Volcán Siete Orejas ( Mam: ''Wuq Xinkan'') is a

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

located within the

Quetzaltenango Department Quetzaltenango is a department in the western highlands of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala.Rouanet et al 1992, p.14. The department is divided up into 24 municipalities. The inhabitants in ...

, in the municipalities of

Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It may ...

Concepción Chiquirichapa Concepción Chiquirichapa () is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Quetzaltenango in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, 14 kilometers west of the departmental capital of Quetzaltenango, and 214 kilometers west of the capital Guatema ...

, La Esperanza, and San Martin Sacatepequez. It is in the

Sierra Madre de Chiapas The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is a major mountain range in Central America. It crosses El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges that consists of an almos ...

Geography

The volcano has 7 peaks, set around a large crater of which the southern side appears to have collapsed. The highest peaks are located on the north-west side and have an elevation of and .Rodriguez. The U-shaped volcanic edifice opens south towards the coastal piedmont, creating both cold and temperate climatic zones within a relatively small area.Department of Protected Areas and Helvetas ProBosques, 2008 Within the edifice are hot springs as well as the headwaters of the rio Ocosito which flows into the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Ecological significance

The volcano forms part of the

Sierra Madre Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to: Places and mountains Mexico *Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona *Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico *S ...

, hosting an abundance of endemic species such as the endangered Guatemalan Fir or "Pinabete" (''Abies guatemalensis'') and forming an integral part of one of the largest contiguous

biological corridor A wildlife corridor, habitat corridor, or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or structures (such as roads, development, or logging). This allows an exchange of individuals between ...

s of southwestern Guatemala. Bird species include the pink-headed warbler, black-capped siskin,

highland guan The highland guan (''Penelopina nigra'') is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is found in the highlands of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane ...

, rufous-collared robin, white-breasted hawk, and

rufous-browed wren The rufous-browed wren (''Troglodytes rufociliatus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Central America from Mexico south into Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics The rufous-browed wren has been treated as con ...

Cultural significance

The volcano's ridgeline houses over 18 Mayan ceremonial altars, most of which are still actively used by local Mayan priests. The name Siete Orejas originates from the local name in the

Mam language Mam or MAM may refer to: Places * An Mám or Maum, a settlement in Ireland * General Servando Canales International Airport in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico (IATA Code: MAM) * Isle of Mam, a phantom island * Mam Tor, a hill near Castleton in the ...

: ''Wuq Xinkan''. According to locals, this name originated from a legend about a large boulder on one of the peaks.

Recreational opportunities

On clear days the ridgeline of the volcano has wide views of the surrounding area, from the city of Quetzaltenango, to San Marcos and the coastal piedmont, including views of volcanoes Santa Maria, Santiaguito,

Tajumulco Tajumulco is a municipality in the San Marcos department of Guatemala. History Colonial era In 1690, Tejutla had a large area and included the modern municipalities of Comitancillo, Ixchiguán, Concepción Tutuapa, Sipacapa, Sibinal, Taju ...

, and

Tacana Tacana is a Western Tacanan language spoken by some 1,800 Tacana people in Bolivia out of an ethnic population of 5,000. They live in the forest along the Beni is a Japanese R&B singer, who debuted in 2004 under the Avex Trax label. In 2 ...

. In 2009 the municipality of

founded the Regional Ecological Park "Cacique Dormido" which offers hiking, camping, bird-watching, and cultural tours on the volcano.

Gallery

References

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Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Siete Orejas Quetzaltenango Department Mountains of Guatemala Stratovolcanoes of Guatemala

Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

Sierra Madre de Chiapas Pleistocene stratovolcanoes