Founded in 400 AD, Zaculeu was the capital of the Mam people until it was destroyed by Pedro de Alvarado during the Spanish Conquest.  Today, this archeological site is well visited by tourists and can be reached by foot from Huehuetenango.

About half of the 40 original structures have been reconstructed, though by a technique some have questioned.  In the 1940's, the stone structures were covered by American archeologists with white cement in order to preserve them and simulate the likely appearance of the original walls.

The architecture is similar to that of the Pre-Columbian sites in Mexico.  Ceremonial platforms set in the middle of plazas, steep pyramids and flat-roofed temples are among the restored structures.