Zunil is a town and municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala with a surface area of 80 km2. The town of Zunil is located 9 km from the city of Quetzaltenango, on the bank of the Salamá River. Zunil has an altitude of approximately 2075 m above mean sea level. The population of the municipality, which is 100% indigenous, was 14,118 at the 2018 census. The inhabitants speak Kʼicheʼ and Spanish. There are thermal baths with volcanic water around the town, for example Fuentes Georginas and Almolonga.

Religion

Zunil possesses active worship of San Simón (also known as Maximón), a life-sized mannequin representing a Maya god, sitting in a wooden throne, which is moved to a different house every year, and many people visit and leave gifts at his shrine.

Namesakes

A crater on Mars, which may be the source of Mars meteorites, is named after the village.

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