Cobán in the context of "San Cristóbal Verapaz"

Xibalba (Mayan pronunciation: [ʃiɓalˈɓa]), roughly translated as "place of fright", is the Kʼicheʼ name of the Underworld (known as Mitnal in Yucatec) in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. Cave systems in nearby Belize have also been referred to as the entrance to Xibalba. In some Maya areas, the Milky Way is viewed as the road to Xibalba.

15°30′N 90°20′W / 15.500°N 90.333°W / 15.500; -90.333

Alta Verapaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈalta βeɾaˈpas]) is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and Baja Verapaz, and to the west by El Quiché.