Todos Santos' natural setting, in a valley thousands of feet above the surrounding altiplano , itself thousands of feet above sea level, is truly spectacular.
Thanks in large part to advances in public health, the town's population has reportedly tripled in the past 20 years, putting tremendous pressure on limited resources and acting as a spur to emigration.
The townspeople still rely chiefly on firewood cut from the surrounding hillsides for cooking and heat. As the population grows, they must venture further and further from town in search of wood.
The towns' church and the plaza in front of it lie on a hill in the center of town.
The narrow main street leads up the hill to the church plaza .
The cemetery lies down the hill to the west of the plaza .
Click here to see more pictures of Western Guatemala.