Quiet Christmas in Quetzaltenango (Xela)

Trip date December 2025 1GBP = 10.15 Guatemalan Quetzal March 2026

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala's second largest city, sits at high altitude, tucked away in the North West of the country. Its name is also a mouthful to pronounce which is why I, following the locals, am going to use its Mayan name instead: Xela (pronounced Shayla).

The cheapest and more "local" way to get to Xela from Antigua was by using their network of chicken buses (ex-school buses from America, that have gained the nickname due to transporting all sorts of goods... including live chickens). We would have been happy to do so if it didn't include changing buses (up to four times) at places called things like Los Encuentros (the encounters) which was just a T junction in the middle of no-where on the Pan-America highway.

Not yet brave enough to contemplate this chicken bus relay, we opted for a tourist shuttle instead. It wasn't quite a door-to-door service, so we found ourselves sat in a local park of Antigua hoping it would arrive closer to 2pm in the 2-3pm pick-up slot we had been allotted. It arrived at 2.30pm, and as we were the last ones to be collected, we were spared the bone jarring rattle of traversing Antigua's cobblestone streets picking up passengers. Thankfully it was more comfortable than the last shuttle we'd got, at 200Q per person it wasn't exactly the cheapest option... although from what we heard on the bus, some people paid a lot more than we did.

By 7.30pm we had arrived, and we were dropped off at the main square of Xela's Zone 1 (the historic centre) - people with hotels were dropped off directly, but that wasn't as easy with an Airbnb. One fellow passenger got into a rather heated debate with our (overly) caring driver who insisted he stay in the car despite being stuck in traffic just a street away from his Airbnb, so we just waited until we were let out. No matter, it was just a quick five minutes walk to get to where we were going. We clocked that a large street food market was taking place around the main plaza, so once we'd dropped off our bags we scouted around for something to eat. As we were staying the week over Christmas, the market was on every afternoon and evening, I can't say if that would be the case over the rest of the year.

We visited the market on several occasions over our stay and managed to sample quite a range of what was on offer. Ben tasted most of their meat-filled products, Xela Tacos, Pork Tacos and his favourite, the Choripan (a spiced Argentinian sausage with cheese, onions, chimmichuri, in a crispy bun). Being vegetarian, my options were limited but not non-existent, I could try the Pupusa, Esquites and the Guatemalan Enchillada (crispy flat tortilla with a shredded beets, tomato salsa, egg and cheese - I did have to specify no beef).

Our Airbnb was tucked away in a residential neighbourhood, annoyingly close to the Market of Flowers. We didn't think it would be an issue, but the vendors were noisier setting up their stalls first thing in the morning than they were all day. I guess that's the compromise we had to make to stay in a less touristy spot. The rest of the area was lively, with small independent shops selling everything we could want for everyday life. Just round the corner was one of many tortillerías dotted about the area, a shop selling freshly made tortillas in any quantity we could desire (although confusingly sold by both quantity, price and weight - so we had a little trouble getting the right amount).

We didn't really plan to do all that much while we were in Xela: a good thing too as most of the guided hikes to the nearby mountains were on hold for the break over Christmas, as were the city's many Spanish schools. We just settled in and lived a semi-regular life, less going out and more cooking at home. It wasn't quite as easy as we had thought though. We tried to go food shopping at the market de la independica, but what should have been a single building market now sprawled across four or five streets - it also seemed to have grown every time we passed by. Once we entered it was hard to escape, each lane of the market was wide enough for one Guatemalan (or half a Westerner), and they seemed to spread like a rabbit warren - but with more chaos and shouting. Feeling trapped, we couldn't concentrate on haggling and just wanted to leave. The supermarket was also busy, but far less intense.

Xela has a very particular aesthetic compared to much of Central America. After the 1902 earthquake destroyed much of the historic centre, President Manuel Estrada Cabrera, who was from Xela (and obsessed with the Roman goddess Minerva), decided to rebuilt with a neo-classical twist. There's even a much neglected temple to Minerva situated on a roundabout in zone 3 of the city.

We visited two viewpoints in our exploration of the city, the most impressive of the two being Cerro El Baul. The walk was tough, Xela sits at an elevation 2330m, with the viewpoint at 2650m. It took us about an hour from where we were staying in town, but it felt like much more given the steep powdery paths that took us up and our general lack of fitness. From the top most of the sprawling city was in view and distant mountains that were hidden from the ground.

The view wasn't the only draw: local families were spread amongst the mountains trees having picnics and playing on the huge slides provided - they brought their own cardboard boxes to assist with the sliding, concrete isn't very forgiving on one's behind. Being Christmas Day when we visited, we weren't expecting such a crowd but it seemed like a well-loved place to visit... especially if you could drive up. On the way back down, we followed the road way that snaked around the back of the mountain. This provided some stunning views over the nearby countryside to balance the cityscape view we enjoyed from the top.

Another popular (but more morbid) spot we visited was the sprawling Cemetario General de Quetzaltenango, the city's most historic cemetery. Unlike British graveyards, with their plain stone tombstones, this cemetery was a riot of colour and expression. From a brief glance you could gather the resident's socio-economic status due to the sheer elaborateness (or lack therefore of) of their final resting places. Apartment style slots for some and statue guarded pyramidal family plots for others. In the back of the cemetery, past a low stone wall was space for even simpler graves that mostly belonged to the area's Maya populace - these featuring just a simple cross with a name painted on.

Our favourite thing we did in Xela only happened due to it being Christmas. As the clock struck midnight and Christmas Eve turned to Christmas day, we found ourselves stood on a low stone bridge watching the sheer insanity come over the city. Fireworks are how the country celebrates the day, and I don't mean an organised display (although I can't say that doesn't happen elsewhere) just regular people setting off a wide range of fireworks in the narrow streets outside their doors. Alongside the fireworks, there were bombas (mortar shells that explode, shaking the ground), Metralladoras (fireworks thrown on the ground which produces sharp flares and the sharp rat-tat-tat of a machine gun) and others I'm sure were just small incendiary devices. It was honestly exhilarating and the disregard for firework safety was unlike anything I'd ever seen - one man we saw, had lit his fireworks inside his house before lobbing them outside his door and promptly shutting it. I guess it's the taking part that counts.

So we enjoyed our time in Xela. We didn't find all that much to do but that suited us just fine.