Which Kaqchikel Maya capital became the first Spanish capital of Guatemala? Iximche.
Iximche was the Kaqchikel Maya capital that Pedro de Alvarado used as the first Spanish capital of Guatemala in 1524. The Kaqchikel founded the city in the late fifteenth century after breaking away from the K'iche' political sphere, choosing a naturally defensible site surrounded by ravines.
On July 27, 1524, Alvarado established Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala at Iximche. The alliance soon collapsed because Spanish demands for tribute and labor became intolerable to the Kaqchikel. Continued resistance forced the Spanish to abandon the settlement in 1527, after which the colonial capital moved to the Almolonga Valley.
Iximche is often confused with Q'umarkaj, which was the K'iche' capital, or with later Spanish capitals such as Ciudad Vieja and Antigua Guatemala. The archaeological site remains an important sacred place for contemporary Kaqchikel Maya communities.