Santa Maria de Jesus

High on the slopes of Volcán de Agua, this mountain town in Guatemala's Sacatepéquez department sits close to Antigua Guatemala and speaks both Spanish and Kaqchikel. Its central square holds a 17th-century Catholic church with a carved entry arch, built during the colonial period when residents made their living harvesting ice from the volcano's slopes to supply neighbouring settlements — a trade still documented by British explorers Anne and Alfred Maudslay when they visited in 1895.

• Population21,795
• Nearest water from center 1.5 km1.0 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 1.4 km0.9 mi