Palencia (Guatemala)

Palencia on the map of Guatemala

Palencia is a 7,000 inhabitants small town in Guatemala and the administrative seat of the homonymous municipios in the department of Guatemala. The village is located about 30 km east of Guatemala City is 1,340 m above sea level.

The 196 km ² large municipality extends in the eastern highlands of the department of Guatemala. It has around 60,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in rural settlements and villages, including Azaculpilla, Dulce Nombre, El Triunfo, El Paraíso, El Manzanote, El Fiscal, Los cubes, Buena Vista, Sansur, plan Grande, Los Planes, Sanguayabá, Los Mixcos, La Concepcion, Lo De Silva and Los Tecomates.

Adjacent Municipalities are San José del Golfo in the north, San Pedro Ayampuc the northwest, Guatemala City to the west and San José Pinula the south. In the northeast Palencia adjoins San Antonio La Paz (El Progreso ), to the southeast by Mataquescuintla ( Jalapa ).

The name of the place goes back to a certain Mathías de Palencia, who here in 1624 bought an estate, which was soon and later only called Hacienda Palencia Palencia. 1873 rose one place to the municipality.