Xela - A place to get stuck!

I first arrived in Xela in February this year. I had booked two nights in a hostel end ended up staying for four months. Xela is the second largest city in Guatemala, but it feels like a small place. It's a welcoming city with friendly locals and you can find everything you need or want here. It's got plenty of nice cafés and restaurants and is somewhat modern, but it hasn't lost its real Guatemalan charm, like let's say Antigua or San Pedro de laguna. In fact you don't see that many tourists at all. Because it's not very touristy, the prices are lower. You can have a large typical breakfast for Q20, take a colectivo around the city for Q1.25 and buy a pair of second hand jeans for Q15. In fact, I found a second hand hoody at the market for Q1!!!

You can do lots of interesting hikes whilst you're here. There's a sacred mayan lake, Santa Maria Volcano and Tajamulco Volcano amongst others and the famous hot springs Fuentes Georginas of course.Read more