 Located on a plateau overlooking Mexico, Jacaltenango is 1,437 m above sea level and its surrounding villages are located at both higher and lower elevations.The town of Jacaltenango is a governmental, religious, and market center of the region.In the Jakaltek language the town of Jacaltenango is called "Xajlaj", or “place of the big white rock slabs.” 

For many years, this area was physically and culturally the most remote from Spanish centers in the country.