 12.
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Other things to do in Solola
The markets are the main attraction, but if you still have time to kill before heading back to Panajachel or on to your next destination, here are a couple of other places you could check out:
Solola Cemetery / Cementerio Municipal
Located on the edge of town, on a hillside five blocks south of the main square, Solola cemetery is far from being a grey, sombre place like many cemeteries. Instead, it’s a rainbow of color, with tombs painted in all shades of blues, greens, pinks and yellows, and floral displays left by mourners adding additional bursts of brightness.
Solola cemetery also has stunning views out over the landscape towards Lake Atitlan below. At least, if you get a clear day, which sadly I did not. And unfortunately when I went the cemetery was not terribly well-maintained, with a fair bit of litter and dead flowers.
But it’s still worth taking the time to wander among the colourful tombs and admire the joyful way in which the people of Sololá pay respect to their dead.
Parque Centro America de Sololá / Central America Park
Solola’s central park is a neat, paved square with well-manicured flowerbeds, plenty of seating areas, and the ubiquitous colourful town sign to take a photo in front of. It’s great for taking a break and people watching after the intense atmosphere of the market.
Torre Centroamericana de Sololá / Central America Tower
Located on the west side of the square, this ornate 26-metre-tall pink and yellow tower is a monument to Central America. On each corner of the tower you can read the name of a Central American country, and the date printed on the front – 9 February 1914 – commemorates the year construction of the tower started.
Originally the seat of the local government, the tower was damaged by earthquakes in 1917, 1942 and 1976, before being restored in 1988.
Inside is a small museum about the history of Solola showing photographs, paintings and typical costumes from the different municipalities. Around 60 steps lead up to the top, where you can see the internal workings of the tower’s antique clock (though it was not working when I was there), and a small window affords you views over the town. Entry costs Q8 (about 80p or 1 dollar).
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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción / Church of Our Lady of the Assumption
This Catholic Church is located on the main square, just opposite the market hall. Inside are rows of glossy wooden pews for worshippers and the roof is draped with colourful fabrics. Modern stained glass windows in primary colours lend warmth and vibrancy to the interior.
How to get to Solola Guatemala
The easiest way to get to Sololá is by public bus from Panajachel on Lake Atitlan. Buses go frequently from the main road near to the La Torre supermarket and the Grand Hotel Panajachel.
Walk or take a tuktuk up there (ask the driver for ‘el bús a Sololá’), and then just wait on the street facing west and flag down the next bus that comes past. The journey costs just Q5 (about 50p / 62 cents) and takes about 25 minutes, up the hill from Panajachel, past a small waterfall, to the hillside city of Sololá, where you’ll get dropped off in the main square just a short walk from the municipal market building.
When it’s time to head back you pick up the return bus from the opposite side of the square – you’ll be able to see several different buses waiting and you just have to ask the guys standing by the buses which one is going back to ‘Pana’.
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Taking the chicken bus to the market in Solola
Taking the bus to Solola is also a brilliant opportunity to try out Guatemala’s legendary ‘chicken’ buses.
‘Chicken’ buses are the public buses that you see everywhere in Guatemala. These iconic symbols of Guatemalan transport are former US school buses that have been shipped over here and pimped out with garish paint, chrome accessories, stickers and flashing lights – yet another example of the colourful style you see everywhere in Guatemala.
They’re known as chicken buses because locals have been known to bring just about anything on the bus, including live chickens – but although I have seen a lot of these buses, so far I have only seen chickens on one.
They can be confusing to navigate and a little intimidating, plus they are not the most comfortable for long journeys. Which is why most travellers prefer to get around on private tourist shuttles, which are well-organised, safe, and go door to door.
But the trip to Sololá is a great opportunity to try out the chicken bus experience on a short and easy journey where you won’t get lost and don’t have to put up with the crowded and uncomfortable bus for too long!
Just make sure you watch your pockets and belongings, as theft is quite common.
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Where to stay in Sololá Guatemala
Most people visit Sololá on a day trip from Panajachel or Lake Atitlan, so choices for accommodation in Solola itself are limited. Since it’s only 25 minutes by bus and a day is more than enough time to see everything, I’d recommend heading back to Panajachel for the night, where there are plenty of great places to choose from.
Here are a few options:
Budget: Hospedaje El Viajero
This is where I stayed for three nights at Lake Atitlan. It’s right in the centre of Panajachel just a short walk from the main pier and close to all the bars and restaurants. Rooms were a bit small and dark but clean, the shower was reasonable and hot, and at just £11 / $13.75 a night for a private single room you can’t really complain!
Midrange: Selina Atitlan
Part of the ever-popular Selina hostel chain, this place offers dorms and private rooms that are rather more expensive than in most other hostels, but that’s because you get a whole lot more besides: a pool, co-working space, podcasting studio, yoga classes, a restaurant and bar, and more.
Luxury: Hotel Atitlan
Boasting colonial-style rooms with cable TV, a pool and hot tub, and gorgeous gardens with panoramic views of the lake, this is the place to come to relax in style after a day exploring the markets of Sololá.
I hope this post has inspired your own travel or market photography, or helped you plan your own trip to Guatemala. There are more posts on the way so don’t forget to subscribe for updates. And if you have questions you can always contact me.
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Bella is a multi-award-winning travel writer, wildlife photographer and science and history documentary director from London. Among many awards and nominations she won Blogger of the Year at the British Guild of Travel Writers’ Awards 2023 and Best Photography at the Travel Media Awards 2020. Her work has been published by National Geographic, Wanderlust, and BBC Travel among others. Her films have been shown around the world including on the BBC, Discovery and PBS.
