These Isolated Guatemalan Mountain Towns Didn't Even Appear On Official Maps Until 1996

The Ixil Triangle, named for the shape made by the three towns in the region, is one of the most visually stunning parts of Guatemala.
It's also one of the most tragic.
During the 36-year-long Guatemalan Civil War, which lasted until 1996, guerrilla warriors used the mountainous region as a base of operations and the Guatemalan Army responded with a scorched-earth policy to destroy nearby villages.
Thousands of people in the indigenous Ixil community were tortured and killed. And the towns that make up the Ixil Triangle, Santa Maria Nebaj and two others, were literally erased from the country's official maps until the end of the war.
The Ixil people continue to live in the region today in relative isolation; they don't speak Spanish, have little access to technology, and are suspicious of outsiders.
Eric Goldschein, a reporter (and former Business Insider intern) spent two days trekking through the region with a guide. He shared some photos and his story with us.
Have an amazing travel story and photos to share? Send an email to thelife@businessinsider.com and we could feature your adventure next.
The Ixil Triangle is defined by three municipalities in the Cuchumatanes mountains: Santa Maria Nebaj, San Gaspar Chajul, and San Juan Cotzal.
Eric's trip began at Lake Atitlan, an eight-hour drive from the closest Ixil town of Nebaj.
Eric met Nicholas, his guide, in the town of Nebaj.
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