Quirigua is best known for the largest sculptures of the ancient Maya including the famous zoomorphs (animal shaped bass-relieved stones). The ten-cent coin of our currency depicts the "monolith of Quirigua". Another Stella tell the story of how Stormy Sky, then leading warrior of Quirigua, stormed the neighboring city of Copan taking hostage their king Eighteen Rabbit. Our Cackchiquel friends from Chimaltenago once told of how Quirigua means "sweet corn" or "sweet food" indicative of the productive cornfields that once surrounded the city....

By the time the first Spanish explorers arrived in the 15th century the Mayans had long eclipsed. On March 10th of 1524 Gil Gonzales de Avila left Santo Domingo with an expedition consisting of 300 men, 500 horses and some women. After having to bury some of the horses that died on the coast of Honduras at what is now known as Puerto Caballos, Avila and his crew sailed towards the "Golfo Dulce" where he established later that month the first colony called San Gil de Buenavista. In May of that same year another conqueror named Cristobal de Olid invaded and established a few colonies along the Honduran coast, one El Triunfo de La Cruz and the other Naco. Cristobal de Olid refused to follow the orders of Herman Cortes who had sent him in the first place to claim the land for him and decide to go on his own as a runaway captain. Cortes sent loyal troops after him and after some struggle managed to capture and execute de Olid. It is important to note that Tecpan, the first Spanish settlement in the highlands, was founded in July of that year which makes San Gil the first colony in Guatemala. Unfortunately it did not fare well.