Introducing Quetzaltenango (Xela)
Quetzaltenango, which the locals kindly shorten to Xela (shell-ah), itself an abbreviation of the original Quiché Maya name, Xelajú, may well be the perfect Guatemalan town – not too big, not too small, enough foreigners to support a good range of hotels and restaurants, but not so many that it loses its national flavor. The Guatemalan ‘layering’ effect is at work in the city center here – once the Spanish moved out, the Germans moved in and their architecture gives the zone a somber, some would say Gothic, feel.
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Xela attracts a more serious type of traveler – people who really want to learn Spanish, and then stay around and get involved in the myriad volunteer projects on offer.
It also functions as a base for a range of spectacular hikes through the surrounding countryside – the constantly active Santiaguito and highest-point-in-Central-America Tajumulco volcanoes and the picturesque, fascinating three-day trek to Lake Atitlán to name a few.
Last updated: Sep 13, 2011
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Re: Quetzaltenango to Semuc Champney
by panerian 15 September 2011
Going through Huehuetenango is faster because it´s simpler. If you go through Chichicastenango you have to change buses in Los Encuentros…
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RE: Quetzaltenango to Semuc Champney
by fulana_cualquiera 14 September 2011
This thread: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1733238 has info on the the route via Huehue to Cobán. I haven't…
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(Small) Spanish school in Mexico?
by oliwood 11 September 2011
Hi everyone, I am looking for a small, cheap, Spanish school in Mexico. I don't like big businesses schools or schools that have 5000…
See all Thorn Tree forum discussions for Quetzaltenango (Xela)
Hotels & Hostels in Quetzaltenango (Xela)
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7 Orejas hostel
Quetzaltenango (Xela)
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The Friendly Pug Hostel
Quetzaltenango (Xela)
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