About Xela
Quetzaltenango is the 2nd largest city in Guatemala, with a population of 250,000. An altitude of 2335 metres (7705ft) ensures warm days, cool nights and no mosquitoes. Commonly known by it’s K'iche name of Xela (Shay – La), it is situated 200km west of Guatemala City but only 1.5 hours from tropical beaches on the west coast
Quetzaltenango is an active city, which does not have the high concentrations of language students as do tourist centres such as Cuernavaca, México, Antigua, Guatemala and Quito, Ecuador. As a result, students have more opportunity to interact with the local population and participate in Guatemalan life. Xela has a rich history and, with its six universities and several technical schools, it is often referred to as Guatemala’s cultural centre and most progressive city.
With a population 50% indigenous and 50% mestizos, the city is an example of how traditionally impoverished indigenous people have obtained economic and political power in Guatemala running small and big businesses. In 1986, Xela elected its first indigenous mayor in 150 years.
Pre-20th-Century History
Quetzaltenango came under the sway of the K'iche' Maya of K'umarcaaj when they began their great expansion in the 14th century. Before that it had been a Mam Maya town. It was near here that the K'iche' leader Tecún Umán was defeated and killed by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524. Up until then the settlement had been known by the Mayan name Xelajú, but Alvarado named it for the Nahuatl name used by his Mexican allies - Quetzaltenango. Today most people use the original K'iche' name.Quetzaltenango remained under colonial rule until independence and was briefly capital of Los Altos, one of the states of the Federal Republic of Central America, before being taken by the army of Guatemala.
Modern History
Quetzaltenango prospered in the late 19th-century coffee boom, with brokers opening warehouses and fincas (plantations) owners coming to the city to buy supplies. The boom was shattered by an even bigger boom - a combined earthquake and the eruption of Santa María volcano in 1902, which brought mass destruction. Still, the city was rebuilt and its position at the intersection of roads to the Pacific Slope, Mexico and Guatemala City guaranteed it some degree of trade and prosperity.
Recent History
Today Quetzaltenango is the commercial centre of Guatemala's Western Highlands, a thriving marketplace and business town. Tourism has been the biggest growth industry in recent years and the main attraction is learning and helping - Parque Minerva was built by the dictator Estrada Cabrera to honour the Roman goddess of education. Many travellers come here to study Spanish at the dozens of language schools, and to volunteer with non-profit organisations working with the indigenous Mayan communities.
When to Go
The highlands region is best visited in the dry season (Nov-May). The height of the tourist season is between Christmas and Easter, when days are dry and warm. There's a secondary high season from June to August when North Americans and Europeans come to Quetzaltenango to study Spanish, volunteer on projects or just travel around. Xela's biggest annual event is the Feria de la Virgen de Rosario, commencing on the 15th September and lasting for a week, with entertainment and street parties.
Weather
The emerald-green grass, tall fields of yellow maize (corn) and towering stands of pine that characterize the highlands all depend on the abundant rain that falls between May and October, peaking in June and September. If you visit during the rainy season, be prepared for some damp, dreary days. December to March are the coolest and driest months, often with no rainfall at all. At 2335m (7705ft) Quetzaltenango can get very chilly at night throughout the year, so pack some warm clothes. But when the sun comes out, the region surrounding Xela is stunning to behold.
