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

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

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

located within the Quetzaltenango Department, in the municipalities of

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

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

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

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 Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

Ecological significance

The volcano forms part of the Sierra Madre, 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 Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of ...

s of southwestern Guatemala. Bird species include the pink-headed warbler, black-capped siskin, highland guan, rufous-collared robin, white-breasted hawk, and rufous-browed wren.

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 is a Mayan language spoken by about half a million Mam people in the Guatemalan departments of Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, San Marcos, and Retalhuleu, and the Mexican states of Campeche and Chiapas. Thousands more make up a Mam di ...

: ''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, Tajum ...

, and Tacana. In 2009 the municipality of Concepción Chiquirichapa 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 commonly defined as a vent or fissure 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 oft ...

Sierra Madre de Chiapas Pleistocene stratovolcanoes North American 3000 m summits