A Guide to Xela: Exploring Guatemala’s Second City

Last Updated on: 18th July 2024, 04:34 pm

Xela may be Guatemala’s second-largest city, but it’s far off the tourist trail. But is it worth visiting? It depends, and this guide to the top things to do in Xela will hopefully help you make a decision.

Before continuing, it’s important to note that the official name for the city is actually Quetzlatenango. This is what you’ll see labeled on most maps. 

A majority of locals, however, refer to the city as Xela (shell-ah), which is based on the original K’iche’ Mayan name of Xelajú. And when taking local buses, you’re also more likely to see ‘Xela’ written as the destination. And as Xela is much easier to say, that’s the name we’ll be sticking with for this guide.

Following a rundown of Xela’s top things to do, be sure to check the end of the article for tips on transport, accommodation, and more thoughts on whether the city is really worth visiting.

Parque Centroamérica

Xela’s most significant buildings can be found around its oblong-shaped central square known as Parque Centroamérica, designed in the 19th century by Italian architect Alberto Porta.

Notably, it originally consisted of two separate parks which were then conjoined in the 1930s. Today, the square always seems to be lively and crowded, whether you arrive on a weekend afternoon or a weekday morning.

Things to Do in Xela Guide
A view of the Quetzaltenango Cathedral

The most remarkable structure here is arguably the Espiritu Santo Cathedral, also just known as the Quetzaltenango Cathedral.

The ornately decorated facade which faces the park dates back to 1535, shortly after the Spanish defeat of the local warrior Tecun Uman.

Considering how dense this area is, it’s quite difficult to find an angle from which to take it all in. But the main part of the church actually stands behind the original facade, and it features numerous white domes.

In such a seismically active country like Guatemala, many historical structures have required numerous restorations over the years.

Things to Do in Xela Guide
Things to Do in Xela Guide

A lot of the other structures around the park date to the 19th and early 20th centuries, when the city grew wealthy during a coffee production boom.

As is common throughout cities in Latin America, facing the central park is the Municipal Palace. The current columned structure dates back to 1812, and visitors are free to walk inside to check out the impressive interior garden.

Things to Do in Xela Guide
Things to Do in Xela Guide
The Natural History Museum
Things to Do in Xela Guide
Pasaje Enriquez

At the southern end of Parque Centroamérica is the Natural History Museum, which is arguably the only notable museum in Guatemala’s second city.

While I intended to visit, the staff was about to step out for lunch upon my arrival, and I was told to return later. The price is 20Q for foreigners, but based on photographs and reviews, the museum seems rather small and shabby. It is, at least, housed in an interesting Neoclassical Building.

At the northwest end of the park, meanwhile, is the Enriquez Passage. Built in 1900 as a commercial building, it now serves as the area’s nightlife hub and is home to a plethora of bars and restaurants.

In the center of the northern end of the park is a rotunda comprised of Ionic columns. It’s dedicated to Guatemalan composer Rafael Álvarez Ovalle (1858-1946).

This is just one of several constructions in Xela that was heavily inspired by classical Greek architecture. On the opposite end of the city, for example, is the Minerva Temple, constructed in 1917.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

Across the street from Parque Centroamérica to the north, meanwhile, is the Banco Industrial, a historical structure which continues to serve its original function.

While not right by the park, several blocks to the northwest is the Municipal Theatre. The beautiful structure, which was built in the Neoclassical style, continues to hold regular theater performances and concerts.

The General Cemetery

Xela’s main cemetery is widely regarded as one of the city’s essential destinations. Latin American cemeteries are generally known for being colorful, and that’s especially true in Guatemala. 

And at the same time, you’ll also find elaborate mausoleums belonging to the rich and famous, similar to what you might see in the United States.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

You could easily spend a couple of hours exploring this massive cemetery. But to see everything here would probably take an entire day.

Stepping inside, you’ll soon encounter tightly packed clusters of smaller graves that likely belonged to children. Despite the somberness of the place, they’ve nevertheless been painted in vibrant colors. 

Similar cluster of graves, meanwhile, can be found along the interior of the large enclosure wall.

The cemetery contains a main central path, off of which branch countless smaller paths and little alleyways. And it shouldn’t be long before you encounter some large mausoleums which likely belonged to important – or at least wealthy – members of Xela’s past.

It’s often unclear who some of the larger mausoleums belong to. But some of the most notable figures buried at the cemetery include the former leaders of Los Altos.

In the 19th century, Xela briefly served as the capital of Los Altos, a breakaway state from Guatemala that was part of the Central American Confederation. 

The state, of course, would ultimately be reabsorbed into Guatemala, but it still seems to be an important part of the city’s identity.

Things to Do in Xela Guide
Things to Do in Xela Guide

While I seemed to have missed it, one of the most well-known graves here belongs to Vanushka, a European gypsy woman who came to Guatemala in the 1920s. 

According to legend, she and a wealthy young local man fell in love following her circus performance, though the man’s family disapproved.

They sent him away to Spain, and shortly after, Vanushka died of sadness. Today, her grave is something of a pilgrimage spot for people who find themselves in similar situations.

Things to Do in Xela Guide
Things to Do in Xela Guide

The cemetery’s more elaborate mausoleums seem to take inspiration from a variety of architectural styles, including Greco-Roman, Gothic, Baroque and even ancient Egyptian architecture. The latter is probably the result of the longstanding influence of Masonry in the region.

Things to Do in Xela Guide
Things to Do in Xela Guide

The area near the bottom is largely designated for Xela’s elite. But if you continue walking uphill, you’ll reach an area that has a very different look and feel.

This section is occupied by commoners, and they’ve been buried in relatively small graves that are cramped much closer together. But at least their loved ones can enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding volcanoes when coming to pay their respects.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

Robberies are said to sometimes take place at the cemetery, so it’s best to keep an eye out. While I didn’t notice anything suspicious during my visit, the fact remains that the cemetery is both large and mostly unpatrolled.

San Andrés Xecul

While technically not part of Xela, San Andrés Xecul is one of several small towns surrounding that city that’s known for having an important church. 

It’s possible to simply take an Uber there from Xela’s city center, but as we’ll cover shortly, you may have a harder time getting back.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

While not especially large, Iglesia San Andrés Xecul is arguably one of Guatemala’s most stunning churches, even making the cover of one of the previous editions of Lonely Planet Guatemala.

Emerging from the bright yellow walls are three-dimensional saints and angels, not to mention ornately carved and painted vegetal motifs. And don’t miss the jaguars at the very top! The eye-catching style seems to be a fusion of Baroque and traditional Mayan art.

Nobody seems to know for sure, but the church was likely constructed in the 17th century before being refurbished numerous times over the years.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

The church sits right in front of Xecul’s central square, so you’ll have no problem finding it. The hillside town also features a few additional landmarks, though they’re a bit trickier to find.

Further uphill is the Iglesia del Calvario, which is also painted yellow, but much smaller and less impressive than the main church.

Getting there is actually fairly straightforward, but it’s best to ignore Google Maps altogether. Turning away from the main square, you simply want to walk uphill via the main road to the left of the square.

Eventually, the hill will become even steeper and also veer to the right. Continue following the road, and it won’t be long before  Iglesia del Calvario comes into view.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

From here, you can enjoy great views of the town below. While there’s also supposed to be a traditional Mayan altar right next to the church, I didn’t end up seeing it.

You can even continue hiking further uphill up the Sendero Pakotz’ij to reach a cross placed at an overlook on the mountain. This was my original place for the day, but I’d gotten very lost by following Google Maps too closely!

It wasn’t until waiting for my Uber back to Xela that I finally found the church, but I no longer had time to continue up to the trail. You can find more details about the trail and Xecul in general here.

Things to Do in Xela Guide

Speaking of transport back to Xela, there are indeed public buses to the city, but they’re rather infrequent. I ended up losing patience and hailing an Uber, and was quite lucky to even find a driver given Xecul’s remoteness. 

I then had to wait about 30 minutes for it to arrive, around which time the public bus just happened to depart!

You could also try taking a tuk tuk down to the bus stop at San Cristobal Tontonicapán and wait for a bus from there.

Looking back, while the Iglesia San Andrés Xecul was indeed impressive, I didn’t really find viewing a single church to be worth the transportation hassle.

More Around Xela

A lot of the top things to do in Xela are located outside the city center. I spent a few weeks in the city, but mainly used the time to take a break from traveling. But those with more time, or who are coming to Guatemala primarily for hiking, can use Xela as a base for visiting various other locations.

Relatively close to the city center is the Cerro del Baúl, which offers an overhead view of the city. While I was originally interested, I read that not only does it cost money to access, but management cannot guarantee the safety of visitors.

Apparently, robberies are common along the trail, which is why many people only recommend going on weekends when it’s crowded.

A popular day trip from the city is the Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs in the village of Zunil. Being a fan of hot springs, this is another place I’d hoped to visit, but was dissuaded by reports of tepid water (something I experienced before in Mexico).

Still, if you’re interested, consider this half-day tour for a very reasonable price of $25.

Xela is a great base for trekking. Nearby is Tajamulco Volcano, which, at 4220 m, is the highest peak in all of Central America! Also nearby is Santa María Volcano (3772 m).

The hiking experience is said to be quite similar to that of Acatenango near Antigua, and you should be able to book trekking tours in town with the Monte Verde or Quetzaltrekkers agencies.

A much smaller and more accessible volcano, meanwhile, is that of Chicabal, which is most known for its beautiful crater lake – a sacred spot for the local Maya. You can either get there independently or take a tour like this one.

Despite very much being a Mayan city, Xela lacks archaeological sites in its vicinity. While certainly not the easiest day trip, I visited the ruins of Zaceleu during my stay which you can learn more about in our dedicated guide.

While ruins are lacking, there are indeed Mayan pilgrimage sites throughout the area, such as Cerro Quemado to the south of the city. Traditional rituals still take place there, though local Evangelicals have bizarrely and inappropriately erected an Israeli flag atop the mountain.

Additional Info

If you’ll be visiting common destinations in Guatemala like Flores, Antigua and Lake Atitlán, visiting Xela is going to require a detour. As such, you’ll want to make sure that Xela is really for you before going out of your way to visit.

Frankly speaking, Xela is only worth visiting under a few specific circumstances. For example, if you’re really into trekking, the city serves as the base for some of the country’s highest volcanoes.

Xela is also home to numerous Spanish language schools, while it also makes for a good base for digital nomads. I decided to spend a few weeks in Xela, mainly because it has an abundance of affordable rental apartments that are great for long-term stays.

Furthermore, if you plan on traveling between Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, you’ll likely be passing through Xela at some point. In that case, it’s well worth setting a few days aside to explore the city.

For everyone else, though, Xela just doesn’t have enough to offer to warrant going out of your way. Oddly, some people online are promoting Xela as the next big thing. And while I’m sure some people do indeed like it, it also seems like certain online ‘influencers’ are racing to be the first ones to talk about relatively obscure destinations.

But Xela is unknown for a reason, as its top things to do are mostly centered around its main square. And it still suffers from the problems of your typical large Latin American city, such as terrible traffic, noise, and poor air quality.

Surprisingly, I found Guatemala City itself to be the country’s real hidden gem – at least when it comes to cities. In addition to its interesting colonial center, the capital is home to a few great museums and an archaeological site – things which Xela lacks. And while Xela is often touted as being relatively safe,  you can easily stay safe in Guatemala City by choosing the right neighborhood to stay in.

As Guatemala’s second-largest city, Xela is fairly well-connected. But given the state of Guatemala’s transport infrastructure, it’s still not the easiest place to get to depending on where you’re coming from.

Various ‘chicken buses’ (converted American school buses) connect Xela with other Guatemalan cities like the capital and Huehuetenango to the north. Those coming from Comitán, Mexico, for example, will need to transfer in Huehuetenango before heading to Xela (and then elsewhere). 

Most chicken buses will depart from and arrive at the Minerva Terminal in the western part of the city.

It’s also possible to take a coach bus from or to Guatemala City, though you’ll have to go to each specific company’s terminal. Note that the terminal of the Alamo company is incorrectly listed on Google Maps at the time of writing.

In the end, you might just want to take a tourist shuttle, which is basically a minibus that will pick you up from your hotel and take you directly to your destination. While often the priciest option, it’s usually worth it to avoid the hassle of taking chicken buses over long distances.

I arrived in Xela from Panajachel (near Lake Atitlán) and traveled from Xela to Guatemala City with Adrenalina Tours. Communication with them was smooth, and the drivers were always on time and courteous.

Xela is a medium-sized city of about 200,000 people. While many places can be reached on foot, walking around the city can be rather unpleasant due to terrible traffic, narrow sidewalks, and few traffic lights.

If you’re mainly in Xela for sightseeing, you’ll want to stay close to Parque Centroamérica. Xela is one of Guatemala’s most affordable destinations, so you should be able to find private rooms with private bathrooms for a great price.

One example is Hotel Casa Quetzaltenango, which is very budget-friendly and just a block from the central park. But those looking for something more luxurious should consider somewhere like Hotel Pensión Bonifaz, also right by the park.

On the other hand, if you think you’ll be doing a lot of day trips from Xela, you might want to stay further west, closer to the Minerva Bus Terminal. Consider the highly-rated ‘Brazilian Art‘ rental apartment which places you in between the center, the bus terminal and the cemetery.

Regardless of where you stay, remember that Uber works great in Xela, so there’s always an easy way to get from one side of the city to the other.

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