Santa Catarina Pinula is a town, with a population of 70,982 (2018 census) and a municipality in the Guatemala Department of Guatemala.

Its name, according to Guatemalan colonial historian Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán in his book Recordación Florida comes from:

• Santa Catarina: the name of it saint patron Catherine of Alexandria
• Pinula: from pipil "Flour of water" ("Pinul": Flour of Pinole and "Ha": Water). This may come from the Mexican natives who came alongside Alvarado's forces.

The town was originally a native settlement called Pankaj, or Pinola, whose inhabitants presented a strong defense to the conquistadors from Pedro de Alvarado, until they had to finally surrender to the Spanish invaders at the fortified position of Jalpatagua, where they were withdrawn along with the Petapa natives.

After the Spanish conquest, a town was founded in place of the old native settlement. It soon became one of the most notable settlements in the area, eventually serving as a curato headquarters for the Order of Preachers, which in turn was under the jurisdiction of the Amatitlán convent.

Order of Preachers doctrines and curatos in the Capitanía General of Guatemala in 1638

Convento	Doctrinas	Convento	Doctrinas
Guatemala	Chimaltenango Jocotenango Sumpango San Juan Sacatepéquez San Pedro Sacatepéquez Santiago Sacatepéquez Rabinal San Martín Jilotepeque Escuintla Milpas Altas Milpas Bajas San Lucas Sacatepéquez Barrio de Santo Domingo	Amatitlán	Amatitlán Petapa Mixco San Cristóbal
		Verapaz	Cahabón Cobán Chamelco San Cristóbal Tactic
		Sonsonate	Nahuizalco Tacuxcalco
San Salvador	Apastepeque Chontales Cojutepeque Cuscatlán Milpas Bajas Tonacatepeque	Sacapulas	Sacapulas Cunén Nebaj Santa Cruz San Andrés Sajcabajá Zacualpa Chichicastenango

In 1690, when Fuentes y Guzmán wrote Recordación Florida the town was prosperous and its agriculture was booming, but it was not as well to do if its silver mines had been exploited. Fuentes y Guzmán told the story that, when the church was being built, the workers found a thick silver lining, but they rushed to hide it from the Spaniards, so the latter could not use it.

In 1754, due to a Royal Decree, all the doctrines and curatos still belonging to regular orders were transferred to the secular clergy authorities.

On the night of 1 October 2015 and following several days of heavy rains, a hill collapsed causing a mudslide that destroyed El Cambray II settlement, leaving behind hundreds of missing people, according to the first official reports. Besides, there were nine confirmed deaths, 34 injured and up to 65 displaced on more than 100 destroyed homes. After the landslide, the area was in Code Red.

The region has a municipal capital (Santa Catarina Pinula), fifteen villages and seven settlements.

Santa Catarina Pinula administrative division

Division Name Villages Cuchilla del Carmen El Carmen Salvadora I Salvadora II El Pueblito Nueva Concepción Puerta Parada Piedra Parada Cristo Rey Piedra Parada El Rosario San José El Manzano Laguna Bermeja El Pajón Manzano La Libertad Don Justo Canchón

Subdivisión Nombre Settlements Trapichito Pepe Nance Cambray I Cambray II El Zarzal Los Cipreses Laguneta

Santa Catarina Pinula has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb).

Guatemalan Olympic swimmer Kevin Avila Soto was born here.

Santa Catarina Pinula is completely surrounded by Guatemala Department municipalities:

• Guatemala portal
• Geography portal
• List of places in Guatemala

14°34′N 90°30′W / 14.567°N 90.500°W / 14.567; -90.500