Xela is one of the most interesting places in Guatemala I have visited. It is full of bustling markets and architecture. It’s a large city with over 10 zones, it just needs some more greenery and maybe a bin man or two. It is also the cheapest place I have been in Guatemala because I wasn’t travelling or paying for accommodation, I only spent around £10 a day, maybe £20 if I took part in an excursion. Here is how I spent my week in Xela!
Markets and shops
In the Minerva Market (the largest in Xela) and giant thrift store (Mega Oda) next to it I bought a new pair of headphones, a bikini, a jacket, some accessories and a bag of fruit because I’m severely malnourished for under £10. Considering the market is big, it doesn’t seem as overwhelming as most. I was the only foreigner in the entire market, but I felt very safe, and it wasn’t as pressuring for money as in Mexico. There are more markets within Xela such as Las Flores Market, a small and local one in Zone 1. Along with the local Centro Comercial Market also in Zone 1, and La Democracia for local fruit and vegetables in Zone 3.
Language school
Xela is definitely far away from the typical gringo route, and the main reason tourists come is to do a language school. I went to Kamalbe Language School and it was a great place to study, David the owner is helpful and kind, overall I had a great experience studying there. By my 4th day I felt confident in speaking Spanish in all tenses, thanks to my amazing teacher Damaris. Overall the cost of living with a family for a week and 25 hours of lessons it is $185 (not including trips or activities the school provides). So if you are looking for an authentic Guatemalan experience and to learn Spanish, I highly recommend visiting Xela and the Kamalbe language school. The school also provided cooking classes, dance lessons which I took part in and it is nice to be able to meet other likeminded students in the school.
Food and drinks
A café I loved was called Mandarina in Zone 1, I got a smoothie bowl for £2.50, and it’s a great hidden place to study or work digitally. After classes I would hike 20 minutes to restaurant Panorama, with full views of the entire city, and it is cheap considering the amazing views overlooking the mountains. Another great place to study and drink £2 wine is La Cafetera, with many other students around the city working, it also has a rooftop overlooking Xela’s roads. I was full from Taco Bell for the majority of my time, (because I didn’t like my homestay food) but there are some great restaurants and bars in Xela. Resturante Cardinali serves authentic Italian food and cheap wine. Along with La Stampa Bistro and Casa Guin Bar, these are relaxed places to have a drink or some food. Next to the main park is Pasaje Enríquez, full of sports bars and is pretty lively on a weekend.
But if you don’t fancy sitting in a restaurant there is street food throughout the city. I was warned by locals and my teacher to be careful with the street food as you can get sick and some is unhygienic, but I ate street food a few times and was fine, just be careful.
Hot springs
Around 30 minutes away from Xela centre was Fuentes Georgina’s Hot Springs. I went with 4 friends, and it was organised by my language school, the springs were thermally heated from a volcano. This was maybe the most relaxing excursion I had done, laying in hot pools to cleanse myself, it was actually the cleanest I had felt in a while as a backpacker. To enter it cost 60Q (£6), but the best place is to go to the private pools, an extra 25Q but it is definitely worth it as you are covered by jungle besides a waterfall.
Hikes
Xela is full of great hikes due to its mountainous terrain. I mentioned in my previous post, Laguna Chicabal was one of my highlights in Xela (minus the dog attack). It was tranquil and there were a lot of campers surrounding the lake, so if you have the camping gear, you should definitely hike down and spend a night in the lagoon. If you go on the weekend, you are likely to see a Mayan ritual around the lake!
El Baul Miridor I kept going to attempt the hike, but locals kept warning me to not hike there alone because it can be dangerous. If I had more time I would have visited El Baul, but I was too busy practicing my Espanol. I believe the views are similar to Resturante Panorama, but if you have time, I have heard the view from El Baul is amazing.
More things
The Yoga House in Xela holds classes in the morning and evenings for around £2 a session. I prefer to do yoga in a class when it has tranquil views, if it hasn’t become apparent yet I am not much of a city girl but if you love yoga, I have heard great recommendations. There are also malls such as Interplaza, the largest in Xela to shop. I mentioned that there are no green spaces, but there are a lot of parks in the city, I lived 5 minutes from Parque Centro America, it is surrounded by bars, street food and has a nice atmosphere in the evenings. Before arriving to Xela, I was told the El Calvario Cemetery has a certain type of magic, unfortunately it was closed due to Covid but if you visit when it is open, I hear it is tranquil to walk around.
I spent one week in Xela, although there are much prettier areas in Guatemala, im more than satisfied with my visit to Xela and would recommend as it is off of the gringo route and you are provided with a true Guatemalan community style. In total id say I spent around £200, with £135 of the money going to my language school, so if you are looking for a cheap city experience, I recommend Quetzaltenango.
Bevs Backpacking📍 
Another well written,informativ and interesting piece of writing….
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