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Clock tower in Quetzaltenango

Western Highlands · Highland city of volcanoes and hot springs

Guatemala's second city, known to everyone as Xela, sits high in the western highlands among volcanoes, hot springs and Maya villages. It is authentic, cultured and wonderfully untouristy.

Overview

Quetzaltenango, better known by its K'iche' name Xelajú or simply Xela, is Guatemala's second-largest city and the cultural capital of the western highlands. Its grand neoclassical central park, theatres and churches reflect the coffee wealth of the late 19th century, while the surrounding valleys remain strongly Maya.

Xela is famous for its Spanish schools, its laid-back café culture and its access to some of Guatemala's finest landscapes. Nearby are the steaming Fuentes Georginas hot springs, the sacred crater lake of Laguna Chicabal and Volcán Tajumulco, at 4,220 metres the highest peak in Central America.

We recommend Xela for travellers who want to go deeper: hike volcanoes, explore lively market towns like Almolonga and San Andrés Xecul, and experience a Guatemalan city where daily life carries on without the tourist gloss. Your specialist will connect you with local guides who know the region intimately.

Best time to visit

  • JanBestBest time to visit. Dry season.
  • FebBestBest time to visit. Dry season.
  • MarBestBest time to visit. Dry season.
  • AprBestBest time to visit. Dry season.
  • MayRainyRainy season.
  • JunRainyRainy season.
  • JulRainyRainy season.
  • AugRainyRainy season.
  • SepRainyRainy season.
  • OctRainyRainy season.
  • NovBestBest time to visit. Dry season.
  • DecBestBest time to visit. Dry season.
Best months● Rainy season (May–October): mornings usually clear, afternoon showers

The dry season from November to April brings sunny days and clear volcano views, though nights can be frosty in December and January. During the May to October rainy season, afternoons are often wet and summits are frequently in cloud, so we plan hikes for the early morning.

Highlights

  1. 01

    Fuentes Georginas

    Soak in natural hot spring pools set in a lush cloud forest valley near Zunil, especially magical on a cool morning.

  2. 02

    Laguna Chicabal

    Hike to a mist-shrouded crater lake considered sacred by the Mam Maya, where ceremonies are still held on its shores.

  3. 03

    San Andrés Xecul

    Visit a dazzling yellow church covered in folk-art angels, animals and vines, one of the most photographed in Guatemala.

  4. 04

    Volcano summits

    Climb Santa María for views over the active Santiaguito dome, or tackle Tajumulco, the roof of Central America.

Things to do

  • 01Soak at the Fuentes Georginas hot springs
  • 02Hike to the crater lake of Laguna Chicabal
  • 03Visit the folk-baroque church of San Andrés Xecul
  • 04Climb Volcán Santa María for sunrise
  • 05Summit Volcán Tajumulco, Central America's highest peak
  • 06Explore the vegetable market of Almolonga
  • 07Take private Spanish lessons with a local teacher
  • 08Try caldo de frutas, the traditional fruit liqueur of nearby Salcajá
Pastel colonial street leading to the yellow Santa Catalina Arch
Learning1 week or longer

Spanish Immersion

One-to-one lessons in the colonial highlands

From $520 per person

Practical tips

Pack warm layers
At over 2,300 metres, Xela is cold at night and in the early morning. A warm jacket is essential year-round.
Start hikes before dawn
Clouds gather on the volcanoes by mid-morning. Early starts give you the best views and the safest conditions.
Give it time
Xela rewards those who linger. Even a few days of Spanish lessons or village visits will open the region up to you.

Quetzaltenango (Xela) FAQ

Xela (pronounced 'SHAY-la') is short for Xelajú, the city's original K'iche' Maya name. Locals almost always use it.

More questions? See our Guatemala FAQ.

Every tour is private and fully adjustable around your dates and pace.

See all tours

8 days, 7 nights Antigua · Western Highlands · Lake Atitlán

Highlands & Markets

Daily breakfast · 6 guided activities · All private transfers

  • Overnight in Chichicastenango to see the market wake up
  • Backstrap weaving with a women's co-operative in San Juan
  • The hot springs of Fuentes Georginas in the cloud forest
  • San Andrés Xecul's technicolour church

From$1,790per person

≈ $3,580 for two · international flights excluded

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