Trip: January 2018
Below is our Top 5 Things To Do in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala, part of the Just Carrying On – Top 5 Things To Do series.
Quetzaltenango is the perfect size town to spend some time studying Spanish, which is what most travelers are there to do. We spent 4 weeks at La Democracia Spanish School and enjoyed every minute of it. For more on our Spanish school experience, scroll to the bottom of this post.
The following are our overall Top 5 Things To Do, based on many afternoons and weekends spent exploring. We hope you find it helpful as you head to this wonderful city in the highlands of Guatemala.
1. Casa de Yoga
Casa de Yoga was our favorite part of Xela. The yoga studio is unassuming and pretty unattractive, but that didn’t matter to us. The classes, led by Kevin and Alex, were really challenging and without frills. We loved it. Our routine was to study Spanish during the afternoons and then hit up the 5:15pm intermediate/advanced class before eating dinner back at our homestay at 7:30pm. The rhythm was nice and we’ve never been in better yoga shape than when we left, 4 weeks later. And perhaps the best part? One month of classes was about $20 USD/person.
2. Hotel Modelo Bar
We took every Wednesday off from yoga and instead went to happy hour at the Hotel Modelo bar. Olivia’s Spanish teacher bartends there, the drinks are 2 for 1 from 5pm to 7pm, and she makes a mean margarita. Aside from the good drinks and good deal, the bar has fun decor and is a comfortable spot to start the evening.
3. Quetzaltrekkers
Quetzaltrekkers is an awesome organization. They are a guide company, run entirely by volunteers, and all profits go to fund local schools and orphanages. We went on two treks with them: Volcano Tajulmulco and the Lago Atitlan hike. We’d recommend both. Tajulmulco is the highest peak in Central America at 4222 meters and was a two day trip. The Lago hike, as it is known, is 3 days and is a trek from Xela to Lago Atitlan. This is a fun way to travel this route, which most visitors to Guatemala do anyway. We found the volunteer guides to be fun, professional, and the treks well run. And all for a good cause.
Google Maps / Trip Advisor / Quetzaltrekkers Website
4. The Bake Shop
It’s pretty simple. The Bake Shop makes amazing baked goods. Run by Mennonites and only open on Tuesdays and Fridays, the baked goods reminded us of home. We particularly enjoyed their chocolate cupcakes. But really everything they make is incredible. It is across from the new centro comercial (mall) and hidden behind a set of stairs, and is well worth the weekly (or twice-weekly) trip.
5. Panque Waffles
You’ll also find Panque Waffles on our Top 5 Coffee Shops to Study Spanish in Xela post because it is awesome.Hip decor, good food at reasonable prices, and amiable staff. But it isn’t only a coffee shop. It is also a restaurant open for all meals. We’d recommend breakfast though, unless you like waffles for dinner.
Honorable mentions
- Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs: these make all the Best Of lists and for good reason. The piping hot water literally pours off the mountainside into the blue/green pools. One of the best hot springs we’ve ever been to.
- Street Food: there’s no doubt street food in Guatemala is a risk, but we had no problems the few times we ate out. And there’s good reason to do so. There’s a veggie torta counter inside the La Democracia market near a good Licuado stand. And then there is a very non-veggie street taco cart in the street nearby, recommended by my former host-dad. And they were amazing.
- La Frida Mezcaleria: this place is new and quite small, but we really loved our evening sitting out front, sipping on cocktails, which were both interesting and tasty. They know their mezcal.
- Coffee shops! Make sure to check out our Top 5 Coffee Shops to Study Spanish post if you’re into coffee (as we are) because that’s where we go over the best of the best in Xela.
And of course, study Spanish!
Top 5 Things to Do in Xela, Guatemala is part of the Just Carrying On – Top 5 Things To Do series, which offers our best travel recommendations from around the world.