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The city of Quetzaltenago is the capital of the department with the same name in the highlands of Guatemala. With 150,000 inhabitants, it is the second largest city in the country. Quetzaltenango, or "Xela" as it is called by the locals, sits on a mountain plateau at an elevation of 7650 feet. The climate can be pleasant during the day and sometimes quite cool at night.
About 60 % of the population of Quetzaltenango is indigenous. These people are well integrated into daily life, economy and social activities within Quetzaltenango.
The history of the city began with the Mam-Indígenas, who founded the city. The city gained importance after it was conquered by the Quiché in the 14th century. The city got its name from the Spanish conquistadors.
Quetzaltenango became an important city because it is situated as the crossroads to the highlands of Guatemala. The city was most important during the coffee trades of the late 19th century. German and Italian influence of this time is still visible. Santa María, a volcano just outside of Quetzaltenango, erupted in 1902. This caused a lot of damage to the city. After this, it lost its importance in commerce, and much of its business moved to the capital.
Quetzaltenango presents itself as a modern city, having an infrastructure more or less similar to that of European or Nothern American cities. There are three universities, a lot of (internet-) cafés, (fast-food-) restaurants, shops of different types, art museums, fitness centers, dance clubs, cinemas, etc. In addition to this there are many aspects that contribute to the Guatemalan style of this city: handicraft stores, markets, and street vendors. Quetzaltenango represents the step into modern times of Guetamala without forgetting the traditions of the past.
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There are different ways to get from Quetzaltenango to the capital, but we recommend using Alamo or Galgos.
| from Quetzaltenango to Ciudad de Guatemala |
| Bus company |
Address |
Departure times |
| Linea Dorada |
12th Avenida 5 - 13
Zona 3
Quetzaltenango
Tel. +502-77675198 |
4 a.m.
8 a.m.
10.15 a.m.
12.45 p.m.
2.30 p.m. |
| Alamo |
4th Calle 5 - 15
Zona 3
Quetzaltenango
Tel. +502-77674582 |
4 a.m.
8 a.m.
10.15 a.m.
12.45 p.m.
2.30 p.m. |
| Galgos |
Calle Rodolfo Robles 17 - 43
Zona 1
Quetzaltenango
Tel. +502-77612248 |
4 a.m.
12.30 p.m.
3 p.m. |
| from Ciudad de Guatemala to Quetzaltenango |
| Bus company |
Address |
Departure times |
| Linea Dorada |
16th Calle 10 - 3
Zona 1
Guatemala Ciudad
Tel: +502-24158900 |
8 a.m.
3 p.m. |
| Alamo |
12th Avenida "A" Calle 0 - 65
Zona 7
Guatemala Ciudad
Tel: +502-24718626 |
6.15 a.m.
8 a.m.
10.30 a.m.
12.30 p.m.
3 p.m. |
| Galgos |
7th Avenida 19 - 44
Zona 1
Guatemala Ciudad
Tel. +502-22534868 |
8.30 a.m.
2.30 p.m.
5 p.m. |
Average travelling time is about 4 hours. It is said that Linea Dorada offers the better service with newer buses. We recommend not to travel at night, which means not taking buses leaving after 3 p.m. Price for a one way trip is around 70 Quetzales (as of March 2009).
There are also a lot of the famous Camionetas or Chicken-Buses serving the route Quetzaltenango - Guatemala like the rest of the country. They are authentically Guatamalan, but they are not recommended for "Guatemala Beginners".
For those who prefer not to stay with a family there are some hostels in Xela. We recommend the following one:
Posada La Estacion
2nd calle, Callejón 15,
2-34 (between 15th Avenida "A" and 16th Avenida), Zona 1.
Tel. +502-7761-9957 / +502-5407-9583
Homepage: [http://www.hostalposadalaestacion.com]
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