Joyabaj was an important part of the royal route to Mexico during the Spanish time. On February 4, 1976 the town was almost destroyed by an earthquake. Most of its beautiful colonial houses and buildings were lost and hundreds of people died. Joyabaj was also hit hard by the civil war that lasted about 30 years in Guatemala. The majority of the "ladinos" (people with mixed Spanish and Indian heritage) fled to Guatemala City.